Markwayne Mullin hearing: Finger pointing and fiery exchange mark questioning on Trump ICE policies

[0:00] Thank you. We're going to have a committee remedial timekeeping class next week sometime [0:06] for certain members of the committee. Sir, it's called a gavel. Well, actually, [0:12] that's interesting talk coming from a guy from the Senate who hasn't done an appropriations bill [0:16] since Christ was a corporal. I had that one coming, sir. Madam ranking member, the floor is yours. [0:22] We'll pay no attention to the remediation session, Mr. Chairman. I do appreciate, [0:27] Mr. Secretary, your concern about the lost children. But I also want to remind people that [0:35] let's not forget what was a Trump administration policy initiated by Stephen Miller, which was to [0:43] let us separate children from their families at the border because this would be a way to [0:52] curtail or to stop immigration, separating children from their families, how to hurt them the most. [1:02] I asked and had a phone conversation with Secretary Azar at the time. I know I was in my living room [1:09] with my two-year-old grandson on my lap trying to have this conversation. And I asked him if there was [1:17] a way in which he had a list of how you could reunite children with their families. And he assured me [1:27] that we did. You know, when you take your clothes to the cleaners, they give you a tag and you then go [1:33] back and you retrieve your clothes. When you get luggage, you go and get your luggage's return. [1:39] Well, I wish the Biden administration would have done that. [1:41] Let me just say this to you, sir. Again, it is my time. 3,900 children were separated from their [1:48] family. [1:48] 450,000 kids were lost during the Biden administration. [1:51] Mr. Secretary, Mr. Secretary, do not interrupt. [1:54] Don't you point your finger at me. [1:55] I will point my finger at you. [1:57] Don't you be a hypocrite then. [1:58] Then you should be as upset about the 450,000 kids that were lost. [2:02] I am upset. [2:03] You didn't say a word about it. [2:04] For four years, you never said a word. [2:06] Mr. Secretary. [2:07] Could you put him in his place? [2:08] Don't yell at me. [2:09] You should be put in your place. [2:10] Mr. Secretary, if you would like four minutes for a closing statement when everybody's done, [2:16] I'll give you that. [2:17] But while members are on their eight minutes, I need them to have their eight minutes. [2:20] I started my comments. [2:21] I appreciate that. [2:22] My issue is that they say this for sound bites, and I'm not going to let them say something like that. [2:27] What did you do just recently for sound bites? [2:29] I sympathize with the 400. [2:31] We are going to have something resembling order here. [2:35] The time is the ranking members. [2:37] If you would like to respond later on, there are methods to do that. [2:41] But it's not a who can talk louder into the mic. [2:43] It's not. [2:44] So, you are recognized. [2:46] Thank you very much. [2:46] I will not let her sit there and lie and accuse something this ridiculous. [2:50] This is the legislative branch, and it's my hearing, and so I'm going to try to some extent [2:54] to control it moderately. [2:56] And do not accuse me of lying. [2:59] Do not. [3:00] And don't? [3:01] I do not. [3:04] I appreciate, and I said to you at the outset, there's concern for children across the board. [3:11] We care deeply about what's happening to children. [3:14] And I went to the border, and I watched children in those fenced-in places years ago, [3:21] and what was happening to them. [3:23] So, I have a long history, Mr. Secretary, in this area. [3:26] 3,900 kids were separated. [3:30] Secretary Azar told me he had a way to reunite them. [3:34] Many of them were not reunited until today. [3:37] And I don't want you to answer this now. [3:39] Please, get back to us and tell us what you are doing with regard to the settlement [3:44] in terms of this issue, which is out there, which your department needs to come close to. [3:56] I'll make a statement to you again, but this is fact from the bill, Mr. Chairman. [4:02] The bill that the Republicans have proposed for funding the Department of Homeland Security [4:06] cuts cybersecurity budget by more than $250 million. [4:11] It cuts the TSA by nearly $350 million. [4:14] And the Trump administration is openly advocating for privatizing TSA while trying to eliminate [4:21] their collective bargaining rights. [4:24] We all know what happened earlier this year. [4:26] TSA workers endured the longest government shutdown in history. [4:30] There was a lot of discussion and talk invoked about the long lines [4:34] and the use of leverage to force through a Homeland Security bill without any reforms [4:40] to what were critical ICE and CBP reforms that were necessary, that the American people wanted [4:47] and were clamoring for. [4:48] They didn't want to continue to see mass marauders on their streets [4:55] with just harassing people. [4:59] Congress eventually passed my legislation that paid TSA workers, funded FEMA, CISA, [5:06] Secret Service and the Coast Guard and and today. [5:10] And it took you 79 days on the Republican side to make that decision to just to to pay these people [5:17] instead of just talking about paying this. [5:20] The administration continues to attempt to walk away from the collective bargaining agreement with TSA [5:25] workers, something that the federal courts have now twice said is illegal. [5:32] Indeed, your testimony frames the attempt to force over 200 smaller airports in this country [5:39] into new secure to a new security structure as a setting and quote the TSA. [5:45] This is in the testimony. [5:47] The TSA is on the path to privatization. [5:51] My question on this issue is given all that the transportation security offers did for us [5:57] during a Republican shutdown. How can it be that the department's position is that TSA workers [6:04] should not be granted the same basic labor protections as federal enforcement officers? [6:10] How can it be that your priority is to have them work for the lowest bidder [6:15] where the wages and the benefits of these workers will unquestionably be lower? [6:22] Well, actually, it was the Democrats that voted every time to shut them down. [6:25] Republicans voted every time to open them up. [6:28] We didn't shut them down. You shut them down. [6:30] Answer my question. [6:31] I did. [6:33] What are you doing? Why are you moving? [6:35] And I answered your question. You're the one that shut them down. [6:37] The Democrats shut down. How many times did you vote to shut them down? [6:40] You know, these people come to us to get funding for their for the work that they do. [6:45] And we are actually factually correct. [6:47] I'm factually correct. [6:49] You voted to shut them down. [6:51] Republicans voted to open them over and over and over again. [6:53] Your vote clearly stated that you voted to shut us down. [6:56] But they finally did. [6:57] And it wasn't until it became popular. [6:58] Madam Blanking Member. [6:59] And then, by the way, ICE agents came there and helped bring the lines down. [7:02] Mr. Secretary. [7:02] The same people that you also kept shut down for 115 days. [7:04] Mr. Secretary. [7:05] I'm answering the question. [7:06] No, you didn't. [7:06] I thought you said you answered it. [7:07] Mr. Secretary. [7:08] The floor is hers. [7:09] My dear. [7:11] Actually, I gave it to her. [7:12] You know, there is a chairman of a committee. [7:14] That's me. [7:15] I gave it back to her. [7:16] Oh. [7:17] She's got it. [7:17] This tells you something about who these folks are. [7:20] And everybody on this panel. [7:20] You have another question, Madam Ranking Member. [7:22] Well, yeah, no, I do. [7:23] But I didn't get an answer to a question. [7:24] So the record will so reflect. [7:26] Thank you. [7:26] Please ask your next question. [7:27] Okay. [7:27] And I will. [7:28] This has to do with FEMA. [7:31] Simple question. [7:32] And I want to start where I left off with Secretary Noem last year. [7:36] FEMA. [7:37] Simple yes or no. [7:38] Do you support eliminating FEMA? [7:39] Do you support eliminating FEMA? [7:44] There's portions of FEMA that need to be back in the state. [7:46] Do you support eliminating FEMA? [7:47] There's no yes or no question on that. [7:49] There's portions that need to go back to the state. [7:50] Do you support eliminating FEMA? [7:56] The record will reflect the response. [7:57] The record will reflect the response. [8:00] Is there another question? [8:01] Supports it. [8:02] Yeah. [8:03] Because let me just say, in April of 2025, the Trump administration prematurely, [8:09] I'm glad we got that answer. [8:11] Because the poor gentleman who came before, may have been with you, Mr. Chairman, [8:15] that came before our committee. [8:17] And I asked him this question. [8:18] And he said, because Secretary Noem said, yes, she and the president wanted to eliminate FEMA. [8:24] The gentleman said that he said it should be reformed. [8:28] And the next day, he was fired. [8:30] Let it show that the secretary believes that we should shut FEMA down. [8:34] I never said that. [8:35] April 2025, the administration. [8:37] I never said that. [8:38] The administration prematurely, unlawfully ended FEMA's BRIC program. [8:44] He intentionally halted roughly 2,000 active infrastructure and disaster mitigation projects [8:51] across the country, including one in downtown New Haven, Connecticut. [8:55] A coalition of 22 states in D.C. sued FEMA. [8:59] A federal judge ruled in favor of the states in December, mandated that FEMA restore the over [9:06] $3.6 billion in canceled funding. [9:10] At the beginning of March, the judge had to order FEMA to comply with that ruling. [9:15] Three months ago, the day after you took over as secretary, [9:19] FEMA formally announced a, quote, new and improved BRIC program. [9:24] Yet, almost all of these communities are still waiting for their BRIC funding to be restored. [9:35] Tell me, Mr. Secretary, when can communities with halted projects expect to receive their BRIC funding? [9:42] We actually restarted that when I first came in, and we did 24 or 25 of them. [9:46] You've done 24 of the 25 of the 2,000. [9:49] Yes, ma'am. [9:51] Let me clarify that. [9:52] Please. [9:52] So, 2024 and 2025, they sent out the notice of notifications that everybody can now submit, [9:59] and those projects that were already submitted for those times period will be- [10:02] How many projects are there? [10:03] We can get you the details. [10:05] Please. [10:05] There were 2,000 that we started with were- [10:07] The secretary also provided direction for 2026 to get the NOFOs out on that, [10:12] and that'll come out sometime in September. [10:14] The secretary has done more to get- [10:15] I don't- I do not need your- you do not need to- [10:18] I just want to make sure you're clear. [10:20] Well, please. [10:21] Okay. [10:21] Spare us, you know. [10:23] Just give me the facts. [10:24] I did. [10:25] Just give me the numbers. [10:26] Let me just conclude, Mr. Chairman, and thank you. [10:29] I would like to work in an open and trans- in a transparent way, because that BRIC funding [10:36] for New Haven, Connecticut, which I probably will not get because I'm in a blue state, [10:41] that the BRIC funding for New Haven, Connecticut is important, which is why we support the programs- [10:47] bipartisan support for the BRIC program. [10:50] So, please, let's get the NOFOs out as quickly as possible and get the money to the communities that need them. [10:56] My final comment to you is, I'd just like to go back a second. [11:00] We need to go back to the issue of deaths in custody. [11:03] It doesn't do anyone good to deflect, talk about what's happening in a criminal system [11:08] in Illinois or in Oklahoma. [11:11] What we need, what we need, because 54 deaths are 54. [11:16] And what is civil detention, we need a plan to address the fact that 54 people in your department [11:27] has had, they were in civil detention, it's not criminal detention, are dead. [11:31] They should not be. [11:33] We need to hear from you. [11:34] I don't need an answer. [11:35] Now there is no time. [11:36] I've taken an enormous amount of time. [11:39] Get us a policy, a plan, and a timely fashion that says, how are we going to deal with these issues? [11:45] I yield back and I thank you, Mr. Chairman. [11:47] Thank you. [11:48] Thank you to the ranking member, the gentlelady from Iowa.