The budget hearing for the Department of Homeland Security started off Tuesday with a tense exchange between Sen. Chris Murphy, the top Democrat on the panel, and Secretary Markwayne Mullin, after Murphy accused the department of “breaking the law at scale and wasting billions of taxpayer dollars.”
Murphy homed in on a proposal from Mullin to pull out customs officers from international airports in Democratic-led cities, arguing that the plan would “throw our entire air travel system into chaos.”
“This agency is violating the Constitution and the law,” Murphy said, noting the significant number of federal court rulings against DHS enforcement across the country. “This cannot continue.”
Mullin, a former senator, responded in the same tone as Murphy.
“You know,” Mullin said, pausing, “I do have an opening statement here, but wow, Sen. Murphy, the outlandish claims you made there is just flat wrong.”
Mullin continued, arguing that DHS is “doing the job that Congress gave us the authority to do, and our men and women out there every single day is enforcing laws.”
“If you don’t like the laws, you can change them,” Mullin said, ducking the specific accusations from Murphy. “We’re not picking and choosing which laws we enforce. We’re simply enforcing the law.”
Mullin also accused Murphy of engaging in “political theater” that has contributed to an increase in threats to DHS officers.
“Is that what you want?” Mullin asked. “I don’t think it is.”