A House Oversight Committee hearing Thursday night devolved into an exchange of insults over members’ physical appearance and intelligence, a spectacle the leaders of both parties in the chamber are denouncing.

The fireworks happened during a markup session to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over an audio recording of President Joe Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur in his classified documents investigation. Biden asserted executive privilege over the recording earlier Thursday.

During the hearing, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., brought up former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial, asking whether any House Democrats had hired Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter, whose marketing and fundraising firm has done work for Democratic candidates. 

“Please tell me what that has to do with Merrick Garland,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, implored Greene. “Do you know what we’re here for?”

“I don’t think you know what you’re here for,” Greene responded. “I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading.”

Greene’s comment sparked outrage from Democrats. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the committee, said, “That’s beneath even you, Ms. Greene.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said Greene’s remark was “disgusting.”

Ocasio-Cortez moved to strike Greene’s words from the record, which prompted a heated exchange between the two outspoken congresswomen.

"That is absolutely unacceptable," Ocasio-Cortez said. "How dare you attack the physical appearance of another person!"

“Are your feelings hurt?” Greene replied.

“Oh, girl, baby girl, don't even play!” Ocasio-Cortez shot back.

Greene agreed to strike her words but refused Ocasio-Cortez’s pleas to apologize to Crockett.

“Well then, you’re not striking your words,” Ocasio-Cortez told Greene. 

Greene then asked Ocasio-Cortez why she would not agree to debate her.

“I think it’s pretty self-evident,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

“Yeah, you don’t have enough intelligence,” Greene responded, prompting further outrage from Democrats.

The chaos lasted for nearly an hour, as Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., struggled to regain control. 

"I have two hearing aids. I'm very deaf," Comer said at one point. "I'm not understanding — everybody's yelling. I'm doing the best I can."

Comer agreed to strike Greene’s insult about Crockett but ruled that it did not violate House rules against engaging in “personalities” during debate. Raskin called for a vote to appeal the ruling, which Republicans tabled.

After the vote, Crockett sought clarification from Comer — and snuck in her own dig at Greene.

"I'm just curious, just to better understand your ruling," Crockett said. "If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody's bleach blonde, bad-built butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?"

Democrats tried to enforce committee rules that would have prevented Greene from speaking for the rest of the hearing after her words her struck. Republicans voted against silencing her.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., both criticized the episode Friday. 

“It was not a good look for Congress,” Johnson told ABC News. “We all, I think, need to control the emotions better. And get the job done. … I think decorum in the House is an important tradition to maintain.”

Jeffries wrote on X, formerly Twitter, just after midnight: “Marjorie Taylor Greene and the Extreme MAGA Republican circus act have reached a new low. These people are out of control. And totally unfit to govern.”

The panel eventually voted 24-20 along party lines to recommend holding Garland in contempt. Earlier Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee did the same. Before the referral can be sent to the Justice Department, it must be approved by the full House. The Justice Department, which Garland heads, would make the decision about whether to pursue charges. 

The meeting was originally scheduled for 11 a.m. but was delayed until 8 p.m. so some House Republicans could attend Trump’s trial in New York.

Note: This article was updated to correct a typo.