(RNN) – Rep. Billy Long, R-MO, is not just a member of Congress, but also an accomplished auctioneer.
Against the odds, on Wednesday he found a way to put that talent on display on Capitol Hill.
As a right-wing Twitter figure stood up to interrupt Jack Dorsey, the social media company’s CEO, during his testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Long used his rare abilities to drown her out.
Laura Loomer has more than 200,000 followers on Twitter and gained notoriety for various public confrontations and pushing anti-Muslim rhetoric on the platform.
She has argued Twitter is suppressing conservative speech on the platform, in part through taking away the blue check mark verification from a number of users.
She was among a number who lost their verification after the social media service updated its user policies to “reduce hateful conduct and abusive behavior.”
On Wednesday she stood up during the hearing and started pleading for President Donald Trump’s “help” from Twitter’s “censoring and shadow banning” while claiming that Dorsey is “trying to influence the election” to help Democrats.
“Huh? What’s she saying, I can’t understand her, what?” Long, a Trump supporter, said.
Then, he started auctioneering.
He started at 10, then 12-and-a-half, onto 15, 17-and-a-half, 20, and so on.
He got up to 400.
“We’re sellin’ the cell phone there,” he said.
He finished at 550.
“I yield back,” he said to laughter from the room.
Loomer later tweeted at Long, calling him sexist.
Long is a member of the Missouri Professional Auctioneers Hall of Fame, and, according to his campaign website, was voted best auctioneer in the Ozarks for seven years in a row.
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