Staff Reports
House Republicans have launched a daring gambit to make sure American tax dollars are no longer used to reward Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for what they view as his disastrous handling of the southern border. By packing their annual must-pass spending bill with amendments aimed at stripping Mayorkas’s salary, the GOP is delivering a message as clear as day: if the border isn’t secure, neither is his paycheck.
Not just one, but two amendments have been proposed to ensure the secretary doesn’t see a dime of his undeserved salary. Arizona’s own Rep. Andy Biggs proposed an all-out prohibition on federal funding for Mayorkas’s paycheck, while Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, spirited as ever, has drawn up an amendment that would slash Mayorkas’s pay to a mere buck. These amendments are tucked neatly into the appropriations bill set to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
House Republicans advance measures to slash DHS Secretary Mayorkas salary https://t.co/4lJbyUdmLZ
— MONIQUE WILLIAMS (@MONIQUE12357798) June 27, 2024
Greene didn’t pull any punches on the House floor, stating that her amendment would effectively relieve Mayorkas from his duties due to his abysmal job performance regarding the southern border and overall national security. This sentiment resonates through the Capitol as House Republicans continue to hold Mayorkas accountable for what they call record-high illegal immigration and the rise in crime they attribute to the influx of migrants.
Rewind to February, and you’ll remember that the House took an extraordinary step by impeaching Mayorkas over his border policies, a historic impeachment led with gusto by Greene. This isn’t some hollow gesture; Greene pointed out that if the House had the backbone to impeach him, it certainly shouldn’t fund his paycheck. Makes sense, right?
These GOP amendments will be part of the spending bill for DHS, which will hit the House floor for a vote on Friday. It’s not just Mayorkas in the crosshairs, either. House Republicans are aiming their fiscal prudence at other top Biden administration officials, such as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Proposals to reduce their salaries to just $1 are also on the table.
However, even if these amendments make it through the House, the liberal-heavy Senate is unlikely to pass them in their current state. This preview of fiscal conservatism sets the stage for an extended budget brawl that could stretch beyond the upcoming elections. There’s even chatter that Senate leaders and the White House could push back the critical October 1 funding deadline until the political apocalypse of 2025 is settled. One thing is clear: the battle over how taxpayer money is spent is far from over.
