In a historic vote on Tuesday night, the House impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas with a narrow margin of 214 to 213. This marks the first time in nearly 150 years that a cabinet official has faced impeachment.
Back in 1876, Secretary of War William Belknap, who served under President Ulysses S. Grant, was also impeached by the House, even though he had already resigned prior to the vote. However, Belknap was ultimately acquitted by the Senate, suggesting that a similar outcome may occur if the Senate does not halt Mayorkas’s impeachment through procedural means.
Nonetheless, Republicans can now assert that they have seized a rare opportunity in a deeply divided Congress to hold the Biden administration accountable on a matter that could potentially shape the outcome of the 2024 election.
“Secretary Mayorkas’s willful refusal to enforce federal law created an unprecedented crisis at our southern border and left innocent Americans to pay the price,” Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) told Breitbart News in an exclusive statement. “Because Mayorkas failed to do the honorable thing by resigning, House Republicans fulfilled our Constitutional duty by voting to impeach.”
Tuesday night’s result comes after House Republicans’ recent failure to impeach Mayorkas, with the deciding vote being cast by Rep. Al Green (D-TX), who arrived in the House chamber from a Washington emergency room in a wheelchair. The Republicans did not anticipate Green’s participation in the vote, which ultimately proved detrimental to their impeachment efforts.
Despite this setback, House leadership proceeded with the vote on Tuesday night, as Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) returned after receiving cancer treatment in Louisiana since December. Additionally, a special election in New York’s Third Congressional District, if called for former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY), would have safeguarded Mayorkas.
Reps. Ken Buck (R-CO), Tom McClintock (R-CA), and Mike Gallagher (R-WI) once again aligned with Democrats in voting against the impeachment of the embattled secretary, despite facing significant opposition from within their own party. The unpopularity of their stance was evident when Gallagher, following last week’s vote against impeachment, announced his decision not to seek reelection to Congress.
The successful impeachment is seen as a triumph for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA), who has been the most vocal and persistent advocate for removing Mayorkas from the administration. Green and her supporters argue that Mayorkas deliberately disregarded existing laws and provided false information to Congress, which are clear grounds for impeachment.
Dan Goldman and the fake news want you to think Mayorkas did nothing wrong.
Don't believe their lies – read the impeachment articles yourself and see the laws he's broken, there’s 6 pages!
Accountability is coming. pic.twitter.com/8z5NTXvJYT
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) February 13, 2024
The Senate is unlikely to support the impeachment, as Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) might explore various approaches to swiftly dismiss the options and avoid a short trial where Mayorkas is bound to be acquitted completely.
However, the matter of border security will persistently trouble Democrats as the November election approaches. House Republicans are steadfast in their stance, asserting that H.R.2, their stringent border security bill passed in the previous year, should serve as the foundation for ongoing discussions on border security.