Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent engaged in a heated exchange during a congressional hearing Wednesday, with Waters repeatedly interrupting the secretary as she challenged his stance on the housing crisis.
Waters questioned whether illegal immigration had a deleterious effect on the housing market when she called on the House Financial Services Committee chairman to “shut him up” after her speaking time expired. She interrupted Bessent multiple times during their debate, which centered on tariffs and their impact on inflation and housing affordability.
During the session, Waters accused Trump of single-handedly inflating housing costs, stating that the president had planned to lift tariffs on housing production goods. She also argued that deportations were harming the construction industry by removing labor sources.
“Mr. Chair, will you let him know that when I ask you for time … can you shut him up?” Waters demanded.
Bessent countered with studies indicating that tariffs were not inflationary, but Waters persisted in her criticisms, stating she wanted Bessent to “be the voice of reason” within the administration and urge Trump to stop policies targeting American consumers and housing affordability.
The White House responded on social media, labeling Waters as “rude and low IQ” and quoting from Bessent’s testimony: “Adding 10 to 20 million new people demanding housing, Congresswoman, is what caused a great deal of housing inflation for working Americans — so you and the Biden administration should be ashamed.”
