Congressman Troy Nehls of Texas led a standing ovation after he played a recording of former President Bill Clinton addressing the need to end illegal immigration into the United States during a House Judiciary Committee meeting.
In the clip, which was excerpted from Clinton’s 1995 State of the Union address, he says “all Americans, not only in the state most heavily affected but in every place in the country, are rightly disturbed by the large number of illegal aliens entering our country.”
“The jobs they hold might otherwise be held by citizens or legal immigrants,” Clinton can be heard saying in the recording, which was played for the House Judiciary Committee on July 26. “The public service they use imposes burdens on our taxpayers. That’s why our administration has moved aggressively to secure our borders more by hiring a record number of new border guards, by deporting twice as many criminal aliens as ever before, by cracking down on illegal hiring, by barring welfare benefits to illegal aliens.”
Clinton also says his administration will “do more to speed the deportation of illegal aliens who are arrested for crimes” and “to better identify illegal aliens in the workplace.”
“We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws,” Clinton said in the recording. “It is wrong and ultimately self-defeating for a nation of immigrants to permit the kind of abuse of our immigration laws we have seen in recent years and we must do more to stop it.”
Powerful moment @RepTroyNehls leads a Republican standing ovation after playing a video of Bill Clinton addressing the need to stop illegal immigration
Mr. Secretary, I can understand why you didn't stand and clap at that, because you and Joe Biden believe in open borders. pic.twitter.com/Z9H1y5qHLT
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) July 26, 2023
Nehls then denounced Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, who was testifying before the committee, for not joining in with those who clapped.
“Mr. Secretary, I can understand why you didn’t stand with me and my colleagues and clap,” said Nehls. “You didn’t want to clap at that because you and Joe Biden believe just the opposite of what President Clinton just said. You believe in open borders and complete chaos.”
“Did you notice the bipartisan support in the chamber as the video was played? Everybody was clapping,” the representative continued. “If I was in Congress in 1995, I would have also stood.”
Mayorkas has been repeatedly accused of failing to secure the nation’s borders and, in some circumstances, enabling illegal immigration in violation of his oath of office. A coalition of Republicans from the House of Representatives, led by Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs, co-sponsored the introduction of Articles of Impeachment against Mayorkas on Feb. 1. The House Homeland Security Committee announced on June 16 that it was investigating Mayorkas for “dereliction of duty,” citing a record number of illegal crossings and the sharp increase of fentanyl deaths.
Nehls has said Mayorkas is “responsible for the invasion at our southern border.”
“If you put the American people first, you should refer back to [President Donald Trump’s] border policies. But you won’t because you hate him. You despise the man. So give Bill Clinton a call!” the representative told Mayorkas during the committee hearing. “You, sir, have betrayed constitutional order, neglected your duty, and violated the trust of the American people and, as a nation of laws, I look forward to your impeachment.”
Secretary Mayorkas is responsible for the invasion at our southern border.
The impeachment articles have been filed, and my colleagues need to get on board. pic.twitter.com/GCVTegT6rH
— Congressman Troy E. Nehls (@RepTroyNehls) July 26, 2023
“DHS Secretary Mayorkas claims that the border is not open,” tweeted Nehls on the morning of the July 26 hearing. “Over 5.6 million illegal aliens have flooded into our country since Joe Biden took office. He’s lying to you.”
