Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg said the storming of a closed-door impeachment inquiry hearing by conservative House Republicans on Wednesday is “an embarrassment.”
{mosads}”I used work in a SCIF [Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility], as a military officer,” the South Bend, Ind., mayor tweeted Wednesday afternoon.
“The importance of keeping it secure (i.e. from cell phone signals) was drilled into us so deeply that I’d have bad dreams about accidentally leaving my phone in the pocket of my uniform,” he added. “This behavior is an embarrassment.”
SCIFs are commonly used in Washington to brief lawmakers and other officials on highly sensitive information. In the interest of national security, cellphones or mobile devices of any kind are strictly prohibited inside.
However, when House Republicans, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), stormed the SCIF, many of them brought their phones with them.
Rep. Alex Mooney (R. W.Va.) even made a phone call and then uploaded the audio online.
Proceedings were delayed more than five hours because of the incident, and the GOP lawmakers received heavy criticism from their Democratic counterparts.
“This is what happens when people elect members more interested in media hits than the protection of our national security,” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) tweeted.