Speaker Johnson Leads House GOP Photo Op to Eagle Pass, Texas
Good morning! Welcome, new subscribers! We couldn't do this without you. Let's jump in —
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) led a field trip of 64 House Republicans as part of another political performance at the U.S.-Mexico border at Eagle Pass, Texas.
House GOP members are keen to add pressure on President Joe Biden and Democrats to support H.R. 2, their broad anti-migrant bill engineered by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) who, ironically, declined to participate in today's photo op.
NOTE: Roy does not represent a border district in Texas, noted a letter explaining his decision to skip Johnson's event. It's worth a read aloud at a comedy club in your best Chip Roy voice.
During a press conference Speaker Johnson held at the border, migrants were seen wading across the Rio Grande. (Hat tip to Punchbowl's Jake Sherman for capturing the video.) Despite all the acrid political talk about closing the border, none of the 64 House Republicans stopped the migrants from crossing — and to our knowledge, none of our esteemed Capitol press colleagues bothered speaking with the migrants (or were able).
Back in Washington, despite the White House and Senate Democrats saying they are willing to make major concessions in migrant rights to appease Republicans — a decision that rankled many Americans who don't hate immigrants — Dems and Republicans have yet to come to any agreement on what to do about the “border” (i.e., brown migrants).
— Pablo
Mayorkas Impeachment is Another House GOP Eyeroll
While House Republicans say they will bring impeachment proceedings against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the Southern Border, DHS Press Secretary Mia Ehrenberg tells us that Republicans are wasting time on a baseless political exercise led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), among other House GOP luminaries.
Mayorkas, a Cuban American from Los Angeles, is being accused of dereliction of duty despite his many appearances on Capitol Hill to appease the political hyenas in the least productive Congress in living memory.
“The House majority is wasting valuable time and taxpayer dollars pursuing a baseless political exercise that has been rejected by members of both parties and already failed on a bipartisan vote," Ehrenberg said.
"There is no valid basis to impeach Secretary Mayorkas, as senior members of the House majority have attested, and this extreme impeachment push is a harmful distraction from our critical national security priorities.”
— Arturo
Casar Claps Back at Abbott’s Latest Xenophobia
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas over its controversial "Show Me Your Papers" law (SB 4). The DOJ argues that SB 4 violates the U.S. Constitution's Supremacy and Foreign Commerce clauses.
“SB 4 is clearly unconstitutional,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution and long-standing Supreme Court precedent, states cannot adopt immigration laws that interfere with the framework enacted by Congress. The Justice Department will continue to fulfill its responsibility to uphold the Constitution and enforce federal law.”
In response to the suit filed by the DOJ, Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) issued a statement saying he's spoken directly with Attorney General Merrick Garland about the anti-immigrant measure signed into law in December by Texas’s hateful little bigot of a governor, Greg Abbott.
“This new ‘Show Me Your Papers’ law is wrong and unconstitutional,” said Rep. Casar. “I’m getting calls from constituents because they are scared that their families will be torn apart or caged by Abbott. We need to keep families together, not hunt down folks who look like immigrants.”
Casar previously joined Rep. Joaquín Castro (D-TX) and others in asking the DOJ to block SB 4 before it takes effect.