WASHINGTON – Did the provocative grilling of acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan by freshman Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., throw a productive spotlight on the mistreatment of migrant children at the southwest border or was the official rebuke she earned a rookie misstep not advancing her cause?
Here’s what happened at Wednesday’s hearing.
At a Committee on Homeland Security hearing on the DHS budget, Underwood, on a 9-7 vote — all Republicans plus fellow freshman Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat — found her stinging remarks aimed at McAleenan stricken from the record.
Summed up, Underwood accused McAleenan of “intentionally” supporting policies that resulted in deaths. She pegged her statements to the news breaking earlier this week that the fifth child since December died in a Customs and Border Patrol detention center facility. The 16-year-old boy from Guatemala died in Texas.
Underwood started her interrogation with a series of sharp “yes or no” questions about McAleenan’s awareness of the impact on a child following being separated from parents — trauma, toxic stress, depression, brain and behavioral changes and other damage.
“It is immoral, un-American and just plain wrong,” Underwood said.
McAleenan said he was aware of the findings of the study Underwood was citing and complained, “You have questions about something that’s not happening.”
McAleenan was referring to a 2018 federal court order ending the Trump administration policy of routinely separating the children of migrants from their family. The Trump administration has been using some loopholes in the ruling to continue — at a slower pace — some separations.
”People keep dying. And so this is obviously more than a question of resources,” Underwood said during the hearing.
”Congress has been more than willing to provide resources and to work with you, Mr. Secretary, to address the security and humanitarian concerns but at this point, with five kids that have died and 5,000 separated from their families, I feel like and the evidence is really clear that this is intentional. This is intentional,” Underwood said, with some gasps being heard from those in the hearing room.
“It’s a policy choice being made on purpose by this administration, and it’s cruel and inhumane.”
McAleenan replied, “That’s an appalling accusation. Our men and women fight hard to protect people in our custody every single day.”
With that, Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, the top Republican on the Democratic controlled committee, made a motion that Underwood’s words be “taken down” — a sanction used if a member is deemed to violate the decorum in the House.
”You cannot impugn the character of the witness by stating that he intentionally murders children. That is completely inappropriate and her words should be taken down,” Rogers said.
Underwood never used the word murder.
Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., ruled Underwood’s language was “appropriate.” He asked Underwood to clarify her statement for the record.
Underwood did not back down. She said, “at this point with five children dead and thousands separated from their families, this is intentional. It’s a policy choice being made on purpose by this administration and it’s clueless and inhumane.”
After some confusion and a short recess, the Republicans got their vote. Because 10 Democratic committee members were absent from the hearing, Underwood was nailed.
Afterwards, Underwood held an already scheduled telephone press conference with reporters from Illinois.
I asked Underwood if her rhetoric was “the most useful way to solve the problem.”
She replied that it was “critically important” to know more about McAleenan’s “leadership goals and priorities and whether or not he agrees with the actions taken by this administration with respect to the treatment of migrant children and families.”
Another reporter asked Underwood if she really meant to accuse McAleenan of intentionally wanting “kids to die.”
Underwood said, “the policy is intentional because they set the policy. We are talking about a president of the United States and an acting secretary of the lead federal agency in charge of implementing the policy. It is an intentional choice.”
So what’s my call? A split decision. Underwood generated press that might not otherwise exist — this column is an example — about the plight of migrant children. As a major 2020 target, she gave GOP operatives an opening, the impact to be determined.
