Overview
- Sen. Roger Wicker and Rep. Joe Wilson entered a public dispute after Wicker told Wilson by phone that Charleston could not host the 2027 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, a conversation they say occurred on Thursday.
- Semafor published text messages in which Wicker told Wilson to “stop embarrassing yourself” and initially ordered him off the congressional delegation’s return flight before later reversing that restriction.
- Wilson says local organizers have reserved the Charleston Gaillard Center and nearby hotels and have sent invitations to OSCE ambassadors, and he says funding can be secured through a budget or a concurrent resolution for the $4 million he sought.
- Wicker cited insufficient catering and high staffing costs as reasons Charleston could not host, and Wilson countered that local volunteers and institutions such as The Citadel and the College of Charleston could meet logistical needs.
- The dispute involves senior GOP figures who chair or co-chair U.S. bodies tied to the OSCE, leaves the U.S. offer uncertain, and has opened the door for Serbia to volunteer to host next year’s session.