Category: fox-news/person/joe-biden

Marjorie Taylor Greene announces impeachment articles against President Biden

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is introducing articles of impeachment against President Biden.

"It is with the highest amount of solemnity that I announce my intention to introduce articles of impeachment today on the head of this America-at-last Executive Branch that has been working since January 20th, 2021, to systematically destroy this country: the President of the United States, Joseph Robinette Biden," Greene said at a press conference Thursday. 

The firebrand congresswoman said Biden should be removed from office because he has failed to secure the border and has "deliberately compromised our national security by refusing to enforce immigration laws and secure our border." 

Greene announced her intention to introduce impeachment articles against Biden at a press conference capping off "impeachment week," during which she has moved to impeach Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. 

Green said each official is "corrupt" and "unfit to hold office." 

This is a developing story and will be updated. 

Mayorkas comes face to face with family of grandmother, 7-year-old girl killed by human smuggler near border

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Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas apologized Wednesday to the family of two victims who died in a traffic accident caused by a human smuggler fleeing arrest at the border.

Mayorkas — testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee — was asked to apologize to the family of Maria Tambunga and Emilia Tambunga, who were killed last month.

"They're sitting right behind you. They came here today because they want answers. They came here today because of the failures of you and your leadership. They came here because they want closure," said Republican Rep. August Pfluger of Texas.

SEN. MARSHALL INTRODUCES RESOLUTION FOR VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN MAYORKAS AMID SENATE GRILLING

Mayorkas did stand and express condolences to the Tambunga family present — although he also accused Pfluger of politicizing the tragedy.

Speaking directly to the family without a microphone, Mayorkas could be heard at one point telling the group, "My heart breaks for your loss."

The Texas Department of Public Safety said Rassian Comer, 22, of Louisiana, ran a red light during a high-speed chase on eastbound I-10 in Ozona and crashed into Maria Tambunga's car. 

BORDER PATROL CHIEF SAYS DHS DOESN'T HAVE OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF US BORDER

Two of the 11 illegal migrants being smuggled in Comer's 2021 Dodge pickup truck were also killed in the crash, Texas DPS said. Both were from Mexico. 

"Mr. Mayorkas, are you going to tell the Tambunga family that the border is secure today?" Pfluger asked.

"Congressman, you are politicizing a tragedy," Mayorkas responded.

Mayorkas has become a lightning rod for Republican criticism over the border crisis, and scrutiny has increased ahead of the looming end of Title 42 expulsions at the beginning of May. 

BIDEN ADMIN SEES PROGRESS IN TACKLING BORDER CRISIS AS MARCH'S NUMBERS DOWN FROM LAST YEAR

"Mr. Mayorkas, do you disagree with the head Border Patrol agent when he said that our border is not secure?" Pfluger pressed.

"Congressman, I have testified to that issue," Mayorkas began.

"So you do disagree with him. You disagree with your chief of Border Patrol?" the congressman asked again.

"I respectfully do in that regard," the secretary replied.

While the administration has been touting relatively lower numbers in recent months — which it ties to border measures introduced in January that included increased expulsions of a humanitarian parole program for four nationalities — officials fear a massive increase in apprehensions once Title 42 drops.

The Biden administration has dismissed the push by Republicans in the House to impeach Mayorkas, saying that Congress should instead focus on fixing what it says is a broken immigration system. 

A spokesperson on Tuesday renewed those calls in response to a resolution by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., to trigger a vote of no confidence in Mayorkas.

Fox News' Bradford Betz and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

Sen. Marshall introduces resolution for vote of no confidence in Mayorkas amid Senate grilling

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FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, on Tuesday announced that he is introducing a resolution to trigger a vote of no confidence in Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas -- just as the DHS chief was facing a grilling from lawmakers at a top committee.

"Mr. Secretary, you are derelict in your duties. I would be derelict to not do something about this. And that's why I have a draft resolution here that I intend to introduce in the coming days that would require the Senate to take a vote of no confidence on Secretary Mayorkas," he said as he questioned Mayorkas in a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing.

"I stand at the ready to receive articles of impeachment from the House and conduct an impeachment trial in this body. But in the meantime, I think the Senate must show our colleagues in the House that we've had enough of the failures from the Department of Homeland Security and believe that the secretary is not fit to faithfully carry out the duties of his office," he said.

MAYORKAS AGAIN REFUSES TO CALL BORDER SURGE A ‘CRISIS,’ SAYS IT WOULD INDICATE ‘WITHDRAWAL FROM OUR MISSION’ 

The draft resolution, obtained by Fox News Digital, states that Mayorkas "does not have the confidence of the Senate or of the American people to faithfully carry out the duties of his office."

The resolution accuses Mayorkas of having "engaged in a pattern of conduct that is incompatible with his constitutional and statutory duties as Secretary of Homeland Security." 

Specifically, it says that he has failed to take the necessary actions to achieve operational control of the southern border, something the head of Border Patrol has said the agency does not have.

It cites "more than 5,500,000 illegal aliens crossing the United States southern border during Secretary Mayorkas’ term in office, including 20 consecutive months with more than 150,000 illegal border crossings and a 180 percent increase in encounters at the southern border compared to the previous administration"

BORDER PATROL CHIEF SAYS DHS DOESN'T HAVE OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF US BORDER

It also notes the apprehension of nearly 100 individuals on the terror watch list, an increase in fentanyl seizures and "gotaways" at the border, and also cites a number of moves by the administration that it says has encouraged illegal immigration – including the ending of the border wall construction, ending of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) and attempts to end the Title 42 public health order – which will end next month.

It also notes Mayorkas' role in the controversy surrounding Border Patrol agents who were falsely accused of whipping Haitian migrants in 2021.

Marshall's resolution comes as Republicans in the House have been mulling an impeachment push since last year over what they see as the Biden administration's policies that have exacerbated the migrant crisis. Multiple lawmakers have introduced articles of impeachment, but none have yet been voted on. Should Mayorkas be impeached in the House, the process would then move to the Senate for a trial. Mayorkas could not be removed by the Senate without the House voting first. 

BIDEN ADMIN SEES PROGRESS IN TACKLING BORDER CRISIS AS MARCH'S NUMBERS DOWN FROM LAST YEAR

Mayorkas has become a lightning rod for Republican criticism over the border crisis, and scrutiny has increased ahead of the looming end of Title 42 expulsions at the beginning of May. While the administration has been touting relatively lower numbers in recent months – which it ties to border measures introduced in January that included increased expulsions of a humanitarian parole program for four nationalities – officials fear a massive increase in apprehensions once Title 42 drops.

The Biden administration has dismissed the push by Republicans in the House to impeach Mayorkas, saying that Congress should instead focus on fixing what it says is a broken immigration system. A spokesperson on Tuesday renewed those calls in response to Marshall's resolution.

"Secretary Mayorkas is proud to advance the noble mission of this Department, support its extraordinary workforce, and serve the American people. The Department will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border, protect the nation from terrorism, improve our cybersecurity, all while building a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system. Instead of pointing fingers and pursuing baseless attacks, Congress should work with the Department and pass legislation to fix our broken immigration system, which has not been updated in over 40 years." a spokesperson said on Tuesday.


 

Democrat lawmakers demand Biden address ‘extreme right-wing Israeli government’ after West Bank violence

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Democratic lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to respond to the "extreme right-wing Israeli government" and recent "shocking violence" that has taken place between Israeli forces and residents of the West Bank.

Reps. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Jamaal Bowman of New York, and "Squad" Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Cori Bush of Missouri, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, all signed a letter last week addressed to President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying they were "deeply concerned" and demanding action.

In the letter, 14 Democrats urged Biden to "ensure U.S. taxpayer funds do not support projects in illegal settlements" and to determine whether aid sent to Israel is being used to "commit or support gross violations of human rights by the Israeli government."

"Furthermore, we call on your administration to ensure that all future foreign assistance to Israel, including weapons and equipment, is not used in support of gross violations of human rights."

ISRAEL LAUNCHES RARE AIRSTRIKES IN LEBANON FOLLOWING VIOLENCE AT JERUSALEM HOLY SITE

Bowman shared the letter on social media, where he said he wanted to draw attention to the "alarming actions of the new extreme right-wing Israeli government." He also suggested the U.S. should stop funding Israel as taxpayer dollars should be "used to violate human rights."

Rep. Betty McCollum shared the letter, which she also signed, and voiced her criticism of "Israel’s extremist government."

"My colleagues & I are concerned about Israel’s extremist government & its escalation of attacks on Palestinian families. Not $1 of U.S. military aid should be used to violate Palestinians’ human rights & freedoms or annex their land," McCollum wrote on social media Saturday.

AOC DOUBLES DOWN ON 'IGNORING' ABORTION RULE, CLARENCE THOMAS IMPEACHMENT: 'ABUSE OF JUDICIAL OVERREACH'

In the letter, the Democratic lawmakers said the administration of newly elected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "includes far-right, anti-Palestinian individuals and parties."

"We urge immediate action to prevent the further loss of Israeli and Palestinian lives," they wrote. "At this inflection point, we ask your administration to undertake a shift in U.S. policy in recognition of the worsening violence, further annexation of land, and denial of Palestinian rights.

ISRAEL’S NETANYAHU AGREES TO HALT JUDICIAL REFORM FOR NOW AS MASS PROTESTS CONTINUE

The lawmakers added: "Only by protecting democracy, human rights, and self-determination for all Palestinians and Israelis can we achieve a lasting peace."

The Democrats highlighted a series of violence carried out by both Palestinians and Israeli forces in February, which included the death of Israeli-American citizen Elan Ganeles, who was shot dead by a Palestinian gunman in the West Bank.

"This Israeli government’s anti-democratic mission to dismantle the rule of law is a threat to Israelis and Palestinians alike," the lawmakers wrote. "We are deeply concerned by [the] Israeli government moves that demonstrate that illegal de facto and de jure annexation of the occupied West Bank is well underway."

And, "The Israeli government’s actions are in clear violation of international law and commitments made to the U.S.; its agenda will further devastate Palestinian communities and heighten tension with violent consequences for both Palestinians and Israelis. Only clear steps to change political conditions will pave the way for peace."

The letter was also signed by Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey, Jesús García of Illinois, Delia Ramirez of Illinois and André Carson of Indiana.

Dem congressman ‘may vote to impeach’ Biden’s DHS Secretary Mayorkas

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California Democratic Rep. Juan Vargas said he "may vote to impeach" President Biden's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas if Republicans bring articles of impeachment against him. 

Vargas, who made the comments during a news conference on Friday, said his reasoning differs from Republican lawmakers and lies in the construction of two 30-foot border walls.

"Secretary Mayorkas might come up for an impeachment vote because of what the Republicans have heard," Vargas said. "I may vote for it; I may vote to impeach him, but not over those other issues - over this issue."

Vargas' problem stems from President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas not stepping in to halt border wall construction at Friendship Park, which is located at the San Diego and Tijuana border, Fox 5 reported.

WHITE HOUSE BLASTS HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS BUDGET PLAN, CLAIMS IT WOULD HURT BORDER SECURITY AND CUT CBP STAFF

DHS began prepping for possible impeachment proceedings in late January by entering into a potential $1.5 million contract with the New York-based Debevoise & Plimpton law firm, which will disburse cash based on their work. Government records show that the award runs until early January 2025 and could reach up to $3 million, Fox News Digital reported.

David O'Neil, a Debevoise & Plimpton partner, will lead Mayorkas' defense team if needed, Law.com reported. O'Neil is no stranger to impeachment efforts as he aided House Democrats in their impeachment efforts against former President Trump. Employees at the firm also give overwhelmingly to Democratic causes, including Biden's past candidacy. 

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee are now probing the contract. Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer, who heads up the Oversight Committee, began seeking information from Mayorkas late last month.

In a letter to Mayorkas, Comer said the contract is a no-bid, sole-source agreement, meaning it was awarded directly rather than through a competitive bidding process. Such an award is allowed only due to an "unusual or compelling urgency."

"DHS justified its decision not to use fair and open competition in procuring legal services by citing 'unusual and compelling urgency,'" Comer wrote to Mayorkas. "We are concerned the alleged "unusual and compelling urgency" justification is to avoid congressional scrutiny and oversight."

MEXICAN PRESIDENT THREATENS TO MEDDLE IN US ELECTIONS WITH ‘INFORMATION CAMPAIGN’ AGAINST REPUBLICANS

Republicans, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, have raised the possibility of impeaching Mayorkas over his handling of the ongoing crisis at the southern border. Multiple members have also introduced articles of impeachment against him.

"The Biden Administration's self-inflicted border crisis has cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and the American people are demanding accountability," Comer previously told Fox News Digital regarding the contract. 

"Not only have the Biden Administration's policies exacerbated the border crisis, but it also appears the Administration is exploiting the situation to reward its political allies and cover up Secretary Mayorkas' disastrous decisions," Comer said.

Oversight Dem linked to consultants managing group funneling millions into torpedoing Biden investigations

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A Democratic congressman tasked with pushing back against Republican investigations into President Biden, his administration, and the president's son, Hunter Biden, has links to a major consultancy that manages a fund funneling millions to a group attempting to torpedo those very investigations, Fox News Digital has discovered.

Through his family foundation, Rep. Daniel Goldman, D.-N.Y, a member of the House Oversight Committee, has ties to Arabella Advisors, a Washington, D.C., consulting firm that overlooks the largest dark money network in the country. Arabella Advisors manages the Sixteen Thirty Fund, which has bankrolled the Congressional Integrity Project, a group of liberal operatives working behind the scenes with Democrats in attempts to smother the Biden investigations by Goldman's GOP colleagues on the Oversight Committee.

Goldman, a wealthy heir to the Levi Strauss jean company fortune, acted as the lead Democratic counsel for President Trump's first impeachment, making him a valuable asset for Democrats on the powerful Oversight Committee, where he'll serve as a main counterpunch to Republican investigators.

"Representative Goldman's deep-seated financial ties to a dark money network that is attempting to influence the Oversight Committee are extremely problematic," Caitlin Sutherland, executive director of Americans for Public Trust, told Fox News Digital. "How can Goldman be trusted to execute his duties ethically when he seems so fraught with conflicts himself?"

DEMOCRATIC REP. DAN GOLDMAN SAYS TRUMP, BIDEN CLASSIFIED DOCUMENT SCANDALS ARE 'APPLES AND ORANGES'

Goldman's ties to Arabella Advisors lie with his family foundation, the Richard W. Goldman Family Foundation, which works to "promote equality" and reduce "barriers to opportunity across generations for our nation's most disadvantaged." According to tax forms, Goldman held several roles at the foundation, which he typically operated alongside a few other family members. In 2012, he became its secretary; in 2018, he also took over its treasurer responsibilities. 

The same year he became its treasurer, Goldman's family foundation moved its books into the care of Arabella Advisors. But even before the influential firm took over its books, the foundation had paid Arabella Advisors hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees dating back to 2013, its tax forms show. The foundation has also doled out more than $1.2 million to the New Venture Fund, an Arabella Advisors-managed dark money nonprofit incubator, for endeavors.

Goldman's 2022 financial disclosure shows that he had shifted his position to the sole family foundation board member reported on previous years' tax forms.

Arabella Advisors, meanwhile, manages the Sixteen Thirty Fund, another dark money nonprofit incubator that pushes hundreds of millions of dollars into left-wing causes and initiatives each year. In 2020 and 2021, the Sixteen Thirty Fund funneled $1.5 million into the Congressional Integrity Project, the Washington Examiner first reported, which was nearly all of the Congressional Integrity Project's cash during that time. 

The Sixteen Thirty Fund told the publication that they're "proud to support efforts to strengthen integrity and transparency in government" and that their grants to the Congressional Integrity Project "funded important research to ensure effective, ethical leadership in Washington."

ARABELLA ADVISORS: FIRM OVERLOOKING MOST POWERFUL LEFT-WING DARK MONEY NETWORK IN AMERICA EXPANDS OPERATIONS

Despite receiving the cash, the Congressional Integrity Project, launched in 2020, had gone dormant for some time. It resurfaced late last year following the midterm elections to begin preparing to push back against the Biden investigations, primarily by setting its sights on the Republicans conducting them.

Politico reported last November that the group remobilized by launching a multi-million dollar hub to counter Republican investigative efforts, including rapid response teams, researchers, pollsters, and a media campaign to put Republicans "squarely on the defense," Kyle Herrig, a Congressional Integrity Project founder, told the publication. 

Herrig said his group would act as the party's "leading war room" to dent Republican investigators. A person familiar with its plans said they had briefed Democratic leadership on the group's operations last year, and they've since reportedly held calls with top party lawmakers.

House Oversight Republicans will zero in on various issues, ranging from the border crisis to the Biden family's domestic and international business dealings.

Goldman's office did not respond to a Fox News Digital inquiry on his ties to Arabella Advisors and if the Congressional Integrity Project had ever briefed him or anyone on his staff. His family foundation and the Congressional Integrity Project also did not respond to requests for comment.

LIBERAL DARK MONEY GROUP FORMS TO PUSH BACK AGAINST ANTI-CRT EFFORTS IN SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Arabella Advisors overlooks America's largest liberal dark money network and recently expanded its operations by acquiring the New York-based Kiwi Partners, which provides nonprofit accounting and consulting services.

The expansion happened as the nexus continued its operations as the pinnacle dark money network, further showing how Democrats have exploited anonymous donations while publicly railing against their political influence.

The five Arabella Advisors-managed funds - the Sixteen Thirty, New Venture, Hopewell, Windward, and North funds - experience massive cash flows that include billions of dollars raised and poured into progressive causes and initiatives across the country. None of the funds disclose their contributors, but some of the most prominent Democratic donors have passed cash to them, their own tax forms have shown. 

"As we've stated repeatedly, Arabella Advisors is a business dedicated to making philanthropic work more efficient, effective, and equitable," an Arabella spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital. "Our nonprofit clients hire us to provide HR, legal, payroll and other administrative services—and, like all service providers, we work for our clients, not the other way around. They make their own decisions on strategy, fundraising, and programmatic goals."

Groups tied to the network also work behind the scenes on Biden initiatives. For example, Governing for Impact, a group fiscally sponsored by the New Venture Fund and bankrolled by a George Soros nonprofit, has worked with Biden's administration to shape policy, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

Arabella Advisors did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment on this story.

Biden spurns East Palestine again, travels to Baltimore instead

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President Biden avoided going to survey the train derailment and toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, again, electing to travel to Baltimore, Maryland, for the House Democrat retreat instead.

On Wednesday, the president trekked not too far down the road from Washington, D.C., to Charm City to deliver an address to the assembled House Democrats on their retreat.

Biden’s travel to Baltimore comes as East Palestine, Ohio, still reels from a Norfolk Southern train derailment and toxic chemical spill last month that saw a controlled burn of the vinyl chloride that was released.

WALTZ, HOUSE REPUBLICANS DROP RESOLUTION CONDEMNING BUTTIGIEG AND SAYING HE ‘SHOULD RESIGN’

Fox News Digital asked the White House if Biden was planning to travel to East Palestine to survey the train derailment and toxic chemical spill, and, if he was, when the president would be going to Ohio.

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Biden will reportedly "discuss how to keep bringing jobs back to America at an historic rate, keep lowering costs like prescription drugs and energy, and further cutting the deficit by having rich special interests pay their fair share," according to a White House official who spoke with Punchbowl News.

"He will reiterate his promise to release his budget to the American public, and his call on Republicans to do the same," the official said. "He will also highlight that congressional Republicans are now threatening to trigger a catastrophic default if they are unable to take health coverage away from millions of families."

INTERNET RECOILS AS BIDEN TALKS OF NURSE DOING THINGS ‘I DON’T THINK YOU LEARN IN NURSING SCHOOL’: ‘SO GROSS’

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg traveled to East Palestine last week to survey the toxic chemical spill after weeks of staying away.

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., alongside several of his fellow House Republicans, introduced a resolution on Tuesday condemning Buttigieg and demanding he resign from his Cabinet post.

The resolution, obtained by Fox News Digital, blasts Buttigieg as having "failed to mitigate or effectively respond to multiple national crises" and that his "ineptitude has jeopardized the safety and prosperity of the American people."

The lawmakers highlighted several controversies in Buttigieg’s career as transportation secretary, such as the secretary being "absent during a historical supply chain crisis when United States ports faced a record backlog of ships stranded off of United States coasts," as well as the "more than 15,000 flights" canceled under his watch in "the worst and most costly single airline operational disruption in the history of United States aviation."

GOP REP. COLLINS BLASTS BUTTIGIEG FOR OHIO RESPONSE, SAYS IMPEACHMENT NOT OFF THE TABLE

Republican Georgia Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., a freshman Republican who is on Waltz’ resolution, called on the secretary to resign in an opinion piece and blasted Buttigieg’s response to the crisis in an interview with Fox News Digital.

Collins said, "They should have shown up immediately" and that "any time we have a problem, as far as small businesses are concerned, you get right to the scene and see exactly what's going on, so you can assess the problem" and "figure out what the solution is."

"Yeah, they sent people up there, but… this thing was a major catastrophe and something like that garners the head of the department showing up," Collins said.

"And, you know, he just was bent on not going," the congressman continued. "And there's reasons why he did that."

"That’s just another, in my opinion, another clear example of this agency and the fact that they have got their sights set on stuff other than trying to improve the infrastructure of this country," Collins said. "And that’s the woke culture that this guy is promoting."

Collins said that whether it’s a train derailment, "planes almost landing on top of each other," or "some person deleting a file that shuts down a whole industry, there's something else that is going on besides what you see," calling them "results of an administration that is pushing a woke culture."

The Georgia Republican also said he does not "think anything is off the table" when it comes to impeaching Buttigieg, should he not step down.

Biden admin’s taxpayer-backed contracts to help illegal immigrants avoid deportation come under a microscope

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Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is probing hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-backed Biden administration contracts with a left-wing nonprofit to help illegal immigrants avoid deportation.

Fox News Digital previously reported that the Vera Institute of Justice, a New York-based nonprofit that views immigration enforcement agencies as a "threat" to civil liberties, received hefty Health and Human Services (HHS)-backed contracts as part of efforts to keep illegal immigrants in the United States. 

Now, Grassley is seeking answers on the federal contracts with Vera, who he says has a history of not fully complying with legal and regulatory requirements regarding the expenditure of government funds. In a Feb. 16 letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, Grassley raised concerns about the Vera contracts, particularly regarding oversight structures to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.

"My concerns with respect to HHS' oversight of its contracts with third parties stems, in part, from HHS' FY 2022 Agency Financial Report," Grassley wrote. "In that report, the HHS Inspector General identified a range of problems with HHS oversight of contracts, including contracts for services with respect to unaccompanied alien children."

BIDEN ADMIN GIVES LEFT-WING GROUPS HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS TO HELP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FIGHT DEPORTATION

"The report included a finding that the ORR 'did not award or sufficiently manage a sole source contract in accordance with Federal requirements,'" Grassley wrote. "Given that Vera could receive almost a billion dollars of taxpayer funds under one contract alone, even a fraction of improper conduct can add up to large sums of money. A robust oversight structure needs to be in place to protect taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud and abuse."

Grassley elaborated on his concerns by referencing a Department of Justice inspector general report that found Vera did not comply with previous "essential award conditions."

"Vera did not comply with essential award conditions related to award expenditures including: personnel and fringe benefits, travel, supplies and other costs, consultants and contracts, and subawards," Grassley wrote. "Additionally, OIG found issues related to Vera's compliance with award special conditions, procurement practices, subrecipient monitoring, and financial reporting."

"The audit also found that Vera had $325,907 in expenditures 'that do not comply with legal, regulatory, or contractual requirements; are not supported by adequate documentation at the time of the audit; or are unnecessary or unreasonable,'" Grassley continued. "This example further demonstrates the need for transparency in how Vera and its subcontractors are using taxpayer funds and what HHS has done to employ robust oversight procedures and policies to ensure Vera is in full compliance with all applicable legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements."

Grassley posed a series of questions to Becerra, including on HHS oversight procedures, policies, and guidelines that are in place to ensure Vera is in full compliance with all applicable legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements.

HHS did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment by press time.

OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE PROBES 'NO-BID' DHS CONTRACT TO LAW FIRM TO HANDLE MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT EFFORTS

The Vera Institute of Justice and the Acacia Center for Justice, a nonprofit linked to Vera and another left-wing immigration group, have combined to rake in hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-backed government contracts since President Biden took office.

According to records previously reviewed by Fox News Digital, a vast majority of the money is going towards efforts to keep illegal immigrants in the United States. 

Vera has collected around $350 million from government contracts for immigration services in the past two years. The Acacia Center for Justice has also pocketed tens of millions of dollars in recent federal contracts. The progressive groups landed the contracts amid the escalating border crisis.

Vera received a $171 million HHS-funded contract last March to help unaccompanied minors avoid deportation, the records show. The contract has since paid out around $180 million with supplemental agreements as of December. 

The arrangement lasts until March but can hit as high as $983 million if renewed until March 2027. If extended, it will be the most significant federal contract the group has received for immigration-related services.

Vera has also secured other large government contracts since early 2021, including a $168 million contract in March 2021 for the same purpose of helping unaccompanied minors avoid deportation. During this time, the group also obtained smaller contracts ranging from $4 million to $12 million from other federal departments.

ICE SPENT $17M OF NO-BID CONTRACT TO HOUSE MIGRANTS IN HOTELS THAT WENT LARGELY UNUSED: DHS WATCHDOG 

Vera did not respond to a request for comment on Grassley's letter. 

Meanwhile, the Acacia Center for Justice, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit started from a partnership between Vera and Capital Area Immigrants' Rights, has received several "legal services" contracts from the Department of Justice last September that netted the group around $41 million in payments, records show.

The Acacia Center appears to have launched to expand Vera's work with illegal immigrants detained at the border. However, unlike Vera's government contracts for unaccompanied minors, the Acacia Center's contracts do not specify an age group for the legal services. 

Its partner organization, Capital Area Immigrants' Rights, also directs an adult defense program that provides information, support, and legal representation to illegal immigrants, according to its website. It also has a detained unaccompanied children's program that works with minors at the Office of Refugee Resettlement juvenile immigration detention centers in Maryland and Virginia.

The Acacia Center launched last year and received the contracts less than two months after getting a July 2022 determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service, which stated the group's effective date of tax exemption was Dec. 29, 2021, according to filings.

Impeaching Biden over border crisis is Republicans’ ‘only tool,’ Andrew McCarthy says

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National Review contributing editor Andrew McCarthy published an op-ed Saturday claiming "the only thing" that can establish comprehensive security at the southern border is a presidential impeachment.

McCarthy asserted that the legislature and courts are unable to address illegal immigration, necessitating Republicans to threaten removing President Biden from office. 

Republicans moving to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas are aiming "too low," he wrote in the piece.

MCCARTHY RULES OUT AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AFTER BIDEN CALLS AT STATE OF THE UNION

"You probably don’t want to hear this again, but at this stage, the only thing that might — might — turn the tide and establish a semblance of security at the southern border would be for House Republicans to impeach President Biden for first causing the border crisis and then, over the course of the next two years, willfully exacerbating it, not out of incompetence but because it’s what his radical base demands," the National Review Institute senior fellow wrote.

McCarthy claimed that the Supreme Court is "powerless" to correct the massive influx of illegal migrants crossing the southern border, leaving the problem to be dealt with by individual states.

MCCARTHY, IN ARIZONA, SAYS ‘NO-ONE BELIEVES’ BIDEN ADMIN'S CLAIM BORDER IS SECURE

"For over a century, judicial rulings and congressional Democrats have nullified their powers to uphold the rule of law against trespassers," McCarthy continued. "If the Court won’t help them, the states must rely on Biden, and it is Biden who has quite intentionally left the border defenseless, knowing full well that the states would be besieged."

MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS HIT 156,274 IN JANUARY AS BIDEN ADMIN CLAIMS NEW BORDER MEASURES ‘ARE WORKING’

Acknowledging that the Democrat-controlled Senate would be unlikely to allow an actual impeachment, McCarthy made the case that impeachment articles could bring greater attention to the border issue.

"That is the last thing to which Biden and Democrats want attention called," he asserted. "Border security is an 80–20 issue, favoring not so much Republicans (who are far from uniformly solid on upholding immigration law) as individual candidates and officials who demonstrate seriousness about it, most of whom happen to be Republicans."

McCarthy concluded the article asserting that articles of impeachment were "the only available tool" for Republicans to push the issue to its breaking point.

"Joe Biden is not honoring his oath, and with Congress in a stalemate and state sovereignty nullified, only he can solve the border crisis he’s created. It’s that simple: Either Republicans use the only tool available to them to force Biden’s hand, or they are aiders and abettors," he wrote. "There is no middle ground."

Biden demands gun reforms while brushing bipartisan calls for border security, both sides claim ‘common sense’

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President Joe Biden has demanded Congress take action to enact "common sense" gun reforms after a shooting rampage in Mississippi Friday left six dead. The demand came as he is turning a "blind eye" to Republicans and others who are calling for "common sense" changes to secure the border, a Republican lawmaker claimed.

"We need—need—commonsense gun law reforms," Biden said in a statement on Friday, after suspected shooter Richard Crum, 52, is believed to have used a shotgun and two handguns to carry out a shooting rampage that spanned three different locations across Tate County, Mississippi.

The president added: "That includes requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, fully closing the boyfriend loophole to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, requiring safe storage of guns, and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers who knowingly put weapons of war on our streets."

Biden’s words came as Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-ND, has accused him of avoiding the southern border and failing to "acknowledge the catastrophe at the southern border and makes common sense reforms to stem the tide."

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"For two solid years, President Biden has avoided the southern border, turned a blind eye to agents overwhelmed by the influx in illegal crossings, and glossed over the devastating impacts on our nation," Cramer said in a statement published Feb. 10. "The administration must act to address the urgent humanitarian and crime crises it created. These bills acknowledge the catastrophe at the southern border and makes common sense reforms to stem the tide."

Senator Katie Britt, R-AL, similarly suggested Biden was failing to act to secure the border.

"There is an unprecedented humanitarian and national security crisis at our southern border," Britt said. "This is a direct, avoidable result of the Biden Administration’s dangerously weak policies. Hardworking parents across our nation want their children to grow up in safe, strong communities so that they can reach their full potential and live their American Dream. This legislation would help secure that dream for families in every corner of our country."

Britt is leading two pieces of legislation aimed at securing the border: the "Keep Our Communities Safe Act," which calls for the end of the Obama-Biden catch-and-release policy, and a resolution acknowledging the state of the southern border constitutes a crisis.

More recently, Senator Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., who was elected as a Democrat, has also introduced bipartisan legislation to secure the border.

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Her bill would eliminate federal restrictions and grant the Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) the authority to conduct maintenance projects at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border.

"Arizona’s ports are our first line of defense to stop dangerous drugs and individuals from entering the United States, and a key driver of our local economy. Our legislation builds on the historic investments strengthening America's port infrastructure in my bipartisan infrastructure law by cutting red tape and allowing local CBP leadership to make repair decisions that work for their officers, without waiting for Washington," Sinema said on Feb. 15.

The legislation was co-introduced with Sen. James Lankford R-Okla., who described it as a "straightforward solution."

"During my visits to the southern border, it is evident that CBP needs to repair ports between the US and Mexico. Bureaucratic red tape has blocked CBP from making those simple fixes to increase border security and better manage trade. This bill is a straightforward solution that will ensure our CBP officers have the resources they need to keep the country secure," Lankford said.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Thursday visited Cochise County, Ariz., with Reps. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis.

Cochise County is located in southeast Arizona, bordering New Mexico and Mexico.

The four Republicans are freshman members who flipped Democratic seats in the most recent midterm elections.

"The new majority in Congress, we’re gonna fight to fix this problem. No longer will the Democrats be able to ignore the issue and act like it’s not happening," McCarthy said Thursday. "We will have hearings on the border. It’s the responsibility of all members to attend. Those who come to testify will come from both sides of the aisle."

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Mark Morgan, a former acting CBP commissioner in the Trump administration, told The Hill that addressing the crisis is "really common sense," according to FOX 4.

"It’s really common sense. It’s what leaders do. They go to the heart of the crisis, whether it’s a hurricane or tornado, a terrorist attack, it doesn’t matter," Morgan said.

He added: "When you physically see it up close and personal, it changes your understanding. It changes your perspective."

Biden's Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas claims the southern border is under "operational control." Republicans have called for his impeachment. 

McCarthy said Republicans in the House will continue to push legislation aimed at securing the border.

"We’ve got a lot of ideas inside Congress. It’s different than the Congress before," McCarthy said Thursday, according to WDAF.

The shooting in Mississippi ended Friday afternoon when officials ultimately found Crum at his home and apprehended him. He was charged with one count of murder but is expected to face additional charges.

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"Enough," Biden said after the incident. "We are 48 days into the year, and our nation has already suffered at least 73 mass shootings. Thoughts and prayers aren’t enough. Gun violence is an epidemic, and Congress must act now."

He continued, "Jill and I are mourning for the six killed in today’s violence in Tate County, Mississippi — as we have for far too many Americans. We grieve with their families and with Americans nationwide as gun violence claims yet more lives. We are also praying for the recovery of those injured in this horrendous attack and for survivors who will carry both grief and trauma with them for the rest of their lives."

The suspect’s motives are not known at this time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.