‘Completely absent’: Emmer slams Mayorkas ahead of first impeachment hearing

Impeachment proceedings against Mayorkas began with a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Wednesday.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer speaks at a press conference Wednesday. (CSPAN)

(Daily Caller News Foundation —  House Majority Whip Tom Emmer believes Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will be found to have committed malfeasance during pending impeachment proceedings, he told the Daily Caller News Foundation Tuesday.

Emmer believes the most damning pieces of evidence against Mayorkas include the “unrestrained” flow of migrants crossing the southern border illegally, allowing millions of them “to be dispersed throughout” the country and the fentanyl epidemic, he told the DCNF during an interview in his office. Impeachment proceedings against Mayorkas began with a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Wednesday.

“He wants to talk about anything but the border that he refuses to secure, that alone should be grounds for impeachment,” Emmer said.

Border Patrol recorded more than 2 million encounters of migrants crossing the southern border illegally in fiscal year 2023, and 2.2 million encounters in fiscal year 2022, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Border Patrol recorded a monthly record of more than 300,000 illegal crossings in December, according to Fox News.

“The House, under Republican leadership, does not go running off on politically motivated impeachments, this is serious business. This is looking at the job that’s supposed to be done and looking at the performance and you at best have malfeasance, at worst you have intentional conduct by this person not doing their job,” Emmer said.

“Mark Green I think is running a very fair process. It’s been deliberate, it’s been thoughtful, it’s exactly what the House is supposed to do as far as oversight,” Emmer said.

For months, Green has been investigating Mayorkas, alleging that he wasted taxpayer money, “ignored” laws and lied to Congress. As part of the impeachment proceedings, Green has asked Mayorkas to appear before the committee.

Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was the latest member of the House to file impeachment articles in November against Mayorkas for his handling of the border crisis.

Mayorkas visited the U.S.-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas, Monday, where he increased pressure on Congress to pass funding and immigration reform. Senate Republicans and Democrats in the Senate are in ongoing talks over a funding bill to include border security and Ukraine military aid.

“His job is to secure the border, his job is to make sure the homeland is protected, he’s been completely absent, and he travels down there yesterday? Too little, too late,” Emmer said.

 

Jennie Taer