Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) disputed a quote attributed to him in the New York Times, prompting Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) to say Green had been recorded while making the disputed remarks.
The House Rules Committee met on Monday to discuss the impeachment resolution for Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. Congressional Republicans have been fiercely critical of Mayorkas over his handling of the southern border, accusing him of a “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law.” Democrats, meanwhile, charge that the impeachment effort against the secretary is political. Some legal experts agree with that assessment.
During the hearing, McGovern pointed to an article published in the Times in April 2023. The publication said it obtained audio of Green speaking at a fundraiser at which he said Republicans would try to impeach Mayorkas:
Representative Mark E. Green told an enthusiastic crowd in his home state of Tennessee last week that his committee would expose Mr. Mayorkas’s “dereliction of duty and his intentional destruction of our country through the open southern border.” He said the panel would deliver charges to the House Judiciary Committee, which handles impeachment proceedings, according to an audio recording of a House Freedom Caucus fund-raiser obtained by The New York Times.
McGovern questioned Green about the story:
MCGOVERN: So, let me ask you this. What? When exactly did you decide to impeach Secretary Mayorkas? Do you know what the exact date was? Was it before or after April 18th, 2023?
GREEN: April 18th, 2023. We have proceeded with a five-phased approach looking at this as fairly as possible.MCGOVERN: Was it before or after April 18, 2023?GREEN: I can’t tell you when I thought this needed to happen.MCGOVERN: Well, the reason why I ask you is, I’m looking at a New York Times article–GREEN: That misquoted me.MCGOVERN: –on April 18, 2023, entitled, Key Republican Tell Donors That He Will Pursue Impeachment of Mayorkas. And they have you on audiotape saying that you would, and I quote, “deliver charges to the House Judiciary Committee, which handles impeachment proceedings.” I’d like to ask unanimous consent to insert this article into the record, Mr. Chairman. I guess the question is, why would you tell donors that you were going to impeach Secretary Mayorkas before you even opened an investigation? Is there a– why would you do that?GREEN: The article misquoted me.MCGOVERN: I think they have you on audio.GREEN: Yeah, well, they did misquote me, I can tell you. I went back and checked myself.MCGOVERN: Well, maybe we can ask them to produce the audio.
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