House Speaker Kevin McCarthy led a congressional delegation to the southern border this week, his first visit since campaigning for speaker from another border town just months ago and espousing a vision of border security.
But a lot has changed between campaigning and wielding the gavel.
“The new majority in Congress, we’re going to fight to fix this problem,” McCarthy said on Thursday from a ranch near Tucson, Arizona, promising border hearings. “The Democrats will no longer be able to ignore the issue and pretend it isn’t happening.”
McCarthy and the GOP have been rallying around border security for months, putting it at the top of the Republican priority list. But after a disappointing showing for Republicans in the midterm elections and a brutal speaker election that seemed to leave McCarthy battered and beholden to a small yet vocal minority, the outlook for the new majority appeared altered.
McCarthy boldly called for the resignation of President Joe Biden’s top official overseeing the border, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, when he visited the border in November, days after the Republican “red wave” failed to materialize and as he sought votes for speaker.
He gave Mayorkas until January 3 to comply, warning that if he did not, the soon-to-be GOP-controlled chamber would investigate – and possibly impeach – him.
McCarthy appeared to maintain his disapproval of Mayorkas’ leadership on Thursday, just months after that campaign-style visit. He did not, however, explicitly reiterate his call for resignation.
“This has to come to an end. “And it starts with the secretary of homeland security,” McCarthy explained. “Stop lying to the American people; tell them the truth about what’s going on, and reinstate the previous regulations so our border can be secure.”
When asked if he still intended to work to remove Mayorkas, McCarthy dodged the question, saying that Republicans want to know about “Mr. Mayorkas’ actions,” while reiterating that “the Republican plan is to secure the border.”
It remains to be seen how Republicans intend to accomplish this. The Border Safety and Security Act was one of nearly a dozen bills that House Majority Leader Steve Scalise promised Republicans would bring to the floor in the first two weeks of their new majority. However, the bill has yet to be brought to the floor due to reported internal party disagreements, as even a handful of dissenters have the power to derail legislation within such a narrow majority.
McCarthy explained on Thursday that House Republicans are taking their time crafting border security legislation, despite the fact that it poses an urgent threat to the country.
“We’ve been taking action as Republicans – we’ve got a lot of ideas inside Congress,” he said. “This is not like previous Congresses. We’re not just going to write the bill and put it on the floor; we’re going to listen to the people on the border and border agents. “We want the best ideas.”
The visit came after the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a field hearing near the southern border in Texas on Wednesday, with more hearings planned in the near future.
Meanwhile, in advance of McCarthy’s remarks, the White House dismissed the visit, saying, “House Republicans should spend less time on partisan publicity stunts and more time working on solutions.”
“President Biden is focused on solutions, and his plan is working,” White House spokesman Ian Sams said in a statement, citing lower levels of illegal border crossings since Biden implemented new enforcement measures last month. “House Republicans would do well to join him in strengthening our immigration system and funding border security.”
According to US Customs and Border Protection statistics, January saw the lowest level of encounters at the southern border since February 2021, down nearly 40% from the previous month.
Nonetheless, according to a Gallup poll released this week, Americans’ satisfaction with immigration levels in the United States is at its lowest in a decade. The majority of those who are dissatisfied want less immigration, a number that has risen dramatically in the two years since Biden took office.
