The Holman rule is an obscure provision which allows for Congress to reduce the salary of or effectively fire a government employee, and it could be an alternative to impeachment for various Biden administration officials who the House GOP seek to punish for alleged mishandling of their agencies.
Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) says that his bar for invoking the Holman rule is lower than for impeachment and that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas would be an official that meets his standard.
2024 HOPEFULS DEFEND KIM REYNOLDS AFTER TRUMP ATTACK
"I think that anyone who is failing in their duties — clearly failing in their duties — and doesn't have a plan to change the outcomes is a target for the Holman rule, and the only person I have in mind at this point is Secretary Mayorkas," Buck told the Washington Examiner.
Buck said that although he wants to see the complete evidence before calling for the impeachment of Biden administration officials, Mayorkas is one Cabinet official he would support invoking the Holman rule against if someone were to introduce it.
"I still wanna see the evidence, but like I said, it is a much lower standard for me. I have heard Mayorkas in committee, and — I'll hear him again soon in [the] Judiciary Committee — so I think that's really all the evidence I need for the Holman rule is that he is still claiming that the border is secure and that he is gonna continue with the policies that he has put in place," Buck added.
Mayorkas has been cited by many Republican members of the House of Representatives as an official at risk of being impeached. Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee are beginning to hold hearings investigating whether Mayorkas should be impeached for his handling of the southern border.
The process for the Holman rule would need to be done in an appropriations bill, which would need to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate and be signed by President Joe Biden, meaning it would be unlikely to end up as law, but Buck says the Holman rule can be used to send a message to the public about officials such as Mayorkas.
"I think the bar is lower for the Holman rule and I think it's something that would be more popular in the House, and so I think that the Holman rule stands a better chance of passing. And I doubt that anything is gonna happen in the Senate with either the Holman rule or impeachment, but at least the Holman rule is a way to make sure that we are sending the message to the American people that we hear them and that what's happening on the border is unacceptable," Buck said.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
When asked if there has been any talk about using the Holman rule against any Biden administration officials, Buck said that there has been external talk about the rule but that he has not discussed it with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
"I don't know, certainly there has been talk — there has been a lot of public talk about the Holman rule, but I have not had the opportunity to talk with Kevin McCarthy about it," Buck said.