A Republican from Wisconsin has been accused of shouting at a group of Senate pages early Thursday morning as they took in the majesty of the U.S. Capitol’s interior dome.
As reported first by newsletter Punchbowl News, Rep. Derrick Van Orden encountered the youths as they lied on the floor of the Rotunda, the inside shell of the Capitol’s dome, looking up at the ceiling and taking pictures.
The area, located between the separate House and Senate wings, is very busy with tourists as well as workers during the day, ogling its collection of statues, paintings and the fresco on the 180-foot high ceiling showing George Washington rising to heaven. Getting a chance to see it when it’s quiet is considered one of the small perks of working at the Capitol.
“Wake the f‑‑‑ up you little s‑‑‑‑. … What the f‑‑‑ are you all doing? Get the f‑‑‑ out of here. You are defiling the space you [pieces of s‑‑‑],” Van Orden told the group, according to The Hill, citing an account given by one of the pages.
After being told the group was made up of pages, Van Orden allegedly said, “I don’t give a f‑‑‑ who you are, get out.” The incident took place a little after midnight as the Senate considered a defense policy bill.
Pages basically act as helpers for the senators, ferrying papers, opening the chamber’s doors and otherwise assisting them. They must be juniors or sophomores in high school and 16 or 17 years old on the day they start work. During the school year, pages take classes and live in a dorm near the Capitol. For the weeks they are employed, the pages are paid the weekly equivalent to what would be a $35,116 annual salary.
Van Orden defended himself in a statement that did not deny the pages’ version of events.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Another explanation was hinted at when a Punchbowl reporter posted on social media a picture of the interior of Van Orden’s office in a building across the street with bottles of alcohol clearly visible.
A spokeswoman for Van Orden said he regularly hosts “beer and cheese tours” with visiting constituents.
“The congressman hosted roughly 50 constituents and visitors yesterday before a private tour of the Capitol,” she said.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) addressed the matter on Thursday night, saying he was “shocked” that a House member yelled and cursed at Senate pages.
“They’re here when we need them, and they have served with grace,” Schumer said of the pages, who are serving their last week this term. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, said he associated himself with Schumer’s remarks, prompting a standing ovation in the chamber.
Van Orden succeeded moderate Democrat Ron Kind in the Wisconsin district, winning despite reportedly having been photographed on or near the U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021, when insurrectionists stormed the building in a bid to delay lawmakers formally declaring Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election.
The Associated Press reported Van Order has denied he took part in the attack on the Capitol or set foot on its grounds.
Igor Bobic contributed reporting.