'Shut your mouth': GOP Sen. Mullin tangles with union boss at Senate hearing
WASHINGTON–The clash between a union boss and Republican senator could be a preview of what's to come in the Sen. Bernie Sanders-led Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Sanders has vowed to take on corporate, "union busting" CEOs as chair of the HELP committee, and a Thursday hearing served up rowdy moments of drama as the Vermont progressive keeps his promises.
The moment getting the most attention came during an intense exchange between GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma and Teamsters President Sean O'Brien.
Heated debate between union president and Republican senator
Mullin, who said he's not anti-union, accused O'Brien of "sucking the paycheck" from workers to earn his nearly $200,000 salary.
O'Brien, who was at the hearing to testify about how employers intimidate employees, told Mullin he was out of line.
"Don't tell me I'm out of line," Mullin said. "You need to shut your mouth."
GOP senator fights with union leader
Mullin said he doesn't back down from a fight – and sometimes welcomes a physical fight – but he said he resents the type of union pressure he experienced as a businessman.
"I'm not afraid of a physical confrontation. In fact, sometimes I look forward to it," he said.
The Oklahoma senator claimed he came from less than nothing to build a multimillion-dollar plumbing company with hundreds of employees, and those non-union employees were intimidated by a local union.
"We hold greedy CEOs like yourself accountable," O’Brien said. "You want to attack my salary, I’ll attack yours. What did you make when you owned your company?"
Mullin claimed during the hearing he took a salary of $50,000 to be able to invest more revenue back into the company, but financial disclosures through the years show income between $200,000 and $2 million. U.S. senators earn $174,000 annually.
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Candy Woodall is a Congress reporter for Paste BN. She can be reached at cwoodall@usatoday.com or on Twitter at @candynotcandace.