Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) is referring to President Joe Biden’s (D) administration as “cowards” after members of his cabinet, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray, refused to testify publicly at the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) concerning national security threats.
🚨 BREAKING: The Biden admin just pulled out of our annual threats hearing in @HSGAC. They are cowards.
Mayorkas must face the American people and answer for his historic failures that allowed for two assassination attempts on @realDonaldTrump & created a wide open border with…
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) November 21, 2024
“BREAKING: The Biden admin just pulled out of our annual threats hearing in HSGAC. They are cowards,” said Sen. Scott.
He continued, citing the multiple assassination attempts then-presidential candidate Donald Trump (R) faced while on the campaign trail as questions that the public needs answers to.
“Mayorkas must face the American people and answer for his historic failures that allowed for two assassination attempts on [President-elect Donald Trump] & created a wide open border with terrorists, criminals & deadly drugs like fentanyl pouring into our communities. America is less safe because of him. The FBI released a statement regarding the Bureau’s desire for the cabinet members to testify behind closed doors,” stated Sen. Scott.
The FBI released a statement saying it had “repeatedly demonstrated our commitment to responding to Congressional oversight and being transparent with the American people” and added that the Bureau is “committed to sharing information about the continuously evolving threat environment facing our nation.”
The intelligence agency added that the HSGAC would “benefit” from a closed-door hearing.
“FBI leaders have testified extensively in public settings about the current threat environment and believe the Committee would benefit most from further substantive discussions and additional information that can only be provided in a classified setting,” the statement said, per ABC News.
The DHS released a statement as well, saying it would “provide information in the months ahead” for the committee.
“DHS and the FBI have offered to the Committee a classified briefing to discuss the threats to the Homeland in detail, providing the Committee with the information it needs to conduct its work in the months ahead,” the statement said.
The agency concluded, “DHS and the FBI already have shared with the Committee and other Committees, and with the American public, extensive unclassified information about the current threat environment, including the recently published Homeland Threat Assessment. DHS takes seriously its obligation to respond to Congressional requests for testimony; in fact, Secretary Mayorkas has testified 30 times during his tenure.”
South Dakota Governor Krist Noem (R) has been selected to succeed Mayorkas if confirmed.
