Madame Secretary? Forget the jockeying to be Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told us at a stop in Greenville, South Carolina, ahead of Saturday’s GOP primary there that she has her eye on a key Cabinet position if the former president wins in November.
“I’d be honored to serve President Trump in his next administration in any capacity that he asks me. But I’m certainly particularly interested in Homeland Security. I think it’s the top issue in the country,” she said.
The Rome Republican and Trump loyalist was an architect of the House impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas, the current leader of the Department of Homeland Security.
She and her allies pushed through the first-ever impeachment resolution against a sitting Cabinet secretary, charging Mayorkas with refusing to enforce border laws and breaching the public trust.
The impeachment won’t go anywhere in the Democratic-led Senate, where even GOP senators have declared the resolution “dead on arrival” and a political stunt.
Greene, who owned a Crossfit studio and worked in her family construction business before seeking office, said her experience makes her far better suited for the job. Homeland Security oversees not only the nation’s border security, but also counterterrorism, cybersecurity, national emergency response, and the U.S. Secret Service.
“Coming from a background in an executive position, I feel very strong about being capable for that role,” she said.
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Credit: AP
Credit: AP
PERDUE’S POTUS PICK. Former U.S. Sen. David Perdue waged a primary campaign two years ago against Gov. Brian Kemp with Donald Trump’s blessing. Now Perdue is returning the support to the former president.
Perdue issued a lengthy endorsement on Thursday. He said Trump “led one of the best turnarounds in our nation’s history.”
“I encourage people to look beyond the rhetoric, focus on the results accomplished in his first four years, and envision what is possible during his second term,” wrote Perdue, who lost to Kemp in the 2022 vote by 52 percentage points.
“Do we want four more years of Joe Biden, or do we want to get back to the fundamental principles that made this country so great to begin with? The world needs us to make the right choice. For me, it’s simple: we need to elect President Donald J. Trump to become the 47th President of the United States,” Perdue wrote.
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Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
TIME TO VOTE. Speaking of picking a president, early voting has begun for Georgia’s March 12 presidential primary. Details for precincts and absentee balloting are available at the Secretary of State’s My Voter page.
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
IVF RULING. Gov. Brian Kemp carefully sidestepped a question Thursday about whether he supports an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos can be considered children under law.
But during a session at Politico’s Governor Summit, he indicated he is supportive of in vitro fertilization procedures put in legal jeopardy by the ruling.
“You have a lot of people out there in this country that wouldn’t have children if it weren’t for that,” he said.
Without naming names, he also took a jab at Republicans who decry electric vehicles then spend their weekends puttering around on golf carts or other battery-powered devices.
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VOTER LAWS. Will Gov. Brian Kemp sign legislation that ends automatic voter registration in Georgia if it reaches his desk? Don’t hold your breath.
“This bill somehow manages to both undermine voter access and election security at the same time,” said Cody Hall, Kemp’s senior political adviser. “A uniquely terrible idea.”
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Hall was referring to a measure adopted by the Senate Ethics Committee along party lines Thursday that would end Georgia’s popular “motor voter” policy that registers eligible Georgians when they get their driver’s licenses unless they decline to sign up.
Our AJC colleague Mark Niesse referred to it as the primary tool to ensure voters’ names and addresses are correct.
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Credit: Casey Sykes for the AJC
Credit: Casey Sykes for the AJC
UNDER THE GOLD DOME
- The House and Senate are out of session. Floor action resumes Monday.
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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
ON THE MOVE. With Crossover Day looming next week, the House and Senate kept up the pace Thursday.
- The state House passed HB 986, a measure to ban deepfake technology that impersonates a candidate ahead of an election. Not only would campaign ads have to disclose the use of AI-generated images, the AJC’s Mark Niesse reports the bill would make it a felony to publish or broadcast deceptive media 90 days before an election. The bill’s primary author is Rep. Brad Thomas, R-Holly Springs.
- The state Senate passed the annual midyear budget, which includes $5 billion of new spending. But one thing it does not include, according to James Salzer, is House-passed money for election officials to audit ballots without using QR codes.
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Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
SWAN SONG SESSION. With the start of the 2024 election qualifying period looming on March 4, another state lawmaker has announced this legislative session will be his last.
Rep. J Collins, R-Villa Rica, won’t seek reelection to the House seat he’s held since 2016. Collins chairs the Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee.
" I am proud of the great work that we have accomplished under this Gold Dome. But it is time to turn the page and allow someone new to represent our community’s values and interests at the State Capitol,” Collins said in a statement.
Collins is the second high-ranking Republican this week to announce a pending retirement from the General Assembly. Rep. Penny Houston of Nashville said Tuesday she would not seek reelection after 26 years in the House.
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BEST DRESSED. Before March Madness, there is February Madness. The AJC’s Maya T. Prabhu has launched her official bracket for the best-dressed lawmaker under the Gold Dome. This election year, voters will determine the outcome, so make your voice heard.
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Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
LISTEN UP. On Thursday’s “Politically Georgia” radio show, U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, previewed the upcoming government shutdown deadlines and why he believes House Republicans are having a hard time governing with a slim majority.
Also, Marcus Flowers, who ran unsuccessfully against Marjorie Taylor Greene in the 2022 election, answered questions about why he now has his sights on the 13th Congressional District and a primary challenge against fellow Democrat and longtime U.S. Rep. David Scott of Atlanta.
And we discussed Patricia Murphy’s exclusive interview with GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley.
Today, AJC Editor-in-Chief Leroy Chapman joins the show to ask questions of the veteran congressman he covered decades ago, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina. Clyburn will provide insight into his state’s GOP presidential primary on the eve of that contest.
Listen at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. And listen to Thursday’s show live at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1 FM, at AJC.com and at WABE.org.
Have a question or comment for the show? Call the 24-hour “Politically Georgia” Podcast Hotline at 404-526-AJCP. (That’s 404-526-2527.) We’ll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday’s episode.
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OY VEY. U.S. U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, will headline a seminar at the Conservative Political Action Conference, better known as CPAC, later today.
The title: “What You Talkin Bout Fani Willis.”
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris meet at the White House with governors from across the country who are in Washington for the National Governors Association Winter Meeting.
- The House and Senate are in recess all week.
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Credit: AJC file photo
Credit: AJC file photo
JOHN LEWIS POST OFFICE. Family and friends of late Democratic Congressman John Lewis gathered Wednesday to mark the official renaming of Atlanta’s main post office in his honor.
The dedication ceremony was timed to Lewis’ 84th birthday, WSB-TV reported. He died in 2020 of pancreatic cancer.
On Saturday, U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, an Atlanta Democrat, will join members of Lewis’ family at the post office for yet another celebration.
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Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
IN MEMORIAM. Willie T. Edmondson, the first Black person to be elected mayor in LaGrange, died last week. His funeral was Wednesday.
Edmondson was a pastor at a Baptist church and owner of a local funeral home. He also served as a LaGrange City Council member prior to being elected mayor. A cause of death has not been announced.
U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-The Rock, shared reflections of Edmondson in an article for the AJC saying, “He was always a steady hand and a calm voice.
“He had an acute sense of fairness and right and wrong; he was a good example of putting others ahead of yourself,” Ferguson continued. “He had a big vision for the community, and he was willing to do the hard work and have the tough conversations to make those visions happen.”
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Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
DOG OF THE DAY. If you see the AJC’s Zach Hansen looking bleary-eyed around town sometime soon, it may be because he and his wife, Madeline, are now the proud people of Bo, the Boston terrier puppy they recently adopted.
Like any baby his age, it’s hard to say what Bo’s hobbies and personality will be like when he’s older. But a reliable source reports he’s currently extremely squirmy and, as seen here, extremely adorable.
Welcome to the family, Bo! You’re our Dog of the Day.
Send us your dogs of any political persuasion and location, and cats on a cat-by-cat basis, to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, or DM us at @MurphyAJC.
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AS ALWAYS, Politically Georgia readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com, and adam.vanbrimmer@ajc.com.
