House Republicans move forward with Mayorkas impeachment in Homeland Security Committee
First White House Cabinet Official in Over a Century Faces Impeachment
President Joe Biden’s secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could be the first White House cabinet official to be impeached since 1876.
On Tuesday, House Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee passed two articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the administration’s disastrous open border. Lawmakers spent the day making their case either for or against impeachment proceedings as the committee moved forward over the 12-hour markup hearing.
“Secretary Mayorkas is the very type of public official the framers feared,” said GOP Chairman Mark Green of Tennessee. “Someone who would cast aside the laws passed by a co-equal branch of government, replacing those with his own preferences — hurting his fellow Americans in the process.”
The House Homeland Security Committee is meeting now to markup the two impeachment articles against DHS Secretary Mayorkas.
“Secretary Mayorkas is the very type of public official the framers feared.” – Chairman Mark Green pic.twitter.com/zB06iceDlQ
Committee members advanced the articles with a late-night vote of 18 to 15 on Tuesday. The articles, for “Willful and Systemic Refusal to Comply With the Law” and “Breach of the Public Trust,” will now move to a full chamber vote that will determine whether the Senate will convene a trial. Removal from office requires two-thirds of the Senate rendering a guilty verdict, which is unlikely given that the upper chamber is dominated by Democrats.
Several House Republicans remain on the fence about the DHS chief’s impeachment, which could jeopardize the success of a full chamber vote. Axios reported Tuesday that at least four GOP members are undecided, or at least closed-lipped, with Republicans only holding a slim six-seat majority. Members include Tom McClintock of California, David Joyce of Ohio, Dan Newhouse of Washington, and Ken Buck of Colorado. Buck, who announced in November he would not seek reelection this fall, told Punchbowl News he “leans no” on the secretary’s impeachment.
Republicans argue Mayorkas has established programs that run contrary to his constitutional obligation to provide effective security along the border. Examples include the expansion of the CBP One App, which allows migrants to enter the country after merely scheduling an appointment with officials, and the prioritization of family reunification parole processes with policies that enable foreigners to wait within the country for visas. Since President Biden took office, an estimated 1.7 million known “gotaways” have come into the country undetected, according to the House Judiciary Committee, bringing the estimated number of illegal border crossers under this administration to about 10 million or more.
In article two, Republicans charged Mayorkas with evading congressional oversight and misleading the public about the status of the border.
“At every turn, our Democrat colleagues have met these oversight efforts with mockery,” Green charged on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, House Democrats have written off the impeachment proceedings as a “political stunt” by “extreme MAGA Republicans.”
“In a process akin to throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks, Republicans have cooked up vague, unprecedented grounds to impeach Secretary Mayorkas,” said Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the panel’s top Democrat, at Tuesday’s hearing.
Mayorkas defended his tenure in office with a six-page letter to the House Homeland Security Committee as lawmakers moved forward with their charges.
“We have provided Congress and your Committee hours of testimony, thousands of documents, hundreds of briefings, and much more information that demonstrates quite clearly how we are enforcing the law,” Mayorkas wrote. “I assure you that your false accusations do not rattle me and do not divert me from the law enforcement and broader public service to which I remain devoted.”
Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist and the author of Social Justice Redux, a conservative newsletter on culture, health, and wellness. He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at [email protected]. Sign up for Tristan’s email newsletter here.
What measures has Mayorkas implemented to improve border security and manage migration effectively?
Mmittee Republicans. They also highlight the increase in drug smuggling, human trafficking, and gang activity at the border under Mayorkas’ leadership.
Democrats, on the other hand, argue that Mayorkas is being targeted unfairly and that the impeachment proceedings are politically motivated. They contend that the administration is doing its best to address the complex issue of immigration and that Mayorkas has implemented various measures to improve border security and manage migration effectively. They point to the reduction in migrant detention numbers and the processing of asylum-seekers as evidence of the administration’s commitment to a more humane approach.
This impeachment effort against Mayorkas is part of a broader Republican campaign to criticize the Biden administration’s handling of immigration and border security. Republicans have consistently accused the administration of being weak on border control and overly lenient towards migrants. They argue that Mayorkas’ impeachment is necessary to hold the administration accountable for its failures.
If the full chamber vote results in impeachment, it will lead to a trial in the Senate, where Democrats are expected to protect Mayorkas from removal. However, the political implications of a White House cabinet official facing impeachment are significant. It reflects the deep divisions and partisan tensions surrounding immigration policy and adds another layer of controversy to an already contentious topic.
Regardless of the outcome, this impeachment process underscores the challenges and complexities of immigration policy in the United States. It highlights the high stakes involved in securing the nation’s borders while also addressing humanitarian concerns and upholding constitutional principles.
As the debate continues, both Democrats and Republicans must prioritize finding common ground and working towards comprehensive immigration reform that addresses the concerns of all stakeholders. The future of border security and immigration policy will depend on bipartisan cooperation and innovative solutions that uphold America’s values while ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens.
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