'Can you maintain some dignity?' Bessent clashes with Waters amid a disorderly House hearing

WASHINGTON, DC: A House Financial Services Committee hearing intended examine the state of the US economy unraveled Wednesday, February 4, into a series of heated confrontations as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent clashed publicly with Democratic lawmakers.

At one point, Bessent admonished Rep Maxine Waters to “maintain some level of dignity” after she demanded that he be silenced.

Inflation exchange ignites first clash

The confrontation escalated when Waters, the panel’s top Democrat, pressed Bessent on inflation, tariffs and housing affordability, accusing the Trump administration of pursuing policies she said were driving up costs for ordinary Americans.

Waters argued that Trump's tariff agenda was inflationary and said aggressive immigration enforcement was exacerbating the housing crunch.

Bessent forcefully rejected that claim, blaming housing inflation on years of immigration policy that, he said, dramatically increased demand.

In a heated exchange that quickly circulated on social media, he accused Democrats of responsibility for rising housing costs, arguing that the addition of millions of new residents had strained supply and pushed prices higher.

She challenged Bessent to publicly break with the president’s approach, framing the moment as a simple yes-or-no test of independence.

Bessent attempted to respond by disputing Waters’ premise, but the exchange quickly deteriorated as both spoke over one another.

As he began citing immigration levels and housing supply pressures. Waters cut in repeatedly, eventually appealing to Committee Chairman French Hill to intervene.

“Can you shut him up?” she asked, arguing that Bessent was consuming her allotted time.

Bessent shot back sharply: “Can you maintain some level of dignity?”

The remark drew audible reactions in the hearing room and underscored how far the exchange had drifted from policy debate into personal confrontation.

Waters later accused Bessent of deliberately running out the clock, while the Treasury secretary rejected claims that he had previously described tariffs as inflationary, pointing to long-term Federal Reserve data to argue import duties do not necessarily drive price increases. 

Hearing widens into broader political brawl

The tone only deteriorated later in the session when Rep Gregory Meeks of New York accused Bessent of shielding Trump from scrutiny over alleged conflicts of interest related to the Trump family’s cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial. 

Meeks argued that foreign-linked investments in the firm, particularly from the Middle East, raised serious national security concerns given the administration’s foreign policy dealings.

“This goes beyond a shady crypto deal,” Meeks said, demanding that Bessent commit to heightened scrutiny of any bank charters or licenses connected to the venture.

Bessent declined to make such a commitment, noting that regulatory decisions fall under independent authorities, including the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

He then escalated the exchange by referencing Meeks' 2006 trip to Venezuela, accusing the congressman of lobbying Hugo Chavez on behalf of donors. 

The remark sparked a shouting match as Meeks repeatedly accused Bessent of “covering for the president.”

As Meeks’ time expired, the two continued talking over each other, with Meeks yelling, “Stop being his flunky!” and Bessent responding that past actions could not be erased.