House Lawmakers Have Voted To Impeach Mayorkas

(RepublicanPress.org) – On February 6, the House of Representatives took a vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for his alleged mishandling of the southern border. That vote failed by a small margin, as four Republicans joined all House Democrats to reject the move. A week later, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) brought the matter to the floor once again.

On February 13, the impeachment barely passed with a vote of 214 to 213 in favor of the move against Mayorkas. While some GOP members still joined House Democrats to oppose the measure, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), who was absent during the first round of voting, returned to vote and gave Republicans what they needed to impeach the secretary.

The House just impeached Alejandro Mayorkas. Here's what happens next. https://t.co/TjUo3MXtk4

— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 14, 2024

According to CBS News, the Department of Homeland Security released a statement after the vote saying that GOP lawmakers didn’t have a “shred of evidence” or constitutional basis to impeach Mayorkas. Democrats agreed, calling the move a political stunt.

Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS) bashed his Republican colleagues in a statement for the “baseless impeachment,” saying they themselves admitted to having no evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors on the part of Mayorkas — but impeached him anyway. He said the lawmakers should’ve supported a “bipartisan solution” instead.

Time reported that several congressional scholars agree with Thompson and those who voted against impeachment. Columbia Law School Professor Philip Bobbitt said the GOP didn’t accuse Mayorkas of “anything that sounds like a constitutional crime” — the standard of impeachment. Many believe this move will set a precedent and degrade the congressional impeachment power overall.

The matter now goes to the Senate, which holds a Democratic majority. The Upper Chamber will hold a trial, and if convicted, Mayorkas will be removed as secretary. CBS News reported that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) office said the trial will happen sometime after February 26. Senator James Lankford (R-OK) expects the measure will be “dead on arrival when it comes over,” according to CBS News.