Mayorkas Impeachment Measure Fails After 8 House Republicans Side with Democrats
The House voted Monday to push off a Republican effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border crisis.
The vote ends, for now, a threat against the Cabinet secretary that has been brewing ever since Republicans took the House majority in January.
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia forced a vote on impeaching Mayorkas to the floor through a rule that allows any single member to force a snap vote on resolutions, including constitutional matters such as impeachment.
Eight Republicans joined with Democrats to vote 209-201 to send her resolution to committees for possible consideration, like any other bill.
2) Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO)
-Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA)
-Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA)
-Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC)
-Rep. John Duarte (R-CA)
-Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
-Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-OR)
-Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH)— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) November 14, 2023
In a floor speech Monday, Greene accused Mayorkas of a “pattern of conduct that is incompatible with the laws of the United States,” as she cited record numbers of illegal border crossings, an influx of drugs and his “open border policies.”
Our border is wide open and Americans are dying everyday.
It’s time for Congress to hold the Biden administration accountable.
It’s time to IMPEACH Mayorkas.
Tonight, the House will vote on the Democrat motion to table (kill) my articles of impeachment against Mayorkas.… pic.twitter.com/mXB4LDDktV
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) November 13, 2023
The impeachment resolution accused him of failing to adhere to his oath to “defend and secure our country and uphold the Constitution.”
“In his willful admittance of border crossers, terrorists, human traffickers, drugs, and other contraband, Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas has failed to maintain operational control of the border, thereby violating the Secure Fence Act of 2006,” the resolution said.
After the vote, Greene said she might try again to push an impeachment vote to the floor and argued her colleagues would face pressure from voters to impeach Mayorkas.
“Many Republicans, I would argue, are really tone deaf to their constituents and to their voters,” she said.
In a post to the X social media platform Tuesday morning, the congresswoman lashed out at the eight Republicans who voted against the measure: Reps. Patrick McHenry and Virginia Foxx of North Carolina; John Duarte, Tom McClintock and Darrell Issa of California; Cliff Bentz of Oregon; Ken Buck of Colorado; and Mike Turner of Ohio.
“How many more Americans have to die while you claim impeachment has to be done the ‘right way?'” Greene wrote.
“My articles have been rotting in committee and now go back on the shelf,” she said. “Your excuses are pathetic!”
To the 8 Republicans who voted with Dems to kill the impeachment of Mayorkas:
How many more Americans have to die while you claim impeachment has to be done the “right way?”
My articles have been rotting in committee and now go back on the shelf.
Your excuses are pathetic!
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) November 14, 2023
Several prominent Republicans have become outspoken advocates of pushing forward on the GOP’s longstanding effort to impeach Mayorkas. House GOP whip Tom Emmer, the No. 3 House Republican, as well as Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican whose congressional district runs along the border with Mexico, voiced support for Greene’s resolution.
During congressional testimony, Mayorkas claimed he is focused on securing the border and enforcing the law.
Republicans have closely scrutinized the Biden administration’s handling of the border crisis and sought to build an impeachment case against Mayorkas. But Greene voiced frustration with the progress of those inquiries and pointed to a car crash in Texas that killed eight people after a driver suspected of smuggling people tried to flee the police and crashed into another vehicle.
Only one U.S. Cabinet official has ever been impeached: Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876. A House investigation found evidence that he had received kickback payments while administering government contracts.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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