The House of Representatives took a significant step in its ongoing pushback against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, voting to block his salary. The amendment, introduced by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), was a part of the House’s appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for fiscal year 2025. The measure passed with only one Republican dissenting, reflecting the growing frustration among Republicans with Mayorkas’ handling of the border crisis.
Rep. Biggs, in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) before the vote, stated, “Taxpayers should not be paying an unelected bureaucrat who was impeached by the House. That’s why I sponsored an amendment to this year’s Homeland Security Appropriations Act to prohibit funding to be used for the salary of DHS Secretary Mayorkas.”
While the amendment to block Mayorkas’ salary passed, a second amendment, proposed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), aiming to reduce his salary to zero, failed in a close vote. Mayorkas has been a frequent target of the House GOP, with numerous Republican lawmakers placing blame on him for the ongoing issues at the southern border. In February, the House voted to impeach Mayorkas, marking the first time a Cabinet secretary had been impeached since the late 1800s.
The broader DHS appropriations bill includes a sizable increase of roughly $3 billion from the previous fiscal year. Notably, it also allocates $600 million to fund the completion of former President Trump’s border wall. Additionally, the bill contains provisions to block funding for abortion care and transgender health care for non-citizens detained by ICE.
Further amendments passed within the bill included one by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) to prohibit the use of funds for policies that would keep asylum-seekers in Texas during the processing of their claims. Another amendment, led by Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), would block the DHS from implementing COVID-19 mask policies.
The appropriations bill is expected to be brought to a final vote on Friday. However, it is unlikely to be taken up by the Democrat-controlled Senate, and the White House has already threatened to veto the measure should it reach President Biden’s desk.
