Alejandro Mayorkas’ conduct is sporting skinny with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, who warned Tuesday that the Homeland Security secretary’s stonewalling of fundamental questions reveals “contempt” for Congress.
Two weeks in the past, Mr. Mayorkas made a surreal look earlier than the committee by ducking Republican lawmakers’ questions on terrorism suspects on the border, unlawful immigrants accused of killing American residents and different issues.
The lack of solutions was all of the extra galling to Republicans as a result of they’d given Mr. Mayorkas a heads-up about precisely what they might be asking on the listening to and pleaded with him to return with solutions. They have been posing among the questions because the border descended into chaos in 2021.
“Your knowing refusal to have answers to the Committee’s questions shows your contempt for the constitutional oversight process and your disrespect for the American people we serve,” Mr. Jordan and Rep. Tom McClintock, chairman of the immigration subcommittee, wrote to Mr. Mayorkas.
Republicans are pondering punishments for Mr. Mayorkas. Options embody attempting to scale back funding for his workers, holding him in contempt of Congress for refusing to offer solutions or transferring to question him.
The Washington Times has reached out to the Homeland Security Department for this report.
Mr. Mayorkas’ testimony on the July 26 listening to aggravated Republicans’ dissatisfaction with the secretary.
“You’re not answering any Republican questions. Is it something that you intend, to not respond to any questions from Republicans?” stated Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana. “You haven’t shared anything useful here.”
She instructed him, “You sit in here, looking at us with this very smiley face, it’s unacceptable.”
Mr. Mayorkas did reply to that problem. “Let me allow the record to reflect — I’m not smiling, nor have I smiled,” the secretary stated.
Mr. Jordan, Ohio Republican, would oversee impeachment proceedings as chairman of the Judiciary Committee. He has stated he considers all choices for dealing with Mr. Mayorkas to be open.
The seven-page letter, whereas utilizing the phrase “contempt” to explain Mr. Mayorkas, didn’t go deeper into the chairman’s present considering, but it surely did clarify the degrees of frustration.
“Despite our repeated attempts to ensure that your testimony would be informative and beneficial, you appeared before the Committee unprepared and unable or unwilling to provide the specific data we requested,” wrote Mr. Jordan and Mr. McClintock, California Republican. “The American people deserve better.”
The Republicans stated they’ve been asking since April 28, 2022, about how the division has dealt with the report variety of unlawful immigrants caught sneaking throughout the southern border whose identities set off hits within the terrorist watchlist.
Mr. Mayorkas stated final month that the immigrants are “detained” and are a “priority” for deportation, however he has not supplied knowledge displaying precise outcomes. In June, an assistant secretary promised the committee a timeline for turning over the info, but even that has not been submitted, the Republicans’ letter stated.
Pressed by lawmakers over what number of unlawful immigrants caught and launched underneath the Biden administration have been apprehended and deported, Mr. Mayorkas demurred.
“The data that you wish to have, we will provide to you as promptly as possible. What I don’t want to do is misspeak when it comes to data,” he stated.
The Republicans stated the secretary has but to observe by way of on that dedication.
Mr. Jordan tried to pin down Mr. Mayorkas on the finish of final month’s listening to. He stated he had been taking notes on the issues the secretary was unable to reply however for which he promised solutions.
In addition to the terrorism and catch-and-release questions, they included queries on what has occurred to smugglers whom the division says it has arrested, what authorized authority Mr. Mayorkas is utilizing to “parole” unauthorized immigrants into the U.S., and a request for the immigration file of an unlawful immigrant charged with assaulting a teenage lady in Alabama.
“Despite this request letter — and repeated attempts by the Committee to receive information about the alien — you stated you were surprised to learn of the horrific crime occurring in Rep. [Barry] Moore’s district. Now that you have been reminded of this crime, we ask that you provide the Committee with the information first requested more than two months ago,” Mr. Jordan and Mr. McClintock stated.
During the listening to, Mr. Mayorkas additionally was unable to disclose the standing of a misinformation panel at his division’s cybersecurity and infrastructure safety company.
“I’m kind of shocked that you don’t know the answer to that,” Rep. Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, instructed him.
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