Senate leaders on Thursday came to the defense of high-school pages after reports that Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., berated a group of the teens in the Capitol in a profanity-laced rant.
In floor speeches Thursday before departing for August recess, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell indirectly rebuked Van Orden as they praised the work done by pages on what was their final day.
Schumer said it was his understanding that "late last night, a member of the House majority thought it appropriate to curse at some of these young people, these teenagers, in the rotunda."
"I was shocked when I heard about it and I am further shocked at his refusal to apologize to these young people," the Democratic leader continued, adding he didn't believe "one member's disrespect is shared by this body."
McConnell, the chamber's top Republican, agreed with Schumer and reaffirmed that "everybody on this side of the aisle feels exactly the same way."
Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell stand before a luncheon meeting at the Capitol in Washington, July 27, 2023.J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Van Orden, a freshman Republican lawmaker from Wisconsin, appeared to defend his reported actions in a statement to ABC News, saying the Capitol rotunda "should never be treated like a frat house common room."
Punchbowl News first reported on Van Orden's outburst, which the outlet said occurred Wednesday night when he found pages lying on the floor taking pictures of the rotunda dome. According to a transcript of Van Orden's remarks obtained by The Hill, the congressman called the Senate pages, "pieces of s—" and accused them of "defiling" the space. "Wake the f— up you little s—-" "What the f— are you all doing? Get the f— out of here," he said.
Van Orden responded in a statement to ABC News, saying "the Capitol Rotunda served as a field hospital where countless Union soldiers died fighting to free men in the Civil War. I have long said our nation's Capitol is a symbol of the sacrifice our servicemen and women have made for this country and should never be treated like a frat house common room."
Van Orden continued, "Threatening a congressman with bad press to excuse poor behavior is a reminder of everything that's wrong with Washington. Luckily, bad press has never bothered me and if it's the price I pay to stand up for what's right, then so be it."
Derrick Van Orden, a Republican from Wisconsin, speaks during a news conference organized by House Republican veterans at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, Jan. 4, 2023.Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE
Senate pages are appointed and sponsored by a senator, and must be at least 16 years old and in their junior year of high school. They help deliver legislative materials and prep the chamber for sessions, among other tasks.
Schumer led the Senate in a round of applause for the pages on Thursday.
"The pages can help make this place run smoothly," the majority leader said. "They're here when we need them, and they have served this institution with grace."
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
