House committee meeting erupts into chaos after 'fake eyelash' insult

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A hearing on Capitol Hill spiraled out of control on Thursday when lawmakers started bickering. It started with a back-and-forth between Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett.

It happened during a House Oversight Committee meeting that had convened to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for refusing to comply with a subpoena, demanding he hand over an audio recording of President Joe Biden's interview with a special counsel.

The discussions escalated to personal attacks when Greene responded to a comment from Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett by insulting her personal appearance.

"I don't think you know what we're here for. I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you're reading," Greene told Crockett.

Greene refused to apologize for her comments.

"I am not apologizing. Why don't you debate me? I think it's pretty self-evident, you don't have enough intelligence," the Georgia representative told New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who called her words "absolutely unacceptable."

The Oversight Committee chair James Comer ruled Greene's comments were not in violation of House rules.

Crockett asked for clarification of those rules and fired back an insult aimed at Greene.

"Just to better understand your ruling, if someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody's bleach blonde, bad-built, butch body, that would not be engaging personalities, correct?" she said.

The exchange derailed the meeting for nearly an hour.

Ultimately, the committee voted to recommend holding Attorney General Garland in contempt of Congress. The resolution still needs to go before the full House.