In a bold move reflective of mounting frustration within GOP ranks, House Republicans, spearheaded by Representative Mike Collins from Georgia, launched an effort to slash the budget for Vice President Kamala Harris’s office this Wednesday. The initiative, proposed as an amendment to the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, was a direct challenge to the vice president’s efficacy in office, especially in her capacity as the appointed border czar.
Collins’s amendment was unambiguous in its intent: to prohibit any funds from being used for the office of the vice president, effectively defunding her team’s salaries and expenses. The rationale, as Collins articulated, stemmed from his stark assessment of Harris’s tenure as vice president — marked by what he and likeminded Republicans deem as her mishandling of key responsibilities, notably the border crisis, and an overall failure to enact any meaningful security measures.
Collins, voicing his disapproval from the floor of the House, did not mince words. He labeled Harris’s performance as a string of failures, from team management, reflected in high staff turnover, to her role in addressing the surge of migrants at the southern border — an issue he attributed to the “far-left border policies” of the Biden-Harris administration. The congressman’s stance was clear: Harris had not only dropped the ball on these critical issues, but her efforts, or lack thereof, had also resulted in what he saw as a glaring failure to serve the American people effectively.
Despite the vigor with which Collins presented his case, the amendment did not pass. The proposition was met with a decisive defeat in the House, garnering 106 votes in favor but falling to the overwhelming 322 votes against it, a coalition of most Republicans and all Democrats, as reported by Business Insider.
Undeterred, Collins took to social media to further criticize Harris, particularly targeting her leadership on border security. He boldly asserted that Harris’s perceived incompetence in securing the border justified the defunding of her office — a sentiment he aimed to translate into legislative action through his amendment.
The vice president’s approval ratings have been a point of contention and fodder for her critics. Breitbart News highlighted a poll from the previous year which indicated Harris’s approval rating at a low 28 percent, with a 62 percent disapproval rate, starkly contrasting with President Biden’s ratings at the time. This public sentiment underscores the challenges Harris faces within her role, as perceived by both the public and her political opponents.
Further, Breitbart News pointed to Biden’s announcement in September of Harris’s leadership over the new federal Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Yet, critics have been quick to underscore her track record, suggesting her leadership on key policy fronts — from gun control to artificial intelligence and the migrant crisis — has been fraught with gaffes or has yet to drive substantial policy changes. The narrative painted by these events, as relayed by the original author, frames a picture of a vice president whose tenure has been questioned and whose leadership roles have been scrutinized for their efficacy and impact.
