Another House Republican opposes Mayorkas impeachment, articles in jeopardy
House Republican Opposes Impeaching Homeland Security Secretary
On Tuesday, a second House Republican came out against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border crisis, putting the GOP-led push on the edge of failure if another defector comes forward.
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) released a statement and a ten-page memo arguing that a successful House vote will not solve the border crisis under President Joe Biden and that the charges against Mayorkas are not impeachable offenses.
“The only way to stop the border invasion is to replace the Biden administration at the ballot box. Swapping one leftist for another is a fantasy, solves nothing, excuses Biden’s culpability, and unconstitutionally expands impeachment that someday will bite Republicans,” McClintock said.
Two articles of impeachment allege Mayorkas has “willfully and systemically refused to comply with Federal immigration laws” and “breached the public trust” by making false statements, ”knowingly” obstructing lawful oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, and making false statements to Congress.
Democrats have panned the impeachment proceedings as a “political stunt,” while the White House went as far as to claim the endeavor is “unconstitutional.” Mayorkas pushed back against what he called “false accusations” levied against him. Should impeachment succeed in the House, it faces long odds in the Democrat-led Senate.
Still, House Republicans are expected to move forward with impeachment this week. They carry a slim margin by which they could approve the articles, assuming every voting Democrat opposes them as they did at the committee level. The party breakdown is 219 Republicans and 212 Democrats, with four vacancies.
Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), who is not seeking re-election this year, has already come out against the impeachment effort. If only two Republicans oppose impeachment, the articles could still reach the requisite simple majority.
But there are still a couple of unknowns.
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Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) has been out of Washington to undergo a stem cell transplant as he battles blood cancer. And it remains unclear where some other rank-and-file Republicans, including Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Patrick McHenry (R-NC), stand on impeachment. One more “no” vote could sink the articles if Scalise is still out.
Timing will also 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.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told reporters on Tuesday morning that he had just spoken to both McClintock and Buck about impeaching Mayorkas.
“I respect everyone’s view on it … I believe impeachment is probably the heaviest authority that the House is given in the Constitution. We carry that weight very carefully,” Johnson said.
What are the allegations against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that form the basis for the push to impeach him?
N the House, the case would then move on to the Senate for a trial, where conviction and removal from office would require a two-thirds majority vote.
The push to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas comes as Republicans continue to criticize the Biden administration’s handling of the border crisis. The surge of migrants crossing the border has reached unprecedented levels, and Republicans argue that Mayorkas has failed to enforce federal immigration laws effectively.
However, Rep. Tom McClintock, a Republican from California, has taken a different stance on the issue. In a statement and a ten-page memo, McClintock outlined his reasons for opposing the impeachment of Mayorkas. He argues that removing Mayorkas from office will not solve the border crisis, stating that the only way to effectively address the issue is to replace the Biden administration through elections. McClintock also asserts that the charges against Mayorkas do not meet the criteria for impeachment, claiming that they are not impeachable offenses.
“The only way to stop the border invasion is to replace the Biden administration at the ballot box. Swapping one leftist for another is a fantasy, solves nothing, excuses Biden’s culpability, and unconstitutionally expands impeachment that someday will bite Republicans,” McClintock said.
The articles of impeachment accuse Mayorkas of willfully refusing to comply with federal immigration laws and breaching the public trust through false statements and obstructing lawful oversight of the Department of Homeland Security. These allegations form the basis for the effort to remove Mayorkas from office.
While Democrats dismiss the impeachment proceedings as a political stunt, the White House has taken a strong stance against them, calling them unconstitutional. Mayorkas himself has vehemently denied the accusations made against him, labeling them as false.
If impeachment is successful in the House, the process will then move to the Senate for a trial, where a two-thirds majority vote is required for conviction and removal from office. As of now, the push to impeach Mayorkas hangs on a delicate balance, with the defection of just one more House Republican likely to tip the scales and result in failure for the GOP-led effort.
The debate surrounding the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas reflects the ongoing tensions between Republicans and Democrats over immigration policies and border security. As the border crisis continues to escalate, the question of accountability and the effectiveness of government officials in managing the situation remains at the forefront of the political agenda.
It remains to be seen whether the push to impeach Mayorkas will gain enough support to move forward, but regardless of the outcome, the controversy surrounding the issue highlights the deep divisions within the House and the broader political landscape in the United States today.
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