Washington DC - Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was slammed by House Democrats for failing to answer their questions during a fiery hearing on the state of the country's financial systems.

"Will you be the voice of reason in the administration and urge Trump to stop waging a war on American consumers and on housing affordability and putting the economy at risk? Yes or no?" California Democrat Maxine Waters asked Bessent on Wednesday.

In response, Bessent accused Waters of being "confused" about the definition of inflation and began to lecture her on economics, refusing to actually address the question.

"Can you shut him up?" Waters asked as Bessent interrupted her time and time again.

The conversation came to a close when Bessent told Waters to "maintain some level of dignity."

This exchange was not the only one to get heated during the hearing, which focused on the annual report from the Financial Stability Oversight Council.

Things got so bad that the Republican Congressman French Hill had to repeatedly remind Bessent that he was meant to be answering the panel's questions, not lecturing and filibustering.

"I'm trying to be respectful, but... you're not going to do what you want to do on my time," Ohio Congresswoman Joyce Beatty said after Bessent again started rambling on what was meant to be a yes or no question.

Bessent testified a day later to the Senate Banking Committee, where he faced equally forceful questions from Democratic members.

At one point, Bessent told Senator Elizabeth Warren that it's "up to the president" whether or not to sue Federal Reserve Chair nominee Kevin Warsh if he doesn't cut interest rates.

"I'm sorry, you can't say he won't be criminally investigated if he won't drop interest rates? That's supposed to be the softball!" Warren responded.