Hostile Republicans finally got under the skin of gentlemanly Rep. David Scott. The House Agriculture chairman limited discussion during a committee hearing on Thursday — “We’re here to deal with climate change and nothing else,” he said — and told Republican Austin Scott, “I’m tired of your disrespect.”
Republicans on the increasingly polarized committee have chafed for two weeks at being sidelined during work on the agricultural provisions of the Biden administration’s $3.5 trillion “build back better” bill. They effectively hijacked a committee meeting on Tuesday to complain about the bill and to goad the chairman over the niceties of committee procedure. Austin Scott was prominent in repeatedly demanding the legislative text for $28 billion in conservation funding that was promised for inclusion in the bill before a floor vote.
The chairman pushed back on Thursday, declaring, “If committee members have in mind to bring up any other subject, they will not be recognized” — an unusual restriction on proceedings. When Austin Scott objected, the chairman said, “I am tired of your shenanigans. I am tired of your disrespect. … You have disrespected other members’ bills every meeting.” The Scotts are from Georgia but not related. David, 78, is the first Black chairman of the committee; Austin, 51, is white.
While the exchange mirrored the sharply partisan atmosphere in Congress overall, it ran counter to the reputation of the House and Senate Agriculture committees as islands of bipartisanship, though that exists largely because farm policy disputes tend to break along regional lines rather than according to party affiliation.
Austin Scott followed the chairman’s instructions to stick to climate change when it was his turn to question witnesses. At the end of his allotted five minutes, he asked, ‘Mr. Chairman, is that acceptable?” David Scott grinned but did not respond audibly.
For a recording of the hearing, “Voluntary carbon markets in agriculture and forestry,” click here.
Written testimony for the hearing is available here.