Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem received an unexpected grilling from Senate Republicans on the Judiciary Committee during Tuesday’s hearing. But Noem, who’s testifying again Wednesday, is likely to receive a smoother reception from House Judiciary Committee Republicans.
On Tuesday, Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) pressed Noem in a manner more typical of Democrats during this administration. Tillis vowed to hold up en bloc nominations if Noem ignored his oversight requests, while Kennedy asked tough questions about her role in a controversial DHS ad campaign.
We don’t expect there to be similar GOP-on-GOP sparring with Noem at House Judiciary today, apart from frequent White House antagonist Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).
We’re told that House Judiciary Republican staff instructed committee members to focus on supporting President Donald Trump’s DHS guidance and slamming former President Joe Biden’s handling of the agency.
“I remember what it was like under President Biden and Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas,” House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said. “It was three years ago, [Mayorkas] told us in a hearing — in that same room where [Noem] would be tomorrow — told us that the border was secure, which you could just laugh at.”
Democratic view. Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said Democrats “have serious questions about American citizens being shot down in American cities by ICE agents.”
At the Senate hearing Tuesday, Noem refused to apologize for claiming Renee Good and Alex Pretti — two Americans killed by federal agents in Minneapolis — were involved in “domestic terrorism.”
Remember this too. There’s still no DHS funding as the department shutdown stretches into its 18th day. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) told us Tuesday that rank-and-file senators have quietly begun meeting among themselves in a bid to find a way out of the logjam.
