Watch Rep. Katie Porter Teach Ben Carson His Own Job

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

In an uncomfortable episode during a meeting of the House Financial Services Committee on Tuesday, Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) asked Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson a series of specific mortgage-related policy questions that he was utterly unable to answer.

One exchange is emblematic of the entire back and forth:

Porter: Do you know what an REO is?

Carson: [Pause] An Oreo…

Porter: No, not an Oreo. An REO.

Carson: Real estate…

Porer: What’s the “O” stand for?

Toward the end of the conversation, Carson said that he’d be happy for her to work with people at HUD on her questions. She brushed him off, saying she’d already done that in her past job, and that her job now is to ask him questions.

Porter previously oversaw California’s $25 billion national mortgage servicing settlement under then-Attorney General Kamala Harris.

Carson responded with a cheeky tweet after the hearing:

This isn’t the first time Porter used her expertise to leave witnesses at her committee’s hearings tongue-tied. She completely flustered JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon when she grilled him about how his employees are supposed to make ends meet at their current salaries.

The sandwich cookie itself couldn’t resist joining the fray:

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. N thas why the House was important in '18.

  2. Sometimes the corruption and cruelty makes you forget about the abject stupidity and simplicity. Yes, Doctor Carson. She’s asking you in Congressional testimony about an Oreo cookie.

    Fuck’s sake.

  3. She is a force of nature. I wish her a long and productive life.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

177 more replies

Participants

Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for imkmu3 Avatar for kilgoretrout Avatar for george_spiggott Avatar for becca656 Avatar for sniffit Avatar for clearwater Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for eb5 Avatar for mrf Avatar for darrtown Avatar for clauscph Avatar for dommyluc Avatar for bkmn Avatar for edhedh Avatar for lizzymom Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for dannydorko Avatar for rhs1963 Avatar for katscherger Avatar for maximus Avatar for joce_m Avatar for seveneagles

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: