Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA) was livid during Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s appearance before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, eventually descending into a back-and-forth with the secretary and feuding with the chairman over time.The Massachusetts representative began with heaps of praise for Rubio’s history in the Senate, calling him one of the “most respected and knowledgeable people” in the intelligence community, trusted by “Democrats and Republicans alike.” He contrasted this experience with Bill Pulte, the Federal Housing Finance Agency director and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who was appointed on Tuesday as acting director of national intelligence.“With all your intelligence committee experience — and now as secretary of state and national security adviser — with all those years of experience, have you ever, specifically in the context of the intelligence community, heard the name Bill Pulte?” Keating asked.
“In the context of intelligence?” Rubio answered. “No, I—”
“Never heard his name, OK, thank you,” Keating interjected. “Never even heard his name, given all your years of experience and your position now, never heard the name.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies during a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on June 3, 2026, in Washington. The hearing was held to examine the State Department’s budget request for fiscal 2027. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
