Dem: Attack on Pelosi was ‘sexist’

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) is calling the attack during the immigration debate on House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) “sexist.” 

On MSNBC’s “Politics Nation” late Monday, Schakowsky was asked to react to Rep. Tom Marino’s (R-Pa.) comments toward Pelosi in which he suggested she bore some of the blame for the border crisis.

“I would say that it’s sexist and that it was patronizing. ‘Do the research, Madam Leader.’ And he got exactly what he deserved. And then for him to claim, ‘I was the tough guy. I’m a street fighter.’ Really? On the floor of the House?” she said. 

{mosads}Before the House passed the new version of the GOP border bill on Friday, Marino broke floor protocol and called out Pelosi directly. 

“I did the research on it,” he said. “You might want to try it. You might want to try it, Madam Leader.”

“And talking to her in that condescending way. I’m really offended. And I was proud of her for marching over,” Schakowsky said.

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), who was on the House floor at the time, said Pelosi walked across the aisle to Marino and said, “You’re insignificant.”

“You know, you’re not supposed to direct comments personally, and he did just that. He deserved what he got and shouldn’t be proud of it,” Schakowsky added. 

On Monday, Marino said on Fox News’s “Fox and Friends” that the encounter was a “walk in the park” compared to being threatened by murderers.

“She came up to me wagging her finger and saying that I was a liar and I simply said ‘No, I do my research I have my facts straight, perhaps you should try that,’” Marino said.

After Pelosi called him “insignificant,” he said, “I simply said to her, ‘Do you want to talk about this in the back?’ and she said ‘no,’” he added. “She was visibly shaken.”