The Republican congressman who reportedly called Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a "fucking bitch" on the steps of the House needs to apologize and face sanction, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters Tuesday.
Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) accosted the outspoken New York freshman as she was heading for a vote Monday. A reporter for The Hill witnessed the confrontation and wrote it up.
Yoho called Ocasio-Cortez "disgusting," apparently angry over conservative news reports about the congresswoman's assertion recently that spiking poverty and unemployment are behind a surge in crime in the city, not protests over police brutality.
Yoho told her she was "out of your freaking mind," according the report, prompting AOC to fire back that the tea-partying Floridian was "rude."
As Yoho was marching away down the Capitol steps, he offered the parting shot, "fucking bitch."
Hoyer said he'd been briefed on the "despicable" affront.
"Mr. Yoho owes not only the congresswoman an apology, but also an apology on the floor of the House of Representatives," he said. "We need to pursue this kind of conduct, and make it very clear, it is unacceptable. It was the act of a bully."
"Bottom line, I think it was despicable conduct that needs to be sanctioned," Hoyer said.
He did not say precisely how, but among the options are a formal vote on the floor censuring Yoho.
AOC fired back on Twitter earlier.
"I never spoke to Rep. Yoho before he decided to accost me on the steps of the nation’s Capitol yesterday," she said. "Believe it or not, I usually get along fine w/ my GOP colleagues. We know how to check our legislative sparring at the committee door.
"But hey, “b*tches” get stuff done," she said.