WASHINGTON, DC — Tuesday, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) voted in the House Homeland Security Committee to advance the Articles of Impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the full House of Representatives.
In the Full Committee Markup, Representative Pfluger advocated for a secure border and explained his reasoning behind voting to impeach Secretary Mayorkas.
Rep. August Pfluger: "Secretary Mayorkas has willfully and systemically refused to comply with the law, adhere to Congressional directives, and secure the homeland—leading to the worst border crisis in history. It is a sad day when Congress is left with no option but to impeach a cabinet secretary, but there must be consequences for the Secretary's refusal to protect the safety of American citizens."
Watch his opening statement here, or read the remarks (as drafted) below:
"It’s a sad day that we are here. I take no pleasure in the significance of this effort. I have wrestled with the appropriate constitutional response to what has been a willful refusal to comply with the law, to adhere to Congressional directives, and to secure the homeland.
"The failure to secure the border has been so significant, so catastrophic, that Congress must use its power to provide accountability. We must be the check and the balance against such an extremely egregious breach of the public trust.
"Families around the country have lost faith in the public trust we once expected Secretary Mayorkas to uphold. The Tambunga family, from my district, lost 71-year-old, Maria, and her 7-year-old granddaughter, Emilia, in a car crash and know the horror that has come from an open border. Last year, during a high-speed chase, a human trafficker smuggling 11 illegal aliens crashed into Maria and Emilia and changed the Tambunga family forever. I’m here today to see Secretary Mayorkas held accountable for creating a detrimental domino effect that took Emilia and Maria from them.
"For Maria and Emilia’s sake, if not this effort, then what? What is the appropriate Congressional check on this Secretary’s gross negligence? The answer from the other side simply cannot be we are powerless.
"I ask rhetorically to the other side: if not this effort, then how do we hold this failure to account?
"So, we offer these Articles of Impeachment here today:
- Willful and Systemic Refusal to Comply with the Law
- Breach of Public Trust
"The charges in these Articles are serious and thoughtful – and readily provable.
"An impeachable offense need not be an indictable offense. In fact, the Constitution came long before the existing criminal laws and penal code. An impeachable offense is what the Congress believes to be serious offenses against the public trust.
"The other side will say this is simply policy differences. No, this is not a policy difference. This is not a debate about whether taxes are too high or too low or should we support one government program or another. This is a question of national sovereignty. Whether this nation is sovereign or not is not a policy question, it’s a constitutional one. Today is about Secretary Mayorkas’ willful refusal to comply with the law, and his breach of the public trust.
"Just months ago, FBI Director Christopher Wray sat in front of this very committee next to Secretary Mayorkas. Director Wray confirmed that of the 300 individuals whose names match the terrorist watch list, there are still people on that list at large. Secretary Mayorkas, sitting just feet away from Director Wray, could not affirm that fact or answer the question.
"Known or suspected terrorists should immediately be detained or deported, but instead under the watch of Secretary Mayorkas, there are some running free in our communities.
"It is that type of behavior that brings us here today and puts the American people and our democracy at risk.
"Set aside the personalities for a moment. Is it the belief on the other side of the aisle that there is simply nothing we can do – that the sitting Secretary has the authority to allow 10 million people to just walk into the country in direct contradiction to the laws enacted by Congress?
"That is an extreme position. That is anti-sovereignty. That is an affront to the Constitution. The Secretary’s Willful and Systemic Refusal to Comply with the Law and certainly a Breach of Public Trust.
"The Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence, which I chair, uncovered the scandal of Known and Suspected Terrorists crossing the southern border and the numbers, for a time, being hidden.
"Failing to prevent malign actors from entering the country and failing to enforce the law is not a policy difference. If it is, what is the inverse position? Being in favor of KSTs entering our country?
"I wish we weren’t here today. I wish Maria and Emilia were home in Texas today. But we are here doing our work on this solemn and serious occasion. This is a last resort."
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