Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday said Republican comments on his character “are not easy to listen to,” but that he is “impervious” to them given his complete confidence in the integrity of his decisions.
“They are not easy to listen to. They also have ramifications that I wish individuals in positions of leadership would consider,” Mayorkas said in response to a question from The Hill during an event at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Mayorkas this week appeared before two committees to defend the Department of Homeland Security budget, a process that resulted in a number of personal comments about his tenure.
House Homeland Security Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) said his answers to prior questions show “incompetence.” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) at one point asked if he had “an ounce of human compassion” about the situation at the border.
And a Wednesday hearing reached a peak when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) lost her speaking privileges after she called Mayorkas a liar — something Green determined violated rules on impugning someone’s character.
Amid a budding GOP House effort to impeach Mayorkas, many lawmakers commented on his job performance, with some, including Green, suggesting border policies have been designed to create “intentional” disruption.
Mayorkas on Friday defended the motivations behind his decisions, calling himself impervious to any attacks.
“I am fundamentally — fundamentally though — I’m impervious to them. Because I may make some mistakes. My decisions may be mistaken. Some may disagree with them, but I have 100 percent confidence in the integrity of my decision.”