Sen. Rick Scott: Biden Admin Refusing to Show Up for HSGAC Threats Hearing is Pure Cowardice, Betrayal of American People

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Rick Scott blasted the Biden administration after it refused to have U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray show up for a public hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) on Threats to the Homeland.

Senator Rick Scott said, "In a dangerous and cowardly break from precedent, the Biden administration today refused to participate in the HSGAC annual threats hearing. The administration's refusal to have DHS Secretary Mayorkas and FBI Director Wray testify in a public hearing denies needed accountability and transparency from the American people and undermines the Senate's obligation to conduct oversight of the executive branch at a time when the threats to our nation are the highest and most severe in decades. It's clear that this administration's failures have caused the American people to lose all trust in our federal government, and the cowardly refusal to show up for today's hearing only further erodes the public trust. We have serious problems facing our nation that the Biden administration and DHS have both caused and utterly failed to fix.

"Today, I planned to highlight the facts and expose the failures that created the serious national security threats that the American people are facing right now, but because the Biden administration is too chicken to own its mistakes, I and the American people won't get that chance. I think it is clear that the election we just had was a total rejection of the status quo in Washington and a message from the American people that they don't trust their government. I cannot stress this enough-at every event I have done and meeting I have been in for the last six months, since the assassination attempt in Butler, I have asked the people I meet if they believe the federal government is being honest and transparent with them. Not a single person said yes. This isn't just about the assassination attempt - they don't trust the Biden administration to secure the border, they don't trust the federal government to keep them safe right now. They don't trust them to even tell them the truth. This is not a political issue, it's a safety and national security issue, but let me highlight one more piece of evidence here. In a Reuters poll conducted after the election, 25% of Americans said the top issue President Trump should tackle in his first 100 days is immigration. It was the biggest issue in that poll. The failure at our border was just completely rejected by the American people because they want to feel safe and secure. They haven't been able to feel safe and secure for the last four years and the administration's refusal to face these facts is disgusting cowardice that betrays its obligation to serve the American people."

FACTS:

• Earlier this month, reports surfaced that an employee at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ordered workers to deny service to households that supported President Trump.
• Thanks to the Twitter Files, it is now known that the Biden administration, through DHS, weaponized CISA and funded NGOs to censor millions of Americans via Big Tech in direct violation of our First Amendment.
• Under Secretary Mayorkas' watch there have been two attempted assassinations on President-elect Trump, even after countless requests by his own Secret Service detail for more resources and personnel.
• There is the MASSIVE border crisis-the complete collapse of our Southwest border-letting millions of drugs pour into our streets, violent crime skyrocketing and Americans needlessly being savagely murdered by illegal aliens. Violent crime is up 4.5% under the failed Biden administration because it has no regard for public safety or border security. There have been horrific murders, assaults and rapes of innocent Americans by criminals and thugs who have entered our country illegally and not been deported. Laken Riley, Rachel Morin… these innocent Americans should be ALIVE, but their lives were cut short because of failures at DHS and a refusal to enforce our laws.
• In July, data released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) showed that nearly 650,000 criminal illegal aliens were currently on ICE's Non-Detained Docket and roaming free in our community within the interior of the United States. This figure includes roughly 15,000 illegal aliens convicted of or charged with murder. More than 20,000 illegal aliens convicted of or charged with sexual assault. And more than 105,000 illegal aliens convicted of or charged with assault.
• Just last month, NBC reported 'nearly 1.5 million immigrants in the U.S. have final orders of deportation, according to ICE officials.' By contrast, ICE deportations of criminal illegal aliens have plummeted. Since February of 2021, ICE under the Biden administration has deported less than 115,000 illegal aliens.
• We have seen nearly 11 MILLION ENCOUNTERS WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS AT CBP, BUT ICE UNDER BIDEN-HARRIS HAS ONLY DEPORTED 114,643 IN A NEARLY FOUR-YEAR PERIOD! Not to mention, since 2021 there are estimated to be 2 million known 'gotaways' evading border patrol agents.
• The DHS Inspector General released a report in August stating DHS has lost track of more than 320,000 unaccompanied migrant children who crossed the border into the United States and 'are now at risk of sex trafficking, forced labor and other forms of exploitation.' To put that in perspective, the City of Orlando has about 320,000 residents. There are as many missing children as there are people in the entire City of Orlando.

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