Three Republicans let Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas off the hook - For NOW- for the border crisis created under his watch in a historic 216-214 vote against impeachment. He WILL be Impeach THIS WEEK!
by Daniel Chaitin, The Dailywire.com, February 6, 2024
On Tuesday, House Republicans failed to muster enough support to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of a border crisis fraught with surging illegal crossings and fentanyl poisonings fueled by drug trafficking.
Three GOP lawmakers broke ranks and joined all voting Democrats to defeat a resolution that could have made Mayorkas the first Cabinet secretary to be impeached since 1876. The defectors included Reps. Ken Buck (R-CO), Tom McClintock (R-CA), and Mike Gallagher (R-WI).
The final tally ended up being 214-216, just short of the simple majority needed for success, as House GOP Vice Chairman Blake Moore (R-UT) flipped to a “no” vote at the last moment. Members said Moore changed his vote to break a tie and give Republicans another chance to bring up the impeachment resolution in the future.
Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) was the sole missing vote. He has been out of Washington for several weeks to undergo a stem cell transplant as he battles blood cancer. Rep. Al Green (D-TX), who had missed earlier votes in the day, showed up just in time to cast a “no” vote against impeachment. There are also four vacancies in the House.
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It was not immediately clear when Scalise will return to Capitol Hill, but Raj Shah, a spokesman for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), said House Republicans “fully intend to bring Articles of Impeachment against Secretary Mayorkas back to the floor when we have the votes for passage.”
Timing will be a factor. With New York expected to hold its special election to replace now-former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) next week, the Democrats may soon have another member in their ranks. Other special elections to fill other vacancies will follow in the coming weeks and months.
Mayorkas faced two articles of impeachment, which passed out of committee last week following a months-long investigation. One accused him of “willfully and systemically” refusing to comply with federal immigration laws and the other alleged he “breached the public trust” with false statements and obstructing lawful oversight of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-TN), who led the investigation, had urged his colleagues on both sides of the aisle “to do the right thing, put aside the politics, and agree that before we can fix Secretary Mayorkas’ mess, Congress must finally hold this man accountable.”
