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The top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee was lambasted, almost immediately, for referring to the shooting of two West Virginia National Guardsmen in Washington as an "unfortunate accident" during a hearing Thursday.
On Thanksgiving Eve, WVNG Spc. Sarah Beckstrom of Webster County was killed and Andrew Wolfe of Berkeley County was gravely wounded allegedly by Rahmanullah Lakanwal – an Afghan refugee living in Bellingham, Washington.
During the "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland" hearing, Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi pivoted to Homeland Security Kristi Noem after sparring with FBI Operations Director Michael Glasheen about the whereabouts of Antifa’s headquarters, to ask who approved Lakanwal’s vetting.
"Madam Secretary, you and the gentleman from NCTC (Joe Kent) reference the unfortunate accident that occurred with the National Guardsman being killed," Thompson told Noem.
The secretary shot back: "You think that was an unfortunate accident? It was a terrorist attack."
Thompson waved his hand up to gesture toward Noem, replying: "I’ll get it straight – then you can respond."
Noem replied: "He shot our national guardsmen in the head."
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Thompson appeared to wince before turning to Chairman Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., to ask him to direct Noem to let him finish his question:
"It was an unfortunate situation, but you blamed it solely on Joe Biden. I want you to know who approved the asylum application for this same person."
Noem countered that Lakanwal was one of thousands of Afghans admitted through Biden’s "Operation Allies Welcome" and "Operation Allies Refuge," programs that her predecessor Alejandro Mayorkas repeatedly claimed had undergone full vetting.
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"I want to remind everybody in Congress. We follow the law, and every asylum is supposed to have a check-in every single year, and the Biden administration failed to do that – they vetted this individual, allowed them into our country, and did not do due diligence."
Garbarino then told Noem to let Thompson speak – who in turn pressed again as to who issued final approval for Lakanwal’s application.
When she responded similarly, Thompson floated perjury charges against her, saying he did not want to do so, but that he believes the Trump administration approved Lakanwal’s asylum claim. CBS News reported after the November attack that the Trump administration did issue final approval.
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"The asylum application moved forward under all of the information and vetting processes that were put in place under the Biden administration, which is when vetting happened," Noem replied.
She said Lakanwal was vetted to serve as a "soldier in Afghanistan" alongside U.S. assets, and that Biden then used that standard "as a ruse to bring him here."
"Had we followed the standard operating procedures for special immigrant visas, that individual and none of the "Allies Welcome" people would have come to America: That's on Joe Biden."
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As Garbarino reclaimed the floor, Rep. Andy Ogles IV, R-Tenn., erupted at Thompson:
"That was a murder that took place in DC – It was not an unfortunate incident."
"And, those comments are effin’ disrespectful."
Garbarino ruled Ogles’ comments an invalid point-of-order under House rules, and opened the floor to Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, as the next questioner.
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