House Democrats erupt in laughter after MTG calls for "decorum" while presiding over chamber

Greene "calling for decorum is like Leonardo DiCaprio telling people to date people their own age," Democrat jokes

By Tatyana Tandanpolie

Staff Writer

Published May 25, 2023 12:09PM (EDT)

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) leaves the U.S. Capitol Building (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) leaves the U.S. Capitol Building (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

House Democrats erupted in laughter after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., called for decorum while presiding over a session on Wednesday. 

The far-right conservative was presiding over the House while Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., discussed the debt-ceiling debacle between Republicans and the Biden Administration when another lawmaker yelled something.

In response, Greene banged her gavel and called for order in the chamber.

"The members are reminded to abide by decorum of the House," she said a moment after Scalise made the request.

The legislators burst into unbridled laughter and heckling while Greene intermittently banged her gavel.

"The House will be in order," she said again amid the cackles. The Democrats' reactions lasted approximately 30 seconds.

Greene, who has gained popularity and power among MAGA Republicans, has spouted antisemitic conspiracy theories, derided mass shootings as false flag attacks and lent her voice to white supremacist events, according to The Guardian. As a result of that behavior, Democrats stripped Greene of her House committee assignments in 2021 before she was reinstated in January after the GOP won control of the chamber.

The Georgia congresswoman also garnered attention for booing and jeering President Biden during his last two State of the Union Addresses in the chamber. She joined Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., in heckling the president last year and shouted that he was a "liar" this year.

Greene has also harassed other Democratic congresspeople, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

Just last week, Greene and Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., got into a heated exchange outside the Capitol. Greene later made what Bowman said were racially targeted claims about his mannerisms. Bowman said her statements were "reckless" and "dangerous" and called out her behavior in Congress.

House Democrats and political pundits took to Twitter on Wednesday to further mock the right-wing representative's calls during the session.


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Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., joked that "@RepMTG calling for decorum is like Leonardo DiCaprio telling people to date people their own age." 

"I haven't laughed this hard in a while," added Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

"Irony died today on the House Floor, but comedy triumphed as the GOP chose MTG as their keeper of "decorum," tweeted Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif.

MSNBC analyst David Corn also called out Greene's previous behavior toward Democrats.

"This is rich," he said. "Coming from someone who amplified calls for the assassination of Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi."


By Tatyana Tandanpolie

Tatyana Tandanpolie is a staff writer at Salon. Born and raised in central Ohio, she moved to New York City in 2018 to pursue degrees in Journalism and Africana Studies at New York University. She is currently based in her home state and has previously written for local Columbus publications, including Columbus Monthly, CityScene Magazine and The Columbus Dispatch.

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Clip Marjorie Taylor Greene Politics Steve Scalise