Mayorkas in the hot seat as he testifies before Congress days after impeachment vote

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was back in the hot seat as Republicans questioned the Biden administration official over his handling of the southern border just days after he avoided an impeachment vote in the House.

Mayorkas appeared before the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday to testify about foreign threats to the United States as lawmakers continue their investigation into whether the border official has violated his oath to maintain the southern border.

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The hearing was scheduled earlier this month before Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) pushed her effort to impeach Mayorkas, although the meeting took on new significance after that vote failed earlier this week, with lawmakers even going so far as to threaten Mayorkas with being replaced before the end of Biden’s term.

“Every state is a border state. Every city is a border city, especially when it comes to bearing the cost of you and President Biden’s failed policies at the border. I agree with my colleagues: You should be impeached,” Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY) said during the hearing. “There has never ever been such a disaster at our southern border as it is now, and that’s because of your failed leadership. … That’s why this committee will continue working to put the facts together to make sure that we find a new secretary of Homeland Security — one that holds the country and this nation as most important.”

Republicans pressed Mayorkas on the influx of illegal immigration at the border as well as the increased flow of fentanyl into the country since he was appointed in 2021. The border official engaged in a number of tense exchanges with lawmakers, especially as Mayorkas struggled to answer how many encounters Border Patrol agents receive in a day.

“What number [of apprehensions], to you, represents a bad day?” Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS) said.

“We do not minimize the significance of the challenge at the southwest border, and we are intensely focused on it,” Mayorkas replied.

Guest pushed back on that answer, pressing Mayorkas to state a specific number.

“As I said, we do not minimize the significance of the challenge at the southwest border,” Mayorkas said.

“I asked a simple question,” Guest replied, “and you are refusing to answer the question. … Clearly, he does not intend to answer my question.”

Mayorkas also got into a heated back-and-forth with Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC), who criticized the border official for his policies that the GOP lawmaker says have led to an increase in illegal immigration. Mayorkas avoided questions on whether he would alter his policies, prompting Bishop to interject during his testimony.

“Our policies are directed at securing the border — ” Mayorkas started.

“Can you give me a quick answer?” Bishop said. “Could you have changed anything to attenuate the flow?”

“Congressmen, we are seeking to address the flow every single day,” Mayorkas responded.

The testimony comes just days after the House shot down an effort by Greene to impeach Mayorkas over his handling of the southern border. The effort failed after eight Republicans joined all Democrats in shooting down the effort, including Reps. Cliff Bentz (R-OR), Ken Buck (R-CO), John Duarte (R-CA), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Patrick McHenry (R-NC), and Michael Turner (R-OH).

Greene introduced the impeachment resolution late last week, filing the legislation as a privileged motion and forcing lawmakers to vote on the matter within two legislation days. House Democrats initially planned to push for a motion to table but later switched course to refer the matter to the Homeland Security Committee, likely as a move to get more Republicans onboard with punting action on impeachment.

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Still, Greene has indicated plans to reintroduce the motion to impeach Mayorkas, criticizing her fellow GOP lawmakers of becoming “numb to the chaos” of border-related incidents.

“How many more Americans do they want dead before they’re willing to push that button?” Greene said in a press conference on Tuesday. “We don’t need more hearings. We don’t need more strongly worded letters. We don’t need more posts and social media posts because we don’t need any more of that. Americans are fed up with it. We need impeachment.”