House Stalls Vote to Impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas

https://icaro.icaromediagroup.com/system/images/photos/15878802/original/open-uri20231114-56-c626xi?1699935680
ICARO Media Group
Politics
14/11/2023 04h20

In a surprising turn of events, the US House of Representatives voted 209-201 to stall a vote on the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. A group of Republicans joined forces with Democrats in opposing the effort, effectively blocking the motion by referring the matter to the Homeland Security Committee. Among the small group of Republican rebels was former interim Speaker Patrick McHenry.

The push to impeach Mayorkas was spearheaded by hardline Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who claimed that he had failed in his duties as secretary by not effectively addressing the influx of migrants crossing the southern border. This has been a long-standing issue for some Republicans, who have blamed Mayorkas for the failure to secure the US-Mexico border.

Greene filed a privileged resolution last week, forcing Republicans to hold a vote on the floor by Tuesday. Her resolution gained support from several senior Republicans, including House Republican Whip Tom Emmer, who stated that "a vote to impeach Mayorkas is a vote to get our border under control."

However, the resolution faced opposition from a surprising number of Republicans. Eight GOP lawmakers joined Democrats in voting to send the resolution to the Homeland Security Committee, which is already conducting an investigation into Mayorkas' handling of border security. Several other House committees have also held hearings on the Biden administration's border security policies.

Over the past two fiscal years, the number of people apprehended at the US-Mexico border has exceeded 2 million, leading to growing concerns and criticism from Republicans regarding the administration's approach to border control.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security termed the impeachment resolution a "baseless attack" that was "completely without merit and a harmful distraction from our critical national security priorities." Mayorkas has been unapologetic and steadfast in his defense of the administration's border policies.

This episode marks the first time since 1876 that the US House has voted on the impeachment of a cabinet member. The outcome has left Marjorie Taylor Greene outraged by the failure of the vote, indicating that the issue of border security remains a contentious topic within the Republican party.

As the Homeland Security Committee continues its investigation into Mayorkas, the future of border security policies and the role of the Homeland Security Secretary remain uncertain. The debate surrounding this issue is far from over, and its impact on the wider immigration and national security landscape remains to be seen.

The views expressed in this article do not reflect the opinion of ICARO, or any of its affiliates.

Related