Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., blatantly told FBI Director Christopher Wray that he does not trust him, while accusing him of not being transparent and standing “relatively silent” about the southern border instead of helping to shape policies on the matter, particularly regarding national security.
Wray met with the House Appropriations subcommittee on Thursday afternoon urging Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to be reauthorized by Congress and to discuss next year’s budget, and while some of the discussion involved dollar figures, the FBI director was there to defend efforts to fend off terrorist attacks and the infiltration of the U.S. by violent gangs through the southern border, many of which are connected to the fentanyl epidemic.
When it was time for Garcia to question Wray, the Congressional representative did not hold back.
“I’ll be honest with you, and this pains me to say this, but I don’t trust you,” Garcia told Wray.
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The legislator told Wray he did not think it was a funding problem, but rather a “lack of transparency,” along with the “weaponization and politicization” of issues and instruments used for national security against Americans and institutions, like churches.
Garcia accused Wray of standing relatively silent and passive about “the biggest national security threat” to the U.S. – referring to the southern border — and refused to give “little credence” in the director’s ability to do his job or lead the “brave agents” below him.
“I don’t trust you to protect us,” Garcia said. “I think because of your inability to lead and also shape the policies and the DOJ and at the White House, we are now in a more precarious position than we were, I would submit, than we were on September 10th of 2001.”
Wray appeared to listen as the congressional representative continued to attack him and his reputation.
During the hearing, Wray spoke about the border and his concerns about it being open, particularly in terms of how the opening benefits the cartels and the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.
He told the subcommittee that when agents take down violent gangs, they notice it includes the seizure of fentanyl. The fentanyl, Wray explained, is coming from the cartels, which are getting the dangerous drug from China.
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“Last year, I guess the last two years in a row…the FBI seized enough fentanyl to kill 270 million American people,” he said. “And that gives you a sense of the scale of what we’re up against.”
Wray continued to speak about instances with the Sinaloa and CJNG cartels, saying he has asked for help from the Mexican government in dealing with these dangerous criminals.
Efforts to target the cartels include going after their money and assets and other infrastructure, as well as going after leadership. But to do so, he added, the FBI is going to need more money.
Garcia told Wray that prior to him being able to ask questions, the FBI director had only mentioned the southern border about four times, closing over the idea that there are over 7 million people who have entered the country illegally, 350 of whom are on the FBI terror watch list, and 1.7 million who were able to flee border patrols before being apprehended.
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The representative accused Wray, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and President Biden of not protecting American citizens, and putting them into a “clear and present danger situation.”
“You have been unable to change the policies driven by your leadership,” Garcia told Wray, adding he was ineffective at shaping policies that affect national security.
“Can I just get a simple yes or no response,” Garcia asked. “Does the border policy make your job easier or harder, or are we safer or less safe as a result of the open border policy?”
Wray responded and said he had been consistent in citing his concerns about the threats along the border, adding he disagreed “very strongly” with a number of aspects of it.
He then asked if he had gone to Biden and pointed out that the “border policy is a galactic stupid policy from a national security perspective,” and if so, how it went.
“Well, I’m not going to get into specific conversations with people,” Wray said. “I’ve been consistent in my message externally and internally about my concerns about the threats that are from the FBI’s perspective, that emanate from the border.”
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