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Floor Speech
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Mr. MANCHIN. Madam President, I did not intend to speak on Secretary Mayorkas, but I want to say a few words before I get to the content of my speech.
What I would say is that I respectfully disagree with my colleagues and my friends on the Republican side of the aisle and with the politics that are being played.
I was the Governor of the State of West Virginia, and I made an awful lot of appointments under what we call will and pleasure. I asked the State senate to confirm people I thought would work and do a great job for the people of West Virginia. It was my responsibility. If it went wrong or they did not basically fulfill their duties, that was my responsibility. If they had criminal charges brought against them, whether they were civil or criminal, then the courts would take it. They have a right to remove, and I would have been respectfully obligated to remove. And, if not, they had a right to impeach.
We are not there. Everyone seems to be upset that Secretary Mayorkas, whom I know to be a good man, is being ostracized for doing the job he has done, that he has been basically directed to do by his boss, the President of the United States. If you are unhappy, go to the polls. It is the boss, OK? That is where it is. I think it has been a disaster. The first 2 or 3 years, right now, have been a disaster.
I have asked--I have begged--the President to change: Secure our border. It has to be secured. It is the most dangerous thing we face.
And when I have said that, I have said: Declare a national emergency.
Well, the mistakes the President has made, basically, were tried to be corrected when he supported the piece of legislation we had before us, about 2 or 3 weeks ago, that was negotiated. The lead negotiator, I think, is one of the most honorable people we have in the Senate, Republican and our friend James Lankford from Oklahoma--Senator Lankford. I think it was a tremendous piece of legislation that would have given us more security at the border, and it would have stopped all the illegal flow. But it was still politicized, and it didn't happen, and I think Ali Mayorkas is being blamed for that too.
I am sorry. It was not him. And for us to go through a trial with what precious time we have left and all the challenges we have--let's just vote on securing the border. Once and for all, secure the border. Let's vote on taking care of our responsibilities around the world and at home--securing our border and helping our allies defend their own. That is what we should be doing.
Everything is politicized to the point now that we can't get beyond whose fault it is rather than say: Hey, we are Americans. If I am a Democrat and you are a Republican and vice versa, you are not my enemy. You are my colleague whom I might have differences with, but we can work it out. No one wants to find that sensible middle anymore. It is a bad word--``compromise.'' You never hear it anymore.
But to blame Secretary Mayorkas for your thinking he didn't do the job or what he said was in violation of the Constitution is ridiculous. It is basically something that I can't wait to vote against and get out as soon as it comes here. Why did they wait until next week? We could have voted on it today or tomorrow. Why? Did they want to let it fester a little bit? It doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever.
With that being said, I would hope that we would come to our senses and get to the real problems we have in America, and let's try to help the people who are living through some very high pricing. As far as food, the basic necessities of life are very difficult for an awful lot of people in my State of West Virginia, and I am going to do all I can to help them. But, with that, this is not the way to get our job done-- to waste more time on something that is so senseless and reckless.
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