A Republican senator publicly scolded Alejandro Mayorkas, the Biden Cabinet official who has overseen the Department of Homeland Security throughout the border crisis, adding that people did not need a Senate impeachment trial to know he was guilty.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) delivered a solemn rebuke of Mayorkas during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing Wednesday afternoon and told the DHS secretary that his three years in office had rendered illegal immigrants in a better position than U.S. citizens as a result of the more than 8 million illegal immigrant encounters at the southern border in that time.
“You’ve done nothing for four years. Nada, zero, zilch,” said Kennedy. “In fact, the only people I know in this country who are better off today than they were four years ago are illegal immigrants. And that’s as a result of your policy.
“It gives me no joy to say this, but most Republicans don’t trust you and a vast majority of the American people don’t trust you,” Kennedy continued. “I don’t hate you for it. I don’t hate anyone, but that’s why you’ve been impeached. And my colleagues may try to cover it up. They’re going to try to cover it up, but they can’t cover up the facts.”
House Republicans announced last week that they would deliver the two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas to the Democratic-controlled Senate on Wednesday.
However, the House leadership said Tuesday that the plans had fallen through and delayed the official delivery, further setting back a potential trial where Mayorkas could be convicted and removed from office.
Johnson alleged that Senate Democrats planned to “sweep your impeachment under the rug and violate 200 years of Senate precedent.”
Democrats, led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), are expected to move to dismiss an impeachment trial against Mayorkas. Republicans want a full trial, though they don’t appear to have the votes to force one.
Kennedy hammered Mayorkas and said whether coincidence or not, the admission of several million illegal immigrants into the United States since President Joe Biden took office has resulted in higher populations in certain states, which would lead to more electoral votes for states even though those illegal immigrants themselves cannot vote in federal elections.
“Isn’t it true, Mr. Secretary, that the number of illegal immigrants that you and President Biden have allowed into our country counts for allocating electoral votes?”
“The notion, senator, that we intend to allow illegal immigration is nothing short of preposterous,” Mayorkas said.
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Kennedy said while people may be “poorer” under Biden, they’re not “stupid enough to believe” the Biden administration is managing the situation as best it can.
DHS pointed to a statement issued in January that maintained the House’s effort to target Mayorkas was a “distraction from other vital national security priorities and
the work Congress should be doing to actually fix our broken immigration laws.”
Mayorkas was impeached by the House two months ago for violating immigration and border security laws and making false statements to Congress while under oath.
