After Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) a bully for deriding last week’s chaotic House Oversight Committee hearing, the Pennsylvania senator is defending his comments. 

In an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, Fetterman said he found the congresswoman’s words “absurd.” The senator added he was “simply responding to the kind of chaos and everything that Rep. Greene started as well. And if everyone on the committee was proud of what they produced, they are entitled to their opinion. Or if they feel that this is the kind of video that you want to send to a classroom of 8th-grade civics students across America, then again, that’s their choice.”

The showdown between the two Democrats began last Friday when Fetterman weighed in on a meltdown between Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and other members during a House Oversight Committee hearing. In an X post, Fetterman said: “In the past, I’ve described the U.S. House as The Jerry Springer Show. Today, I’m apologizing to The Jerry Springer Show.”

During the hearing, Greene told Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), “I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading.”

Ocasio-Cortez rushed to Crockett’s defense, saying: “I would like to move to take down Ms. Greene’s words. That is absolutely unacceptable. How dare you attack the physical appearance of another person.” 

Greene replied, “Are your feelings hurt?” 

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“Oh girl, baby girl, don’t even play!” Ocasio-Cortez said. 

After Fetterman compared the chaotic hearing to The Jerry Springer Show, Ocasio-Cortez fired back on social media, saying the senator “likely would not have stood up for your colleague and seem to be confused about racism and misogyny being a ‘both sides’ issue. But I stand up to bullies, instead of becoming one.”