By Ronald J. Hansen | Arizona Republic
Rep. Greg Stanton drew jeers on Friday for taking part in a House Transportation Committee hearing from a boat, lending a leisurely appearance to a job often held in scorn by the public, especially during a pandemic and recession.
At one point, the freshman Arizona Democrat voted during the mostly empty hearing, known as a markup, by videoconference on Wednesday, where his appearance floating on the water seemed to jar a colleague.
“Is Stanton rowing a boat?” the member said. It appeared to come from Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., who chairs the committee, after he lowered his mask and turned to a colleague.
Stanton apologized Friday in a post on Twitter. A spokeswoman said he appeared from Utah, where he was visiting family, and was on a boat.
