Democratic chair blasts Mayorkas, Wray for failure to testify; threats hearing postponed

The Democratic chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee blasted the heads of the FBI and Department of Homeland Security on Thursday, issuing a rare but sharp rebuke of the two officials for failing to appear for a public hearing.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) said both Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray “refused to appear” before the panel for its annual hearing about threats to the homeland, saying it was the first time in 15 years officials have done so.

“Americans deserve transparent, public answers about the threats we face. Secretary Mayorkas and Director Wray’s refusal to speak publicly about their department’s work will only increase the concerns that many Americans have about our nation’s security at a challenging time, flout the Committee’s efforts to conduct responsible oversight, and will deal a serious blow to trust in our government. Their claims that they can only relay such information and respond to questions in a classified setting are entirely without merit,” Peters said in a statement.

“It cannot be the practice of the Executive Branch to deny the public critical information and disregard Congress’ constitutionally recognized right to conduct oversight.”

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), in an interview on Fox News, also criticized the officials for not appearing at the public hearing. Lankford said the only reason given was that the officials did not want to offer the testimony in public.

In a statement to The Hill, the FBI also said Wray would have appeared in a classified setting for the hearing but did not want to testify in a public setting.

“The FBI has repeatedly demonstrated our commitment to responding to Congressional oversight and being transparent with the American people," the FBI's statement said.

"We remain committed to sharing information about the continuously evolving threat environment facing our nation and the extraordinary work the men and women of the FBI are doing — here at home and around the world — to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States. FBI leaders have testified extensively in public settings about the current threat environment and believe the Committee would benefit most from further substantive discussions and additional information that can only be provided in a classified setting.”

The Hill has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

The postponement of the hearing comes after the companion House panel likewise canceled its annual threats hearing.

But the Senate hearing remained on the calendar, even as Mayorkas’s public schedule for the week failed to indicate any testimony.

The hearing would have been Wray’s first congressional appearance since Vice President-elect JD Vance indicated the Trump transition team is meeting with candidates to oversee the FBI – an indication President-elect Trump plans to fire Wray before the end of his 10-year term in 2027.

This story was updated at 9:24 a.m.