House GOP criticizes impeachment drive as distracting from national security issues

Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee this week criticized the focus by Democrats on an impeachment inquiry into President Trump, saying the process was distracting attention from national security priorities. 

In a letter to committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) made public on Friday, the Republican committee members, led by ranking member Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) noted their “concern” that the “Democrat majority’s overwhelming preoccupation with its partisan quest to impeach the President is undermining the ability of our Committee to move critically needed legislation to secure the homeland.”

“In the mist of impeachment, the majority has failed to make progress on important homeland security legislative priorities such as securing the border, safeguarding chemical facilities from acts of terrorism, protecting vulnerable public and private networks from cyber threats, or moving a comprehensive authorization of the Department of Homeland Security,” the Republican members also wrote.

Among cybersecurity challenges facing the country, the Republican committee members specifically noted the increase in ransomware attacks across the country this year.

Targets of those attacks have included schools and government entities, and the Republicans took issue with the full committee not yet considering legislation that has been introduced to help address them.

“We urge you to reject the divisive politics of impeachment and work with us to solve these challenges in a bipartisan manner,” the Republican members wrote. 

Every Republican member of the House Homeland Security Committee signed the letter, including Reps. Pete King (N.Y.), Michael McCaul (Texas), John Katko (N.Y.), Mark Walker (N.C.), Clay Higgins (La.), Debbie Lesko (Ariz.), Mark Green (Tenn.), Van Taylor (Texas), John Joyce (Pa.), Dan Crenshaw (Texas) and Michael Guest (Miss.).

A Democratic aide told The Hill that the letter was “confusing,” saying the committee has approved 62 mostly bipartisan bills and held over 40 hearings since the start of the current Congress.

“The highlighted issues are generally issues we are also concerned with and will continue the work we have already done on those issues next year, when in our jurisdiction,” the aide said.