Sen. Susan Collins is facing severe backlash after a hot microphone picked up a disturbing conversation between the Republican senator from Maine and a Democratic colleague in which the two lawmakers mocked Texas representative Blake Farenthold over his physical appearance.
Even worse, Collins's reprehensible comments were broadcasted to a live audience on the U.S. Senate Committee Channel.
The audio feed to the Committee on Appropriations' official broadcast was abruptly cut after somebody realized that Collins's insults were being picked up by an adjacent microphone.
Sen. Collins was talking with Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island about Rep. Blake Farenthold who had jokingly challenged Collins to a duel over the repeal of the Affordable Care Act earlier this week.
Susan Collins mocks fellow Republican
After Sen. Reed told Collins that she could "beat the sh-t" out of Farenthold, the GOP lawmaker from Maine unleashed a brutal wave of insults toward Farenthold.
"Fat guy. He's huge," said Collins. "He's so unattractive, it's unbelievable."
Collins then brought up a recent publicity photograph of Farenthold from a fundraising event in which the Texas lawmaker, donning duck print pajamas, posed alongside a lingerie model.
“Did you see the picture of him in his pajamas next to this bunny, playboy bunny?" asked Collins, shortly before the audio feed was cut.
GOP's patience wears thin as Obamacare debate continues
Relationships within the Republican party have been strained over the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act. Last week, Farenthold called out Collins for being one of the "female senators from the Northeast" responsible for stalling the Senate's attempt to repeal Obamacare.
Farenthold joked that if it had been a lawmaker from South Texas standing in the way of repeal, he would have asked him to go outside and settle the argument "Aaron Burr-style".
Burr, who served as vice president under Thomas Jefferson, killed his political rival, Alexander Hamilton, in a famous duel in 1804.
Collins has been a fierce critic of the Senate healthcare bill and has indicated that she will vote against a procedural motion on Tuesday in the Senate's effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
The Maine congresswoman rose to national prominence in the 1990s during the impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton. Collins, along with former Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, broke with the GOP by voting to acquit Clinton of any charges that could have led to Clinton's removal from office.
