Markwayne Mullin and Teamsters Head Nearly Fight: Swearing Incident Explained

Congressional brawls are escalating, with Senators and Representatives getting into physical altercations, reflecting and affecting violence and politics in the nation.

Historian Joanne Freeman's captivating book, Fields Of Blood, which delves into the transformation of the Congress into the Octagon in the years leading up to the Civil War, may be in need of a sequel. The national legislature is once again descending into chaos and animosity.

At a recent hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), tensions reached a boiling point between Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin and Teamsters president Sean O'Brien. The two were on the verge of physical altercation over comments O'Brien had made about Mullin's self-made millionaire status. The heated exchange, reminiscent of a Wild West showdown, was eventually diffused by committee chairman Senator Bernie Sanders.

Meanwhile, over on the House side, there was more drama unfolding. Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett accused former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of intentionally elbowing him in the back during a GOP meeting. The altercation escalated as Burchett confronted McCarthy, leading to a heated exchange between the two.

In an interview with the Guardian, Joanne Freeman discussed the impact of congressional brawling on national politics. She highlighted how the violence in Congress during the 1850s, fueled by the debate over chattel slavery, set a tone for politics across the nation. The deliberate posturing and language used by members of Congress aimed to rile up Americans and intensify political rhetoric, ultimately impacting the public.

Freeman emphasized the difference between the political violence of the past, rooted in a deep and unresolvable debate over slavery, and the current state of affairs, where congressional disputes revolve around personal grievances and minor altercations. The once weighty and significant congressional debates have been reduced to petty and inconsequential conflicts.

The escalation of tensions in the national legislature brings to light the impact of political violence on public discourse and national politics. The current state of affairs, characterized by trivial disputes and personal animosities, stands in stark contrast to the weighty and impactful debates of the past. As the nation grapples with escalating tensions and polarization, the lessons from history serve as a reminder of the potential consequences of political violence and its impact on public discourse.