USSS Acting Dir. Rowe, Rep. Pat Fallon Get Into a Shouting Match over 9/11: ‘Do Not Invoke 9/11 for Political Purposes!’

FALLON: “Do you recognize this photo?”
ROWE: “Yes, sir, I do.”
FALLON: “OK. Is that a remembrance of September 11th?”
ROWE: “It was.”
FALLON: “Was it in New York?”
ROWE: “It was at Ground Zero.”
FALLON: “OK. Who is usually, at an event like this, closest to the president of the United States, security-wise?”
ROWE: “The SAC of the Detail.”
FALLON: “Special Agent in Charge of the Detail. Were you the Special Agent in Charge of the Detail that day?”
ROWE: “Actually, let me address this. Could you please, staff, leave that — Oh, no, leave that one up with the circle around me. Thank you. So, actually, congressman, what you’re not seeing is the SAC of the Detail off out of the picture’s view. And that is the day where we remember the more than 3,000 people that have died on 9/11. I actually responded to Ground Zero. I was there going through the ashes of the World Trade Center.”
FALLON: “Mm-hmm.”
ROWE: “I was there at Fresh Kills.”
FALLON: “I’m not asking you that.”
ROWE: “I was there, congressman —”
FALLON: “I’m asking you if you were the Special Agent in Charge?”
ROWE: “— I was there to show respect —”
FALLON: “You’re not!”
ROWE: “— for a Secret Service member —”
FALLON: “Oh, that’s a bunch of horse hockey.”
ROWE: “— that died on 9/11. “
FALLON: “Oh, that — you’re trying to be —”
ROWE: “Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes, congressman.”
FALLON: “Oh, I’m not. I’m invoking this — [crosstalk]”
ROWE: “You are, sir.”
CHAIRMAN: “Gentlemen, gentlemen —““
ROWE: “And you are out of line.”
CHAIRMAN: “Gentlemen —““
FALLON: “Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask him a question.”
CHAIRMAN: “Please. Order! Order!”
ROWE: “You are out of line, Congressman.”
FALLON: “Don’t try to bully me! Don’t try to bully me!”
ROWE: “Way out of line.”
CHAIRMAN: “Order!”
FALLON: “I am an elected member of Congress, and I’m asking you a serious question, and you are playin politics.”
ROWE: “And I am a public servant who has served this nation and spent time —”
FALLON: “You won’t answer the question.”
ROWE: “— on our day — on our country’s darkest day.”
FALLON: “Mr. Chairman, he will not answer the question. [crosstalk]”
CHAIRMAN: “The committee will come to order. The committee will come to order.”
FALLON: “I’m asking you serious questions for the American people, and they’re very simple, they’re not true questions. Were you the Special Agent in Charge that day?”
ROWE: “No, I wasn’t. I was there representing —”
FALLON: “No, no. Mr. Chairman —”
ROWE: “— the United States Secret Service, sir.”
FALLON: “I’m just asking you yes or no.”
CHAIRMAN: “Mr. Fallon, your time’s expired.”
ROWE: “It did not affect protective operations.”
CHAIRMAN: “Mr. Fallon, your time’s expired.”
FALLON: “You know why you were there? Because you wanted to be visible because you were auditing for this job. [crosstalk]”
ROWE: “I was there to pay respect for a fallen member of this agency.”
FALLON: “You endangered President Biden’s life —”
ROWE: “You are out of line, congressman! You are out of line.”
FALLON: “— Vice President Harris’ life because you put those agents out of position. [crosstalk]”
UNKNOWN MALE: “Mr. Chairman.”
CHAIRMAN: “Mr. Fallon, your time’s expired. “
FALLON: “Did you wear a vest? Did you have a weapon? No.”
ROWE: “I did, sir, and you are out of line.”
UNKNOWN MALE: “Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman —”
CHAIRMAN: “Yes, sir.”
UNKNOWN MALE: “Please.”
CHAIRMAN: “All right. And we are — we are back in order now. We are back in order now.”
UNKNOWN MALE: “Thank you.”