Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dianne-feinstein" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dianne Feinstein</a> (D-CA) is 89 and in poor health. She recently missed more than ten weeks of work after an outbreak of shingles that spread to her face and neck, causing vision and balance impairments and facial paralysis known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
The virus also brought on a case of encephalitis, a swelling of the brain that can leave sufferers with long-term memory or language problems, sleep disorders, bouts of confusion, mood disorders, and difficulties walking.
When Feinstein returned to the Senate, she was in a wheelchair, with &#8220;the left side of her face frozen and one eye nearly shut, she seemed disoriented as an aide steered her through the marble corridors of the Senate, complaining audibly that something was stuck in her eye,&#8221; The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/18/us/politics/feinstein-illness-shingles-senate.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
But Tom Philp, an opinion writer with the Sacramento Bee, <a href="https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/fear-dianne-feinstein-resignation-senate-120000898.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a>, &#8220;I fear Dianne Feinstein’s resignation from the Senate more than her staying put.&#8221;
&#8220;Since Feinstein effectively became the decisive vote on the Senate Judiciary Committee after the 2020 election, the window for her to resign without potential consequences to the judicial system was closed. Republicans blocked efforts to replace Feinstein temporarily after a recent hospitalization as they would now if she retired,&#8221; he wrote.
&#8220;The politics of maintaining a razor-thin majority on a committee that forwards President Joe Biden’s judicial nominations to the full Senate has an undeniable impact on the future governance of the U.S. Supreme Court. They dictate why establishment Democrats fall in line behind Feinstein despite her frail condition,&#8221; Philp wrote.
So despite the clear evidence that Feinstein has problems (and there are dozens more examples of her being confused and disoriented), the writer wants her to stay in office purely for politics. &#8220;These high stakes are also why Feinstein should make every effort to stay, even as it becomes more painful to behold with each passing day,&#8221; he wrote.
But consider this: If Feinstein were to resign effective immediately, California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, would appoint her replacement, who would serve until the current Congress ends in January 2025. He would, no doubt, appoint a Democrat. And Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) would appoint a replacement on the Judiciary Committee.
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Philp goes on to say Feinstein should stay on the committee so it can investigate &#8220;the repeated failures of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to disclose various gifts from billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow of Texas.&#8221;
But more than two-thirds (67%) of voters in California think Feinstein is not fit to serve in the Senate, according to a <a href="https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5gk3z8qc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> by conducted by UC Berkeley&#8217;s Institute of Governmental Studies.
Those voters see the writing on the wall. It&#8217;s a shame others want to play politics with a senator who is clearly not able to handle the duties of her office.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

Senator Dianne Feinstein Returns To The Senate Judiciary Committee

Here’s The Weirdest Story You’ll Ever Read About Sen. Dianne Feinstein

Here's The Weirdest Story You'll Ever Read About Sen. Dianne Feinstein

Dianne Feinstein

Health

New York Times

Politics

U.S. Senate

We&#8217;ve said it before, and we&#8217;ll say it again: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) served her constituents for decades so, good on her.
But it&#8217;s really time for her to go. Really.
As if we needed yet another reason why the 89-year-old Feinstein needs to retire, The New York Times (of all sources) finally <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/28/us/politics/feinstein-senate-staff.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported </a>on an incident from last year that shows just how confused and out of touch the senator is.
A source told the Times that Feinstein had an odd reaction to Vice President Kamala Harris presiding over the Senate (one of the only official duties the Constitution sets out for the veep).
Feinstein turned to her colleagues and said, “What is she doing here?” the liberal newspaper said. In fact, Harris has cast 29 tie-breaking votes as president of the Senate since she took office, so she&#8217;s there a lot.
The Times story was headlined, &#8220;Feinstein, Back in the Senate, Relies Heavily on Staff to Function.&#8221; The piece cataloged all the ways the senator is unable to do her job. She &#8220;is surrounded by a retinue of staff members who serve not only the roles of typical congressional aides — advising on policy, keeping tabs on the schedule, drafting statements and speeches — but also as de facto companions to a senator whose age, frail health and memory issues make it difficult for her to function alone.&#8221;
Feinstein, 89, missed months of Senate votes after contracting shingles that led to a case of Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which can cause facial paralysis and hearing loss. She also suffered encephalitis, which is swelling of the brain.
When she finally returned to work more than two months after holing up in her California mansion, Feinstein was in a wheelchair. But she and her staff claim she&#8217;s just fine — and they&#8217;re going to great lengths to shield the senator&#8217;s health from public scrutiny.
Last week, a staff photographer for The Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/newsletter/2023-05-24/as-staff-shield-feinstein-from-the-press-a-picture-really-is-worth-a-thousand-words-essential-california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> that he was &#8220;shouted at&#8221; when he tried to photograph Feinstein.
&#8220;I photographed the senator as a staff member tried to hide her wheelchair behind a pillar at a low-profile exit last week. A Capitol Police officer shouted at me to move back — despite already being 30 feet away from the senator. Feinstein waved as she was escorted to a waiting vehicle,&#8221; photographer Kent Nishimura wrote.
The photographer also claimed Senate security is going to great lengths to protect Feinstein from the press.
&#8220;For two days in a row last week, the Senate sergeant-at-arms office has said her arrival at the Capitol ‘is closed press,’ shutting doors and using the Capitol police to chase journalists out of hallways and public spaces. This unprecedented act of restricting press freedom only raises more questions,&#8221; he said.
Feinstein’s office denied that it is shielding the senator from the media.
“Our office has not asked photographers to not take pictures of her in her wheelchair,” Feinstein spokesman Adam Russell said in a statement to the Times. “We did ask, and continue to ask for safety reasons, that photographers and reporters give her space, particularly when entering and exiting her vehicle.”
A spokesperson for Feinstein did say: &#8220;While the encephalitis resolved itself shortly after she was released from the hospital in March, she continues to have complications from Ramsay Hunt syndrome.&#8221;
Feinstein&#8217;s mental acuity has been in question since she returned to the Senate. She gave a bizarre answer when asked by reporters about her lengthy absence and how her colleagues reacted upon her return.
&#8220;No, I haven&#8217;t been gone,&#8221; she said. &#8220;You should follow the — I haven&#8217;t been gone, I&#8217;ve been working.&#8221;
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One reporter asked whether she had been working from home. &#8220;No, I&#8217;ve been here. I&#8217;ve been voting,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Please, you either know or don&#8217;t know.&#8221;
More than two-thirds of voters in California think Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is not fit to serve in the Senate, <a href="https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5gk3z8qc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a new poll.
Sixty-seven percent of registered voters in the state say Feinstein&#8217;s latest illness, which has left her in a wheelchair, has left her unfit for office, according to the poll conducted by UC Berkeley&#8217;s Institute of Governmental Studies.
Poll respondents were asked if they agreed with the statement, &#8220;Feinstein’s latest illness underlines the fact that she is no longer fit to continue serving in the U.S. Senate.&#8221;
In addition, on the question of whether she should resign, a plurality (42%) said she should. Another 27% said Feinstein should serve in the Senate until the end of her term in 2025, while 31% said they were undecided.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

This Oughta’ Be The Last Straw For Dianne Feinstein’s Senate Career

This Oughta' Be The Last Straw For Dianne Feinstein's Senate Career

Congress

Federal prosecutors are reportedly investigating whether Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and his wife accepted gifts from a meat business worth potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for any actions taken by Menendez as a senator.
NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/feds-investigating-menendez-wife-got-gifts-dc-apartment-mercedes-jewel-rcna86339" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that investigators are looking to see if the gifts — which include a Mercedes-Benz, a luxury apartment in the expensive D.C. area, cash, and jewelry — came from the owner or associates of IS EG Halal.
In 2019, the halal meat business won an exclusive contract to become the sole company responsible for certifying halal exports from Egypt. U.S. officials viewed the situation as suspicious due to how such a large contract was awarded to a company with “little prior experience.”
The Egyptian government immediately fired seven other &#8220;longtime companies across the globe&#8221; once IS EG Halal won the contract, causing those companies to lose out on millions, the report said. The firm is reportedly &#8220;run by a Christian with little prior experience in Islamic certification of international meat imports and exports.&#8221;
Menendez is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which puts him in charge of billions of dollars in aid to Egypt.
IRS criminal investigators are also reviewing to see if Menendez and his wife reported the gifts on their tax filings, the report said. He did not report the items on his Senate disclosure forms.
Peter Paradis, the former deputy assistant inspector general at the USDA, said Egypt giving the exclusive contract to IS EG Halal and canceling the other contracts &#8220;defies logic.&#8221;
“This corporation has no track record of doing these types of certifications — and yet the country in question earmarks them as the sole entity to perform that task?” Paradis said.
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The company and the senator maintain that they have done nothing wrong.
The report said that federal prosecutors are looking to see if anyone connected to the company paid any kind of a bribe to Egyptian officials, which would potentially violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
The criminal investigation has expanded in recent weeks after powerful North Bergen Democrat Mayor Nicholas Sacco was recently subpoenaed. The subpoena <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-criminal-corruption-investigation-into-democrat-senator-bob-menendez-expands-with-new-subpoenas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sought information</a> about “certain legislative changes in New Jersey” related to a proposed development deal.
In 2015, Menendez was indicted on bribery charges for allegedly accepting “luxury vacations, golf outings, campaign donations and expensive flights” from Florida physician Salomon Melgen in exchange for political favors. A federal jury in Florida convicted Melgen in April of “67 charges for operating what prosecutors called a massive scheme that robbed Medicare out of as much as $105 million,” the Palm Beach Post <a href="https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/crime/2017/04/28/eye-doc-melgen-guilty-in/6873372007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Prosecutors began investigating Menendez when they were tipped off in 2012 that Menendez was allegedly having sex with underage prostitutes in the Dominican Republic.
The jury was split in the trial and a mistrial was declared.

Senate Banking Hearing On Recent Bank Failures

New Details Emerge In Federal Criminal Investigation Into Democrat Senator Bob Menendez

Egypt

New Jersey

More than two-thirds of voters in California think Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is not fit to serve in the Senate, according to a new poll.
Sixty-seven percent of registered voters in the state say Feinstein&#8217;s latest illness, which has left her in a wheelchair, has left her unfit for office, <a href="https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5gk3z8qc">according to</a> the poll conducted by UC Berkeley&#8217;s Institute of Governmental Studies.
Poll respondents were asked if they agreed with the statement, &#8220;Feinstein’s latest illness underlines the fact that she is no longer fit to continue serving in the U.S. Senate.&#8221;
In addition, on the question of whether she should resign, a plurality (42%) said she should. Another 27% said Feinstein should serve in the Senate until the end of her term in 2025, while 31% said they were undecided.
The poll was conducted from May 17 to 22 and surveyed 7,465 registered voters with random emails in both English and Spanish.
Feinstein, 89, missed weeks of Senate votes after contracting shingles, which led to Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which can cause facial paralysis and hearing loss. She also suffered encephalitis, which is swelling of the brain.
When she finally returned to work two months after holing up in her California mansion, Feinstein was in a wheelchair. But she and her staff claim she&#8217;s just fine — and they&#8217;re going to great lengths to shield the senator&#8217;s health from public scrutiny.
On Wednesday, a staff photographer for The Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/newsletter/2023-05-24/as-staff-shield-feinstein-from-the-press-a-picture-really-is-worth-a-thousand-words-essential-california">wrote </a>that he was &#8220;shouted at&#8221; when he tried to photograph Feinstein.
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&#8220;I photographed the senator as a staff member tried to hide her wheelchair behind a pillar at a low-profile exit last week. A Capitol Police officer shouted at me to move back — despite already being 30 feet away from the senator. Feinstein waved as she was escorted to a waiting vehicle,&#8221; photographer Kent Nishimura wrote.
The photographer also claimed Senate security is going to great lengths to protect Feinstein from the press.
&#8220;For two days in a row last week, the Senate sergeant-at-arms office has said her arrival at the Capitol ‘is closed press,’ shutting doors and using the Capitol police to chase journalists out of hallways and public spaces. This unprecedented act of restricting press freedom only raises more questions,&#8221; he said.
Feinstein’s office denied that it is shielding the senator from the media.
“Our office has not asked photographers to not take pictures of her in her wheelchair,” Feinstein spokesman Adam Russell said in a statement to the Times. “We did ask, and continue to ask for safety reasons, that photographers and reporters give her space, particularly when entering and exiting her vehicle.”
A spokesperson for Feinstein did say: &#8220;While the encephalitis resolved itself shortly after she was released from the hospital in March, she continues to have complications from Ramsay Hunt syndrome.&#8221;
Feinstein&#8217;s mental acuity has been in question since she returned to the Senate. She gave a bizarre answer when asked by reporters about her lengthy absence and how her colleagues reacted upon her return.
&#8220;No, I haven&#8217;t been gone,&#8221; she said, Slate reported. &#8220;You should follow the — I haven&#8217;t been gone, I&#8217;ve been working.&#8221;
One reporter asked whether she had been working from home. &#8220;No, I&#8217;ve been here. I&#8217;ve been voting,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Please, you either know or don&#8217;t know.&#8221;
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

More Than Two-Thirds Of California Voters Say Feinstein Not Fit For Office: Poll

More Than 2/3 Of California Voters Say Sen. Dianne Feinstein Not Fit For Office: Poll

California

More than half of U.S. Senators accepted taxpayer-funded emergency satellite phones as part of a series of new security measures implemented after the January 6 Capitol riot.
According to a CBS <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senators-issued-satellite-phones-new-security-measures/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>, approximately 50 out of 100 sitting members of Congress received the technology amid growing concerns about hometown security risks or in the case of an emergency that could wipe out communications in the U.S.
During testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee last month, Senate Sergeant at Arms Karen Gibson said officials would deploy satellite communication &#8220;to ensure a redundant and secure means of communication during a disruptive event.&#8221;
Department of Homeland Security issued an <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Satellite-Phones-TN_0615-508_0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advisory</a> saying that such mobile phones are used for emergency communications during natural disasters or man-made incidents, including potential chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive events.
&#8220;Satellite mobile phones can help maintain command and control functions during an emergency when existing communications networks are not functioning,&#8221; the advisory reads. &#8220;These phones are designed to be relatively rugged and simple to operate, but are more expensive than cell phones to buy and use.&#8221;
Gibson reportedly also opened an office &#8220;demonstration space&#8221; in the basement of the Russell Senate Office Building, which offers lawmakers and staff security upgrades in their home state, including &#8220;duress buttons,&#8221; mail screening devices, and safety glass to reduce the risk of attacks, CBS reported.
&#8220;Our team provided initial physical security enhancements for 31 offices and improved existing security for 52 others in 2022,&#8221; she said in testimony. &#8220;Maintaining security systems in good working order is a priority, and to support this effort our team conducted over 622 service calls to maintain, repair, and or test and inspect state office physical security systems in 2022.&#8221;
House Sergeant at Arms William McFarland told legislators in April that a &#8220;robust participation&#8221; program that coordinates with local police departments is underway to allow Capitol Police protection for House members outside of Washington, D.C., as part of a bill passed by Congress in 2022.
The legislation required security administrators to &#8220;enhance member protection including providing a security program for Congressional Leadership, expanding Dignitary Protection Division services and expanding USCP field office presence,&#8221; the bill reads, according to CBS.
Conservative commentator Rogan O&#8217;Handley, known as @DC_Draino on social media platforms, expressed concerns over the report.
&#8220;Many are worried a cyber attack prior to the 2024 election would be used to justify changes in voting procedures that will benefit Joe Biden,&#8221; O&#8217;Handley said. &#8220;Today we learned that U.S. Senators are being issued special satellite phones for this exact scenario. Not good.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Many are worried a cyber attack prior to the 2024 election would be used to justify changes in voting procedures that will benefit Joe Biden
Today we learned that US Senators are being issued special satellite phones for this exact scenario
Not good<a href="https://t.co/vcXBYUGUj9">https://t.co/vcXBYUGUj9</a>
&mdash; DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) <a href="https://twitter.com/DC_Draino/status/1660664940342964224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Security Fencing Is Installed Around The Capitol Building Ahead Of The State Of The Union Address

Dozens of Senators Issued Taxpayer-Funded Emergency Satellite Phones Amid Security Risks

Capitol Riot

U.S.

US Capitol

Let&#8217;s get one thing straight from the get-go: this isn&#8217;t a partisan thing.
The fact that the two senators are Democrats has nothing to do with the call for voters to bounce them from office. For the record, I think voters in New York&#8217;s 3rd congressional district should recall Republican Rep. George Santos, too.
But really, Sens. Dianne Feinstein and John Fetterman are not mentally fit to serve in the Senate. How much more proof do we need?!
Feinstein, 89, was out for months after being hospitalized for shingles. She has missed more than 70% of the votes in the 118th Senate. When she finally returned, she was in a wheelchair.
But what happened Tuesday clearly shows that Feinstein can no longer execute her duties of office.
Feinstein, who has been in politics for 53 years, was asked by reporters about her lengthy absence and how her colleagues reacted upon her return.
&#8220;No, I haven&#8217;t been gone,&#8221; she said, Slate <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/05/dianne-feinstein-health-return-to-senate.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. &#8220;You should follow the — I haven&#8217;t been gone, I&#8217;ve been working.&#8221;
One reporter asked whether she had been working from home.
&#8220;No, I&#8217;ve been here. I&#8217;ve been voting,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Please, you either know or don&#8217;t know.&#8221;
Oh, we know, DiFi. You have not &#8220;been here.&#8221; In fact, you haven&#8217;t &#8220;been here&#8221; mentally for quite some time.
And let&#8217;s slow down a second. The California Democrat has been elected over and over, so she must be pleasing her constituents. And she&#8217;s devoted her life to public service, so, bravo.
But over the last couple of years, there have been more and more stories about how Feinstein is often confused. One member of Congress who met with Feinstein last year said the once feisty senator had clearly lost a step — or seven.
“I have worked with her for a long time and long enough to know what she was like just a few years ago: always in command, always in charge, on top of the details, basically couldn’t resist a conversation where she was driving some bill or some idea. All of that is gone,” the lawmaker <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/dianne-feinstein-senate-17079487.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the San Francisco Chronicle.
Fetterman is even worse. He suffered a stroke during his Senate campaign but voters elected him anyway. He has serious cognitive and hearing issues. And just weeks into his term, he disappeared for five weeks to deal with depression.
But what he did Tuesday clearly shows he is incapable of handling a U.S. senator&#8217;s heady duties.
During a Q&amp;A session at the Senate Banking Committee hearing, Fetterman was the last senator to question officials about the Silicon Valley Bank collapse earlier this year.
&#8220;So, I went up on the Internet, and it’s like, it did happen. It did happen. It did happen,&#8221; Fetterman said, holding up a clipping of a New York Post headline titled &#8220;Ex-Silicon Valley Bank CEO Greg Becker jets to Hawaii after collapse.&#8221;
&#8220;And it’s in Fortune, the second-biggest bank in U.S. history collapsed and chose to go to Hawaii on that,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;You know, I’ve never been to Hawaii and neither has my family. I guess I’ve never cranked, excuse me, crashed a bank.&#8221;
Fetterman asked the officials if it was &#8220;a running joke&#8221; in the banking community that the federal government would bail them out. Former Silicon Valley Bank CEO Gregory Becker said he does not &#8220;believe that’s the case.&#8221;
&#8220;Really? Because every bank you seemingly that crashed, it’s like, ‘We can bail him out. This one crashed, we’ll bail them out,’&#8221; Fetterman said. &#8220;So far, everything’s been true. So, doesn’t it feel that now if a bank really believed that they wouldn’t be bailed out, now after bailing them out, these couple of bailouts, they are going to.&#8221;
&#8220;Do you believe that that is not outrageous that, no matter how deplorable your performance is, you are made as whole and all by … taxpapers [sic],&#8221; the Pennsylvania senator said. &#8220;So what do yous [sic] believe?&#8221;
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Then there was this word salad.
&#8220;It’s astonishing. That’s like if you have, I mean like, and they also realize is that now they have … a guaranteed way to be saved by, again, by no matter, by how?&#8221; Fetterman said. &#8220;Isn’t it appropriate that this kind of control should be more stricter to prevent this kind of thing from going, or should we go on start bailing and sailing whoever bank regardless of how … their conduct is?&#8221;
Look, it&#8217;s sad what happened to Fetterman, who is just 53. And we all hope for a full recovery. But he&#8217;s simply not able to perform his duties. Nor is Feinstein.
It&#8217;s time for California and Pennsylvania voters to recall them for the good of the nation.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

Time For CA, PA Voters To Recall Their U.S. Senators

Time For CA, PA Voters To Recall Their Senators, Dianne Feinstein And John Fetterman

John Fetterman

Recall

Senate Democrats

The federal criminal corruption investigation into Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-senator-bob-menendez-under-federal-criminal-investigation-again-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robert Menendez</a> (D-NY), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has recently expanded after another round of grand jury subpoenas were sent out this week.
NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/criminal-probe-sen-bob-menendez-expands-new-subpoenas-rcna83646" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the new criminal investigation into Menendez, which first made news last October, originally centered around how IS EG Halal, a New Jersey-based halal meat business, won &#8220;an exclusive worldwide contract with Egypt to certify halal exports — as numerous other firms’ contracts were suddenly canceled in 2019.&#8221;
Numerous sources told the publication that the U.S. Agriculture Department was suspicious over how the large contract was awarded to the company which had &#8220;little experience.&#8221;
Menendez&#8217;s wife is friends with the company&#8217;s owners, the report said, and the senator&#8217;s position as chairman on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee puts him in charge of billions of dollars in weapons sales to Egypt.
However, the latest subpoenas that were issued in the criminal investigation are not related to allegations involving the meat company and Menendez, the report said.
Sources told the publication that the North Bergen Democrat Mayor Nicholas Sacco was one of the people who received a subpoena in this last batch to go out. The report described Sacco as a &#8220;powerful&#8221; politician in New Jersey.
The subpoena seeks information about &#8220;certain legislative changes in New Jersey,&#8221; the report said, but no further details were available.
In 2015, Menendez was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-senator-bob-menendez-under-federal-criminal-investigation-again-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicted</a> on bribery charges for allegedly accepting “luxury vacations, golf outings, campaign donations and expensive flights” from Florida physician Salomon Melgen in exchange for political favors. A federal jury in Florida convicted Melgen in April of “67 charges for operating what prosecutors called a massive scheme that robbed Medicare out of as much as $105 million,” the <a href="https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/crime/2017/04/28/eye-doc-melgen-guilty-in/6873372007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Palm Beach Post</a> reported.
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Prosecutors began investigating Menendez when they were <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/09/05/everything-you-need-to-know-about-sen-bob-menendezs-corruption-trial/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tipped off</a> in 2012 that Menendez was allegedly having sex with underage prostitutes in the Dominican Republic.
The jury was split in the trial and a mistrial was declared.
The DOJ was set to re-charge Menendez when the judge dismissed 7 of the 18 charges against him, the report said.
A separate <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/10/25/2022/senator-robert-menendez-under-investigation-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Semafor said that the new criminal case against Menendez mirrors the prior criminal case that Menendez faced.
The report noted that federal prosecutors rarely ever lose in court and so the fact that they are bringing a new criminal case against Menendez “after its humiliating public failure to convict him” likely means that they believe they have a stronger case this time.
When a mistrial was declared during the first criminal case, Menendez resorted to implying that racists were the reason he came under investigation. Prosecutors ultimately decided against retrying him.

The Future of U.S.-Brazil Relations

Federal Criminal Corruption Investigation Into Democrat Senator Bob Menendez Expands With New Subpoenas

Crime

Law Enforcement

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida</a> Democrats are hoping for some Magic in Florida&#8217;s 2024 Senate race, and hoping that basketball greats can put the Heat on Republican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/rick-scott" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rick Scott</a>.
Party donors and operatives are trying to recruit NBA legends Grant Hill and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dwyane-wade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dwyane Wade</a> to run against Scott in 2024, according to a report from <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/grant-hill-dwayne-wade-democrats-senate-florida-rick-scott-rcna83401" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>. Hill starred for the Orlando Magic in the 2000s, and Wade spent nearly all of his playing career with the Miami Heat, including 3 Championship runs with the team. Wade left the state after he retired, but claimed in April that his family &#8220;wouldn&#8217;t feel welcome&#8221; in his former home state due to increasingly anti-LBGT policies.
“Grant Hill has great name ID. He would raise a boatload of money and is one of the smartest guys you will ever meet,” attorney John Morgan told NBC News. Morgan is a national Democratic donor and a business partner of Hill&#8217;s who has reportedly talked directly with him about a potential run. “Grant Hill would beat the s*** out of Rick Scott,” he said.
Morgan said he brought up the prospect with two other Democratic activists at a dinner on Sunday. “I’m not sure it’s his time, but he would be great,&#8221; he said. &#8220;He’s competitive. I think he sees LeBron James as a billionaire and Magic Johnson almost a billionaire, and it gets his competitive juices flowing. I am not sure he is done with business.”
Hill is an NBA Hall of Fame guard/forward who played for the Orlando Magic from 2000-2007, and still lives in the Orlando area. He is a part-owner of the Atlanta Hawks, and an analyst for CBS and their affiliates. He is also a successful real estate developer, and has several lucrative endorsement deals. Hill has also been active in politics, supporting John Kerry, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton&#8217;s presidential campaigns.
Democratic donors are also talking about recruiting Wade, who played 13 seasons with the Miami Heat and won championships in 2006, 2012, and 2013. Besides being a legend in Florida Sports, Wade is also an advocate for transgenderism. In <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-dwyane-wade-says-12-year-old-trans-son-changed-her-name-ellen-degeneres-praises-him-on-parenting-skills" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2020</a>, Wade declared that his preteen son, Zion, had come out as a transgender girl named Zaya. Wade called the child a &#8220;leader&#8221; in the LGBT community, and said he and his wife are proud LGBT &#8220;allies.&#8221;
But Wade, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dwyane-wade-said-he-left-florida-because-family-wouldnt-be-accepted-or-feel-comfortable" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left the state</a> after he retired from the NBA, said in April that recent legislation would make a potential return uncomfortable. He specifically pointed to Florida HB 1557, the Parental Rights in Education Bill, which prohibited schools from talking about gender and sexuality from grades K-3. The bill has been mischaracterized by the Left as the &#8220;Don&#8217;t Say Gay&#8221; bill.&#8221;
“That’s another reason why I don’t live in that state,” Wade told sports journalist Rachel Nichols. “A lot of people don’t know that. I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions. I mean, obviously, the tax [situation] is great. Having Wade County is great. But my family would not be accepted or feel comfortable there. And so that’s one of the reasons why I don’t live there.&#8221;
“Dwyane Wade is a Florida legend, whose leadership past and present has a lot of folks in our state sending feelers out,” Ray Paultre, the executive director of the progressive donor coalition Florida Alliance, told NBC News. “We have seen former athletes, in both parties, bring something special to the political landscape. He hasn’t been officially approached, but he is on the list of four or five dream candidates to challenge Rick Scott.&#8221;
Scott narrowly defeated Democrat Bill Nelson in 2018, 50.1%-49.9%. But the state has shifted rightward since then; Scott&#8217;s Republican colleague, Marco Rubio, won his race last year by a massive margin 57%-41%, and Governor Ron DeSantis won re-election by an even larger margin, 59%-40%.

Dwyane Wade and Grant Hill

Dwyane Wade Said Anti LGBTQ Policies Drove Him From Florida — Now He’s Being Recruited To Run For Senate

NBA Greats Grant Hill, Ex-Floridian Dwyane Wade Eyed As Potential Rick Scott Challengers In 2024: Report

2024 Election

Democrats

Dwyane Wade

Florida

Rick Scott

Four members of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> introduced legislation on Wednesday that would ban minors under the age of 13 from using <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/social-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media</a> and mandate parental consent for those younger than 18.
The bill, called the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, would also prohibit the use of algorithmic content recommendations for all minors in order to reduce the addictive elements of social media. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL).
“The growing evidence is clear: social media is making kids more depressed and wreaking havoc on their mental health. While kids are suffering, social media companies are profiting. This needs to stop,” Schatz said in a <a href="https://www.schatz.senate.gov/news/press-releases/schatz-cotton-murphy-britt-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-help-protect-kids-from-harmful-impacts-of-social-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “Our bill will help us stop the growing social media health crisis among kids by setting a minimum age and preventing companies from using algorithms to automatically feed them addictive content based on their personal information.”
The <a href="https://www.schatz.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/protecting_kids_on_social_media_act_2023.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">text</a> of the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act would require social media platforms to “take reasonable steps beyond merely requiring attestation, taking into account existing age verification technologies, to verify the age of individuals who are account holders.” Companies would likewise be required to use “verification technologies and documentation” to confirm that a minor user’s parents explicitly grant the child permission to use the platform.
“There is no doubt that our country is facing a growing mental health crisis and a deteriorating culture of violence. Children and teenagers across our nation are dying, families are being devastated, and our society is withering,” Britt added in the statement. “The only beneficiaries of the status quo are social media companies’ bottom lines and the foreign adversaries cheering them on. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to enact the commonsense, age-appropriate solutions needed to tackle this generational challenge.”
Lawmakers introduced the bill as legislation to ban or restrict TikTok, a social media platform controlled by Chinese technology company ByteDance, continues to advance through Congress. Lawmakers have <a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2022/12/rubio-gallagher-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-ban-tiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the application “digital fentanyl,” a reference to the addictive properties of the limitless stream of vertical videos offered by the platform.
TikTok has indeed emerged in recent years as the most widely used platform among American minors: children and teenagers spent an average of 99 minutes per day on the application as of 2021, far exceeding the amount of time spent on YouTube and other rivals, according to <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/13/kids-and-teens-watch-more-tiktok-than-youtube-tiktok-91-minutes-in-2021-youtube-56/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from Qustodio. Social media firms such as Meta have accordingly scrambled to add vertical video components to their applications.
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TikTok announced amid the criticism from lawmakers that the company would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tiktok-creates-new-default-time-limit-for-users-under-18" target="_blank" rel="noopener">establish</a> default time restrictions for minor users in an effort to reduce young people’s time spent on the platform. Users younger than 18 years old will be subject to a default daily screen time limit of 60 minutes, after which “teens will be prompted to enter a passcode to continue watching, requiring them to make an active decision to extend that time,” and will be encouraged to create a daily screen time limit if they spend more than 100 minutes on the platform.

TikTok

Bipartisan Bill Would Require Parental Consent For Minors Who Use Social Media, Outright Ban For Young Children

Bill Would Require Parental Consent For Minors Who Use Social Media

Big Tech

Social Media

Seven U.S. Republican Senators nationwide demanded answers from the Biden Administration on Monday, asking if officials were aware of the United Nations-backed report suggesting global leaders normalize pedophilia by allowing children to legally decide on engaging in sexual activities with adults.
“The U.N.’s effort to normalize sex with minor children is barbaric,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said in a <a href="https://www.kennedy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=press-releases&amp;id=C381AFC8-7E02-4E4E-8B04-9324DF9D0767">news release</a>. “It violates kids’ basic human rights and ignores our responsibility to protect them from abuse. American taxpayer dollars shouldn’t fund pedophilia or any organization that promotes it.”
Kennedy joined six other lawmakers, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Ted Budd (N.C.) in sending a <a href="https://www.kennedy.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/e/2/e2823a2f-48e5-44aa-b6be-3397616a8542/9A8705493D456481A4B0F7C2850455BB.4a88b8dc4d765ed7f2b7f060721ed3ee.04.21.23---rubio-et-al-letter-to-ltg-re-un-report.pdf">letter</a> to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield about the report backed by the intergovernmental organization.
Wrapped inside a human-rights-based analysis on the impact of criminal laws proscribing sexual and reproductive health rights, consensual sexual activity, and gender ideology — the International Committee of Jurists (ICJ), UNAIDS, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published a report last month, calling for offenses related to “sex, drug use, HIV, sexual and reproductive health, homelessness and poverty” to be decriminalized.
After reading the 32-page <a href="https://icj2.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/8-MARCH-Principles-FINAL-printer-version-1-MARCH-2023.pdf">report</a> sponsored by the U.N., lawmakers claimed the report asserts that minor children could consent to sex with adults, which pushed Kennedy and his cohort of lawmakers to oppose funding for any U.N. initiatives that promote underage sex.
“We stand firmly against any foreign effort that seeks to undermine the well-established legal principle that children do not possess the emotional or mental maturity required to consent to sexual relations,” the lawmakers wrote. “We, therefore, request your immediate opposition to these efforts and to rescind any U.S. taxpayer money that may have contributed to the United Nations that crafted this report.”
According to lawmakers, the report contradicts Article 34 of the United Nations’ own Convention on the Rights of the Child, which obligates nations to protect children from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.
“This flies in the face of laws across the United States, and much of the world affirms that all manners of sex between children and adults are coercive,” they continued, adding that it gives “credence to abhorrent pedophiles and sexual predators who claim that their vile acts should be decriminalized because children would be able to consent to sex.”
Subsequent to the report circulating news outlets and social media platforms, including Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, the UN clarified that by “sexual conduct involving” those below the age of consent, it meant to include only incidents in which both parties fit the criteria.
“The 8 March Principles do not call for the decriminalization of sex with children, nor do they call for the abolition of a domestically prescribed minimum age of consent to sex,” the International Commission of Jurists said in a <a href="https://www.icj.org/statement-regarding-the-8-march-principles/">news release</a>. “Indeed, the ICJ stresses that States have a clear obligation under international law to protect children from all forms of abuses, such as child sexual abuse, including through the criminalization of such conduct.”
It was not immediately clear if the UN intended to correct its imprecise wording.
U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric called the claims “malicious misreporting on a recent report on the age of legal consent” in a press briefing last week.
GOP lawmakers requested that U.N. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield provide them with answers to a series of questions regarding the report, and denounce support for it.

Seal of the United States Senate

Republican Senators Demands Biden Administration Denounce UN-Backed Report They Claim Supports ‘Pedophiles, Sexual Predators’

GOP Lawmakers Demand Biden Administration Denounce U.N. Backed Report They Claim Supports 'Pedophiles, Sexual Predators'

Biden Administration

Republican Party

Sexual Abuse

United Nations

World

West Virginia Republican Governor Jim Justice is set to announce a 2024 campaign for the seat held by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), according to multiple reports.
An invitation teases a <a href="https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000187-a5cc-dfb1-a5df-e5cdbc010000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;special announcement&#8221;</a> at Justice&#8217;s Greenbrier Resort in White Sulfur Springs on Thursday at 5 p.m. Sources told <a href="https://www.wowktv.com/news/politics/sources-gov-jim-justice-to-run-for-us-senate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">local CBS affiliate WOWK 13 News</a> and <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/21/jim-justice-manchin-senate-00093345" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a> that Justice plans to announce his Senate bid at that event, which is taking place on his 72nd birthday, but that plan could change at the last minute.
Justice, a wealthy coal tycoon, was elected governor in 2016 as a Democrat. The following year, he <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-west-virginia-governor/at-trump-rally-west-virginia-governor-switches-parties-idUSKBN1AJ2WN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">switched to the Republican Party</a>. He is now nearing the end of his second term and is <a href="https://www.wvlegislature.gov/wvcode/wv_con.cfm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">limited to two consecutive terms as governor</a>.
<a href="https://morningconsult.com/2023/04/19/joe-manchin-jon-tester-approval-rating/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A recent Morning Consult poll shows</a> Justice is more popular than Manchin with Republicans, Democrats, and independents among registered voters in West Virginia.
Justice alluded to his plans during his <a href="https://wajr.com/state-news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">State of the State address</a> in January.
“I won’t be your governor for a whole lot longer, but I surely won’t go away. You’ll probably be able to find me at home or you may find me in Washington,” <a href="https://wvmetronews.com/2023/01/13/justice-probably-running-for-senate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justice said</a>.
GOP senators have reportedly been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-has-formidable-2024-opponent-for-joe-manchin-in-mind" target="_blank" rel="noopener">working to recruit</a> Justice for a Senate campaign against Manchin as they try to wrest control of the upper chamber from the Democrats.
A moderate Democrat and former West Virginia governor, Manchin won re-election in 2018, two years after Donald Trump emerged victorious in the state&#8217;s presidential election <a href="https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/oct/02/donald-trump/did-donald-trump-win-west-virginia-42-points-2016/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by 42 points</a>. Manchin and Arizona’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/key-senator-leaves-democratic-party-rejecting-beltway-partisanship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">now-independent</a> Sen. Kyrsten Sinema often serve as a roadblock to leftist proposals in Congress.
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Manchin has yet to announce whether he will seek re-election in the upper chamber. The senator <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/joe-manchin-says-wont-decide-2024-end-year-rcna77813" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told NBC News</a> earlier this month he would not make a decision about his 2024 plans &#8220;until the end of the year.&#8221; Across multiple recent interviews, Manchin has also dodged questions about his future party affiliation and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-has-formidable-2024-opponent-for-joe-manchin-in-mind" target="_blank" rel="noopener">whether he will run for president</a>.
The Senate race already has a contender in Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV), who <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-west-virginia-joe-manchin-congress-dc64ea009cdee832a3286379ede0bc40" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced a campaign</a> for Manchin&#8217;s Senate seat in November.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) declared his support for Mooney last week, touting the congressman as a &#8220;strong conservative&#8221; who will &#8220;represent the values&#8221; of West Virginia in the Senate, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cruz-backs-alex-mooney-west-virginia-senate-race-gop-works-unseat-joe-manchin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Fox News</a>. The Club for Growth PAC <a href="https://www.clubforgrowth.org/club-for-growth-pac-endorses-alex-mooney-in-wv-sen-race/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also endorsed his campaign</a>.

Gov. Jim Justice

West Virginia GOP Governor Set To Launch Senate Campaign For Joe Manchin’s Seat: Reports

West Virginia Governor Set To Launch Senate Campaign For Joe Manchin’s Seat: Reports

Elections

Joe Manchin

Senate

West Virginia

Is Alejandro Mayorkas the most hated bureaucrat in President Joe Biden’s administration? Judging by the way lawmakers in Congress pillory him, the answer very likely could be yes. 
This past week, the case against Mayorkas continued to grow as he testified on Capitol Hill on his track record to date of leading the Department of Homeland Security. Mayorkas sat in front of the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday and its counterpart in the House on Wednesday, and lawmakers grilled him over the immigration crisis on the U.S. southern border.
Mayorkas’ tenure as head of Homeland Security has increasingly incensed Republicans and some Democrats because of his handling of immigration. Under his tenure, the border has sunk into crisis under an unprecedented, sustained surge in illegal immigration.
Last month, encounters between federal authorities and immigrants along the southern border <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/nationwide-encounters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surged</a> 19%, reversing a downward trend since January that the Biden administration had said was evidence of its effective policies. The numbers are trending up again, and next month are widely expected to get significantly worse with the scheduled repeal of Title 42 on May 11.
The historic number of migrants crossing illegally into the U.S. has fueled some alarming trends, such as the sharply <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/immigration/terrorists-crossing-the-us-border-rising-encounters-explained" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rising</a> number of suspected terrorists crossing into the country, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/25/us/migrant-smuggling-evolution.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expansion</a> of cartels’ human trafficking operations along the border, and numerous underage migrants <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/25/us/unaccompanied-migrant-child-workers-exploitation.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">working</a> jobs that likely violate child labor laws in the U.S. to pay off their traffickers.
Lawmakers who pushed Mayorkas to answer for those trends and more received administration talking points that largely evaded straight answers and sought to shift blame on a “regional” immigration crisis and the prior administration’s border policies.
“What we are seeing is not exclusive to the southern border. The migration that we are seeing at the southern border is reflective of the level of migration that is gripping the entire hemisphere,” Mayorkas told senators on Tuesday.
Republican lawmakers verbally pummeled the Homeland Security secretary. Even the typically congenial and moderate Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah <a href="https://youtu.be/FWbtXKjt814?t=5400" target="_blank" rel="noopener">laughed</a> out of exasperation at Mayorkas’ refusal to give the senator a straight answer. 
<blockquote>Romney: I have a question. Can you grade how secure our southern border is? An A through an F?
Mayorkas: Senator, we are dedicating our resources to achieve the maximum possible effect of them.
Romney: Are we succeeding? Is it an A, or a B, a D? … But are you, you’re not willing to give it a grade. I mean, I am. It’s an F. It’s clearly an F.</blockquote>
Josh Hawley, the GOP senator from Missouri, <a href="https://youtu.be/FWbtXKjt814?t=6378" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lashed</a> Mayorkas over a recent investigation by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/25/us/unaccompanied-migrant-child-workers-exploitation.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a> that uncovered dozens of migrant children working illegally in the U.S. to pay off their trafficking debts.
<blockquote>Hawley: Are you proud of this record?
Mayorkas: Senator, the horrific exploitation of children is something that we do not condone. You are incorrectly attributing it to our policies. Let me share with you –
Hawley: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. It began – look at the numbers. Look at the numbers. It began, this massive surge began when you came to office. In your first year in office, your first year in office there was a 42% surge of unaccompanied children coming across the border. Judging by the way he is treated any time he visits Capitol Hill, the answer is a resounding, yeah, probably.</blockquote>
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson — at the end of his five-minute questioning — <a href="https://youtu.be/FWbtXKjt814?t=2826" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Mayorkas to resign, a sentiment that has gained traction on Capitol Hill in recent months.
<blockquote>Johnson: You are failing miserably. Four to five million people. At one point, four million gotaways. We have no idea who those people are, what kind of security they risk. 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. You don’t even have a clue. You wouldn’t even answer how many dead bodies, which is very well documented, at the border. Do you not care? Do you not have just an ounce of human compassion for what you open border policy, for the type of human depredations it is causing? You just sit there looking with a blank look on your face saying it’s a priority. If it’s a priority, how did we let four to five million people into this country in a little more than two years? Four to five million people. The population of 20 – almost 30 states, and you’re saying this is a priority? Mr. Secretary, you ought to resign.</blockquote>
Mayorkas’ verbal beatings continued the next day in the House as Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee echoed many of the same points of their colleagues in the upper chamber. Committee Chairman and Tennessee Republican Rep. Mark Green began the hearing <a href="https://youtu.be/AgbktecpsX8?t=1633" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ripping</a> Mayorkas for telling a “lie under oath” by insisting that the U.S. has “operational control” of the southern border.
<blockquote>Green: You make it very clear, Mr. Secretary, that you’ve known all along, according to the definition that is written in the law passed by the Congress, that you do not have operational control. And yet in testimony to this house under oath – the definition was read to you – you’re asked, according to that definition, whether control exists and you say, ‘Yes.’ That sounds like a lie under oath.</blockquote>
GOP Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana spent his five-minute session <a href="https://youtu.be/AgbktecpsX8?t=2142" target="_blank" rel="noopener">berating</a> Mayorkas on his record before ending with asking the secretary a single question.
<blockquote>Higgins: We’ve given you ample opportunity to seek some sort of honorable exit from your executive position, sir. We take no pleasure in witnessing you dismantle yourself as a fellow American before the whole country. … It’s stunning that you can sit there and smugly grin as if you have not miserably failed your country. … We’re done, done, done with your lies to America. It’s shameful what you have brought upon our country. Mr. Chairman, I have no interest in asking the secretary any questions because he obfuscates and lies.</blockquote>
One of the most contentious parts of the hearing came during Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) questioning. Her five minutes was cut short and her mic was turned off after she flatly <a href="https://youtu.be/AgbktecpsX8?t=7340" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> Mayorkas a liar, a violation of committee rules against impugning a witness’s character.
<blockquote>Greene: How long are you going to continue this outrage, complete outrage where China is poisoning America’s children, poisoning our teenagers, poisoning our young people? How long are you going to let this go on?
Mayorkas: Congresswoman, let me assure you that we’re not letting it go on. We are fighting –
Greene: No, I reclaim my time. You’re a liar. You are letting this go on and the numbers prove it.</blockquote>
While lawmakers in the House have expressed a desire to bring impeachment proceedings against Mayorkas, any effort to remove him from office is likely to die in the Democratic-controlled Senate. While some congressional Democrats have been critical of Mayorkas’ tenure, none have stepped forward to call for his removal.
To the extent that the secretary did “smugly grin” during his questioning, it was likely because Republicans, despite their anger, have little chance of ousting Mayorkas any time soon.

Secretary Mayorkas Testifies Before Senate Homeland Committee On 2024 Budget

‘Do You Not Care?’: Secretary Mayorkas Deflects, Evades Questions At Senate Homeland Security Hearing

'Do You Not Care?': Secretary Mayorkas Deflects, Evades Questions At Senate Homeland Security Hearing

Alejandro Mayorkas

Border Crisis

Readers Pass

Southern Border

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