WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — House Republicans are advancing their efforts to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The House Homeland Security Committee will hold the hearing Wednesday at 10 a.m., featuring testimony from attorneys general from Montana, Oklahoma and Missouri.
It’s the first hearing after a yearslong probe to examine what they are calling the secretary’s “failed leadership” as the southern border experiences a surge of migrants.
Additionally, Republicans are expected to focus on how the crisis has impacted states in the Midwest, but in a statement obtained by NewsNation, DHS calls this politically motivated attack an inefficient use of time.
For months, the committee’s chairman, Mark Green, R-Tenn., has strongly criticized Mayorkas, accusing him of misusing taxpayer dollars, failing to live up to his oath and losing control of the border.
The border is expected to be a key issue in the 2024 election, and Wednesday’s hearing follows a record-setting fiscal year for encounters along the southern border.
Customs and Border Protection sources confirmed to NewsNation that December 2023 marked the highest monthly number ever recorded, with more than 300,000 encounters. However, the number of crossings has dropped in January. That is somewhat expected, as migration patterns historically show a dip in numbers at the end of December through the first part of the year.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Republicans are expected to argue evidence exists to impeach Mayorkas, while Democrats are likely to characterize this as an inefficient use of time.
“All the warning lights are now blinking,” said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. “This is why we should fire Secretary Mayorkas and give Joe Biden the message that he’s next in 300 days.”
“The House Republicans are playing political games instead of doing their jobs — that’s what they’re doing,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. “It’s really shameful that this is how they choose to focus on. What American people want to see is Congress deliver and House Republicans want to play political games.”
The timing for the House to hold a full vote to forward the impeachment to the Senate remains uncertain. However, when or if it happens, the case likely won’t progress far in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
