Mullin Eviscerates Bernie at Hearing
There was heat in the hearing room today. Senator Markwayne Mullin took the floor during the confirmation for President Donald Trump’s surgeon general nominee, Dr. Casey Means. He went straight at the health-care debate.
Short version: Mullin called out the failures of Obamacare. He called it unaffordable. He didn’t let Bernie Sanders get away with interrupting.
The back-and-forth started after Sanders tried to steer the moment toward his long-standing push for a national program. Sanders began, “No, I support a national healthcare program which would cut the —”
Mullin snapped back: “I’m sorry, it’s my time.” Sanders shot back, “You’re going to attack me, I’m going to respond,” but Mullin didn’t budge. He said, “Nah, I’m pointing out facts!” and then, “You can say what you want, I’m just pointing out facts.”
The exchange tipped from debate to blunt rebuke. Mullin said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t ask your opinion on that. And if I cared about your opinion, I would ask you, but I don’t care about your opinion. You’re part of the system. You’re part of the problem. You’ve been sitting here longer than I’ve even been alive,”
He added, “This is your problem. You should have fixed this a long time ago,” and pressed on the point that the system is broken and suffering Americans pay the price.
This wasn’t a polite disagreement. It was pointed. It was direct. Mullin wanted the nominee to answer for real policy solutions, not old talking points. He pushed Means to address how to make care affordable and sustainable.
For Republicans who want to see more tough questioning, this hit the mark. It framed the hearing as more than ceremonial. It put the rising cost of care front and center and forced a veteran progressive to defend his record.
Decorum matters. So does accountability. Mullin mixed both. He used his time to highlight costs and demand answers. That’s what confirmation hearings are supposed to do.
Watch the exchange here:
MULLIN: “ACA is unaffordable.”
BERNIE SANDERS: “You’re attacking me.”
MULLIN: “If I cared about your opinion, I would ask you, but I don’t—you’re part of the problem—because you’ve been sitting here longer than I’ve even been alive!” 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/Ug6ogSwYPr
— Markwayne Mullin (@SenMullin) February 25, 2026
Whether you cheer him or cringe, Mullin’s line—”You’re part of the system. You’re part of the problem”—landed hard. It’s going to be replayed. Expect more sharp moments like this as the hearings continue.