Democrats opposed a Republican-backed move to mount a real-time national debt clock during a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, according to one media report.

Committee chairman Jeb Hensarling ordered the two monitors in the room to show the nation’s running debt levels, according to a report in The Daily Caller. California Rep. Maxine Waters and Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison complained.

“Clearly, it is a political prop designed to message ideologically,” said Mr. Ellison, according to the report. And Ms. Waters, meanwhile, asked for the clock to be turned off while Democrats spoke, The Daily Caller reported. Mr. Hensarling complied with that request.

“At the request of the ranking member, the national debt clock will not be put on the screens during Democratic time,” he said, according to the report.

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