{"id":5160,"date":"2013-11-19T16:36:54","date_gmt":"2013-11-19T21:36:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/live-immigrationreform.pantheonsite.io\/?p=5160"},"modified":"2018-12-28T15:26:45","modified_gmt":"2018-12-28T20:26:45","slug":"homeland-security-hearing-leads-to-fireworks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.immigrationreform.com\/2013\/11\/19\/homeland-security-hearing-leads-to-fireworks\/","title":{"rendered":"Homeland Security Hearing Leads to Fireworks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held a hearing<\/a> on the nomination of Jeh Johnson to become the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).\u00a0 The hearing was largely genial, with most senators stating that they expected him to win confirmation easily.<\/p>\n

That is until Gang of Eight Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) provided the fireworks of the day when he pressed Johnson over DHS\u2019s troubling inability to provide border security metrics. \u201cWhen we were trying to develop [S. 744], we went time after time to the Department of Homeland Security to get what was needed to get the border secure\u2026 We never got that from the Department of Homeland Security\u2014never.\u00a0 We had to go directly to the Border Patrol.\u201d\u00a0 He then asked, \u201cCan you tell this committee that you will not repeat what happened to us and the frustration that we experienced? And I want to know what\u2014from you, what is required for us to have 90 percent effective control of the border. Can you assure this committee of that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson responded by saying \u201cI will commit to working with you\u2026\u201d whereupon McCain answered \u201cNo. I\u2019m not asking you to work [] with me.\u201d\u00a0 Johnson twice tried the formulation, \u201cI\u2019m inclined to give you what you need, sir,\u201d but McCain said \u201cI\u2019m not asking for your inclination, I\u2019m asking for a yes or no answer.\u201d \u00a0Johnson told him that though he \u201cvery much wanted\u201d to commit unequivocally to the question, he needed to speak with others at DHS to better understand the issue. Finally, he promised his cooperation, which McCain rejected. \u201cI\u2019m not asking for cooperation. I\u2019m asking for information.\u201d<\/p>\n

Based on his anger at DHS\u2019s problems in carrying out its mission to secure our borders, one would hardly recognize the amnesty proponent who gave DHS\u2019s ability to secure the border a vote of considerable confidence through his enthusiastic development and backing of the Senate\u2019s amnesty bill, which gives the Secretary of DHS even more discretionary authority than current law provides. Indeed, Senator McCain also expressed frustration over how the last Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, had frequently stated \u201cthe border is more secure than ever,\u201d telling Johnson, \u201cSo for years, the secretary of homeland security said, well, apprehensions are up so — the border’s more secure because there was reduction in apprehensions. Now the apprehensions are up. And so here we are, faced with a situation where the border is still not secure.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the hearing, McCain told reporters \u201cI have a hold on his nomination.\u00a0 He refused to tell me that he would give me the information necessary as to what is necessary to have 90 percent effective control of our border.\u201d (Politico<\/i><\/a>, Nov. 13, 2013) Fellow Gang of Eight Senator Lindsey Graham has also vowed to block Jeh Johnson\u2019s nomination as he has vowed to block all of Obama\u2019s nominees until the administration makes the survivors of last year\u2019s terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi available to Congress for questioning.\u00a0 (Washington Post<\/i><\/a>, Nov. 10, 2013).