Congressman faces backlash for inappropriate comments to Senate pages.
A Freshman Congressman’s Controversial Encounter with Senate Pages
A freshman Republican congressman from Wisconsin recently found himself in hot water after a late-night tour of the Capitol took an unexpected turn. During the tour, Rep. Derrick Van Orden allegedly yelled and cursed at high school-age Senate pages, drawing bipartisan criticism from Senate leaders.
In interviews on Wisconsin conservative talk radio, Van Orden did not deny the reports of his actions nor did he offer an apology for his behavior.
According to a report in the online political newsletter PunchBowl News, Van Orden used profanity to describe the pages as lazy and ordered them off the floor of the Capitol Rotunda. The incident occurred when the pages were lying down to take photos in the Rotunda.
“I’m not going to apologize for making sure that anybody — I don’t care who you are and who you’re related to — defiles this House,” Van Orden said. “It’s not going to happen on my watch.”
Van Orden justified his actions by stating that he was protecting the integrity of the Capitol Rotunda, which served as a field hospital during the Civil War and has been the site of presidential lying-in-state ceremonies. He accused the young people he confronted of “goofing off” and claimed that Democrats were blowing the incident out of proportion.
Interestingly, on the same evening as the encounter with the pages, images were posted on social media showing bottles of liquor and beer cans on a desk in Van Orden’s office. The congressman defended himself by stating that the alcohol was from constituents.
Van Orden represents Wisconsin’s 3rd District, a GOP-leaning jurisdiction that includes parts of central, southwestern, and western Wisconsin. The district encompasses moderate exurbs of Minnesota’s Twin Cities.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell both condemned Van Orden’s behavior and expressed gratitude towards the pages during a Senate session. Several of the pages were present on the Senate floor at the time and received a standing ovation from the senators.
“They’re here when we need them,” Schumer said, “and they have served this institution with grace.”
“Everybody on this side of the aisle feels exactly the same way,” McConnell added.
When questioned about McConnell’s rebuke, Van Orden claimed to be unaware of the incident, stating, “I honestly have not tracked any of this stuff.”
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
The post Congressman Rebuked for What He Said to Senate Pages appeared first on The Western Journal.
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