The Committee on Homeland Security’s Wednesday hearing on the role of non-governmental organizations in the immigration crisis erupted into a fiery partisan clash.
Oversight Project president and Blaze News contributor Mike Howell stood up against Democratic lawmakers, who repeatedly sought to derail the hearing with unscheduled procedural votes.
‘Congressman Thompson was an emotional hypocrite.’
The pushback began with Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) interrupting Howell’s opening testimony to call for a recorded vote to declare his comments irrelevant to the hearing’s topic.
Howell’s opening remarks laid into Democrat lawmakers for fueling violence against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. He claimed that many of the NGOs behind the Biden administration’s immigration crisis are now behind the anti-ICE movement.
The Republican majority ultimately voted to allow Howell to proceed. However, it did not stop Democrats from introducing repeated roadblocks by pushing motions to subpoena other potential witnesses.
The frequent interruptions hindered the proceedings, and most Democrats did not use their time to ask the witnesses questions; instead, they delivered monologues.
Howell described the hearing as a “mess.”
He told Blaze News, “Congressman Thompson was an emotional hypocrite. He didn’t want me to explain how his own members’ calls for violence were predictably leading to violence. Remember, this is the man who chaired the January 6 committee. He tried getting me kicked out, and on the theory my testimony wasn’t relevant, then he and all Democrats proceeded to drone on for hours about completely irrelevant topics.”
Image Source: Homeland Security Committee
Toward the end of Wednesday’s hearing, Howell engaged in a tense exchange with Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), who is not a committee member but had requested to sit in on the session.
Ansari used her questioning time to try to challenge Howell, but it spectacularly backfired.
She claimed that one ICE detention center was mistreating immigrants.
“I spoke with more than a dozen women there who were desperate, devastated about the conditions that they’re living in, facing significant harassment. They described a situation where one of the staff members literally forced them outside to march outside in 110-degree Arizona heat, marching around for over two hours, yelling at them, ‘This is the price of the American dream.’ This is disgusting,” she stated.
Ansari then turned to ask Howell so-called “yes or no” questions.
“Do you support this type of treatment of human beings?” she asked.
Howell replied, “I’m sorry; I wasn’t listening. All the other Democrats haven’t asked a question, so I kind of wasn’t paying attention. Can you restate it?”
Ansari, clearly taken aback, repeated her question.
“For illegal aliens to be detained throughout their immigration proceedings? Yes,” Howell responded.
Ansari interrupted, “To be treated that way?”
“I’m not taking your word for it,” Howell declared.
RELATED: The Epstein memo is a joke — and the joke’s on us
Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.). Image Source: Homeland Security Committee
Ansari moved on from the topic to question Howell about oversight authority, claiming that lawmakers are permitted to visit ICE detention facilities. Howell disagreed.
“You, as an individual member, do not have oversight authority,” he explained. “Oversight authority, by the rules of the House, flows through the full House to the chairman, and that, right now, is held by [Republicans]. So the statute that you cite is going to end up with more Democrats clogging our jails. I want to keep you out of jail,” Howell said.
Ansari attempted to catch Howell off guard regarding his views on the Epstein files, suggesting that he had reversed his stance on their release and was now echoing Trump’s claims that it was a Democrat hoax. But Howell fired back that Ansari had gotten her facts wrong.
“What did I say?” Howell asked. “What have I parroted about it being a hoax?”
“You said something false. I’m asking you to cite what you said, which is clearly false because I’ve not said what you said,” Howell replied. “My answer is written in an op-ed in TheBlaze, which you can read.”
“You are lying to the American people in your misstatements. You just told a lie in this committee room. I’m trying to clear up the record,” Howell continued.
“I think that the public deserves way more transparency than we’ve got. I’ve written that.”
“Bring the receipts. You’re lying, and everybody knows it,” Howell remarked.
Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) applauded Howell’s takedown. He wrote in a post on X, “Democrats clearly weren’t prepared for @MHowellTweets.”
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
News, Mike howell, Oversight project, Homeland security committee, Immigration crisis, Illegal immigration crisis, Illegal immigration, Immigration, Bennie thompson, Non-governmental organizations, Nongovernmental organizations, Ngo, Ngos, Yassamin ansari, Eli crane, Immigration and customs enforcement, Ice, Politics
