House Republicans fell short in their bid on Tuesday to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, accusing him of deliberate and systematic non-compliance with federal immigration law and falsehoods regarding the border’s security.
The effort to impeach President Biden’s top border enforcement official saw a close vote, with most Republicans in favor but crucially lacking support from four party members who sided with Democrats. Notably, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise was absent due to ongoing treatment for blood cancer, while Rep. Hal Rogers returned from a recent car accident to participate, donning a neck brace.
Had Mayorkas been impeached, he would have been only the second Cabinet official in history to face such a fate, following Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876, who resigned amid corruption allegations.
Initially, some Republicans like Reps. Ken Buck, Tom McClintock, and Mike Gallagher aligned with Democrats against impeachment, with Rep. Al Green, who had been absent due to illness, unexpectedly siding with pro-Mayorkas forces.
As the vote remained deadlocked at 215-215, Democratic lawmakers voiced their opposition, shouting for order as tension mounted. Efforts to sway undecided members, including Rep. Gallagher, were observed on the House floor, but ultimately, Rep. Blake Moore’s vote switch from “yea” to “nay” sealed the resolution’s failure, drawing applause from Democrats.
With Scalise sidelined, House Republicans could only afford to lose two votes to successfully impeach Mayorkas. In a floor speech, Rep. McClintock emphasized the founders’ intent to avoid turning political disagreements into impeachment proceedings to preserve the separation of powers.
Rep. Michael Guest acknowledged widespread dissatisfaction with Mayorkas but expressed reservations about the grounds for impeachment, questioning whether the clause applied to Cabinet secretaries or elected officials accused of such offenses.
Earlier in the day, all 216 GOP lawmakers present supported advancing the impeachment measure, reflecting party unity on the issue.
House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Mayorkas for what he described as blatant disregard for federal law, advocating for impeachment as an extreme response to extraordinary circumstances.
Ahead of a potential Senate trial, Johnson named 11 impeachment managers, highlighting the extensive investigation conducted by the House Committee on Homeland Security into the border crisis’s causes and consequences.
Rep. Green underscored the committee’s efforts, including border visits, interviews with law enforcement officials, and testimonies from affected families, rebuffing Democratic criticism that the hearings were fruitless.
The impeachment resolution accused Mayorkas of failing to uphold immigration laws and providing misleading information about border security, particularly regarding the implementation of policies such as the Secure Fence Act and the Remain in Mexico policy.
According to the resolution, Mayorkas also allegedly disregarded federal law by granting humanitarian parole en masse, contributing to a backlog of over 3 million asylum cases and facilitating the entry of thousands of migrants monthly from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
Since Biden assumed office, over 8.5 million migrants have been apprehended by US Customs and Border Protection, with a significant portion encountering authorities at the southern border. Additionally, approximately 1.8 million individuals entered the US without detection.
During the floor debate, Rep. Michael Burgess highlighted a policy memo released by Mayorkas, attributing it to the surge in migration and reinforcing the claims outlined in the impeachment resolution.
Meanwhile, in the Senate, a $118 billion border security package, which included military aid for Ukraine and Israel, faced insurmountable opposition, effectively halting its progress. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell conceded the bill’s slim chances of passage but urged consideration of the foreign military assistance in a separate measure.
{Matzav.com}