A House Republican warned the Biden administration’s top homeland security official in a public hearing Tuesday of his plans to expose how the Senate-confirmed official had allegedly targeted conservative employees.
During a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on threats facing the nation, Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) bombarded Mayorkas with a slew of accusations, which led to a three-way fight with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS).
“Are you aware or have you authorized [Customs and Border Protection] agents to release illegal aliens into America without identifying, screening, or vetting them properly or harvesting even basic biometric data like fingerprints?” Higgins asked.
“Congressman, our nation’s sovereignty stands strong, and our brave men and women in the Border Patrol and throughout U.S. Customs…” Mayorkas said, but was cut off by Higgins, who asked his question a second time.
“You got millions coming across,” said Higgins.
Mayorkas pleaded with the congressman several times to let him respond, prompting Thompson to intervene.
“Mr. Higgins, allow the secretary to answer,” Thompson said.
“It’s my time, Mr. Chairman,” Higgins retorted. “Are you asking for me to yield you time?”
Thompson said that was not the case, and Higgins asked to get back the several seconds of his five minutes of questioning time that he lost to Thompson’s interruption.
The two continued to go back and forth before Higgins eventually began his next question over Thompson’s voice.
“Have you used your authority to suppress exculpatory evidence presented by CBP agents who have come under public attack and condemnation by you and the Biden administration?” said Higgins.
“In response to your second question, I don’t even know what you’re referring to. And with respect to your first…” Mayorkas started, but stopped when Higgins continued his line of questioning.
“I’ll take that, as you’re on the record, as saying ‘no,’ you have not used your authority to suppress exculpatory evidence,” Higgins said. “If you’re an honorable man, then obviously, you should be able to say no to that.”
Mayorkas said he was not aware of what Higgins was referring to in the second question.
“Oh, you will,” Higgins said. “Secretary Mayorkas, have you used your authority to retaliate against DHS agents who served on special details during the Trump administration — agents identified by your administration as conservatives or Trump supporters?”
“Once again, congressman, I don’t even know what you’re referring to,” Mayorkas said.
“Have you encouraged the chain of command to suppress basic law enforcement actions at the border to harass, victimize, or intimidate experienced front-line law enforcement agents at the border using internal investigations and threats and disciplinary actions or transfer in order to force those agents to comply with DHS policies that actually injure the security of our homeland and are contrary to the sworn oath of those agents?” Higgins asked. “Is that the culture you’ve created?”
For a third time, Mayorkas said he did not know what Higgins was referring to.
“You will,” Higgins warned a second time.
House Republicans on the committee focused their questioning on the state of the southern border, whereas Democrats asked about cybersecurity threats facing the United States.
Mayorkas later said in the hearing that he did not view the southern border as being not secure. FBI Director Christopher Wray skirted directly answering the question but added that the agency was aware of “a significant criminal threat south of the border.”
* Article from: The Washington Examiner
