'You ought to resign': Sen. Ron Johnson spars with Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson on Tuesday told Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas he should resign during a hearing in which the two sparred over security on the southwest border and Mayorkas accused Johnson of mischaracterizing the department’s efforts.
During Mayorkas’ testimony on the Department of Homeland Security’s budget request Johnson questioned Mayorkas about migration data related to the U.S.-Mexico border as migrant encounters have reached record levels over the past two years.
The exchange became heated at times, with Johnson frequently cutting off Mayorkas as he grilled the secretary over data on migrant apprehensions. At one point, after Johnson estimated that between 4 million and 5 million people had crossed the southwest border over the last two years, Mayorkas responded by saying he is “very very focused on the security of our border.”
“No you’re not. No you’re not,” Johnson cut in. “I don’t want to listen to that.”
Johnson made his comments as Congress debates budget funding for agencies and at a time when Republicans have put increasing scrutiny on the Biden Administration's handling of the influx of migrants and security concerns at the border.
His call for Mayorkas to resign follows a push from some conservatives on Capitol Hill to impeach Mayorkas. Tennessee Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Green, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, told donors this month he would launch impeachment proceedings against Mayorkas, according to a report Tuesday from the New York Times.
On Tuesday, Kansas Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall told Mayorkas he is "derelict in your duties" and said he plans to introduce a draft resolution "in the coming days" that would require the Senate to take a vote of no confidence in Mayorkas.
During the hearing, Johnson listed data on migrant deaths at the border and asked Mayorkas how many girls are sex trafficked at the southern border. Mayorkas started to say identifying human trafficking and child exploitation was “a priority” for the department.
But Johnson interrupted, saying: “But you are failing miserably.”
“You’re not giving me any stats whatsoever in terms of the number of people that are human trafficked, how many young girls are sex trafficked,” Johnson said. “You don’t have a clue. You won’t even answer how many dead bodies, which is very well documented, at the border.”
“Do you not care?” Johnson added. “Do you not have just an ounce of human compassion for what your open border policy, the type of human depredations it is causing? You just sit there looking with a blank look on your face.”
Johnson then repeated the number of migrants who have crossed the border over the last two years. “And you’re saying this is a priority?” he said. “Mr. Secretary, you ought to resign.”
Mayorkas, when given a chance to respond by committee chair Gary Peters, D-Mich., accused Johnson of mischaracterizing Homeland Security’s border policies.
“The senator, of course, disparagingly characterizes our commitment to address human trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals, including children,” Mayorkas said. “And the senator misstates the data because he confuses encounters with unique individuals.”
He later called the country’s asylum and immigration systems “broken.”
“It is our continuing hope,” he said, “that Congress will reform a broken system.”
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ron Johnson calls on Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas to resign
