Madison Cawthorn and GOP colleague trade barbs in heated argument on House floor

An aide, working on behalf of Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.), recently filed an ethics complaint Rep. Madison Cawthorn following their intense exchange on the House floor.

According to Politico, the heated exchange took place on Thursday, July 29 and was witnessed by a number of McKinley aides. At this point, the specific allegation remains unclear and the House Ethics Committee will determine if the complaint is worth investigating.

The publication reports that Cawthorn's office claims the verbal sparring match "stemmed from the lawmaker's mistaken attachment to a drug pricing bill when he had asked to cosponsor separate legislation that would expand telehealth services for substance use disorder treatment."

At one point during the disagreement, Cawthorn reportedly insulted McKinley as he asked the lawmaker's aides "was that guy with the mustache that nobody f---ing knows."

As word traveled about the brief spat, some lawmakers reportedly wondered why Cawthorn hadn't instructed his own aides to deal with the situation.

As the day progressed, the tension intensified. At one point, Cawthorn reportedly asked McKinley, "What is your name?"

An inside source said McKinley fired back saying, "You know damn well who I am."

In a later interview, Cawthorn addressed the situation.

"I said, 'Your district will remember that. And if you want to run for re-election and you're going to sit here and attack me all over this stuff, I will make sure they remember'"

He said McKinley "started getting all kinds of angry."

The spat between Cawthorn and McKinley is just another example of intraparty fighting and tension among House Republicans. With the U.S. Capitol insurrection, Trump's second impeachment trial and a number of other key issues, Republicans have often found themselves on opposite sides of the fence depending on their belief systems and the leadership they choose to follow.