House Republicans failed on Tuesday to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas, as a handful of holdouts from the party joined Democrats in rejecting the initiative.
The first round of voting ended in a 214-216 but changed into a 215-215 tie after Representative Blake Moore changed his vote at the last minute so Republicans can introduce the motion again when Majority Leader Steve Scalise returns to Washington after getting treatment for cancer.
The outcome was uncertain before the floor vote, as Republicans hold a slim majority in the chamber and could only afford to lose a few votes. Two lawmakers, Ken Buck and Tom McClintock, had already said they opposed the vote, while Mike Gallagher also voted against impeachment.
Buck said that, based on consultations on "constitutional experts" and "former members," he won't support the initiative. "(They) agree that this just isn't an impeachable offense."
Buck added that, in his view, Mayorkas' handling of the surge in immigration in the southern border is "terrible," but that doesn't make him guilty of the high crimes and misdemeanors included in the articles of impeachment.
Even if the House impeaches Mayorkas after Scalise's return, the chances of the motion passing in the Senate are slim. ABC News reported that Republican senators have "been cool to the effort" and that they may "simply refer the matter to a committee for its own investigation, delaying immediate action."
At the center of the efforts is the implementation of a series of family reunification parole programs, which allowed some foreign nationals to wait in the U.S. for immigration visas. The allegation says Mayorkas should have used those resources to detain people crossing the border illegally.
At the center of the efforts is the implementation of a series of family reunification parole programs, which allowed some foreign nationals to wait in the U.S. for immigration visas. The allegation says Mayorkas should have used those resources to detain people crossing the border illegally.
The second article argues that Mayorkas knowingly made false statements to Congress by saying that the border was secure and that he obstructed oversight.
If the vote had passed, it would have been the first time since 1876 when a Cabinet secretary was impeached and the first one aimed at a sitting member. Back then, Secretary of War William Belknap resigned just before the vote.
Immigration has become a central political issue in 2024 as the presidential elections get closer. While the House deals with the impeachment vote, the Senate is immersed in its own conundrum after Republicans threaten to vote against a border security bill that was negotiated by members of both parties for months.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
