Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was impeached yesterday by the House of Representatives in a historic 214-213 vote. Mayorkas is the first cabinet member to be successfully impeached since War Secretary William Belknap in 1876.
The Republican-controlled House passed two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas on charges of “willful and systemic refusal to comply with federal immigration law” and lying to Congress about the border being “secure.”
“His refusal to obey the law is not only an offense against the separation of powers in the Constitution of the United States, it also threatens our national security and has had a dire impact on communities across the country,” the articles of impeachment read.
There was some concern amongst Republicans in the House that voting to impeach Mayorkas could set a precedent that could harm GOP lawmakers in the future. In addition, the impeachment seems doomed to fail in the Senate.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) dismissed both of those concerns.
“Mayorkas is an exceptional case in U.S. history,” Johnson said about why he does not believe precedent is an issue. He then accused Mayorkas of having done more “damage on the country than any Cabinet secretary that’s ever been.”
Johnson then stated: “The House has a constitutional responsibility, as I’ve said many times. It’s probably the heaviest next to a declaration of war. And we have to do our job regardless of what the other chamber does.”
President Joe Biden saw the impeachment much differently, accusing Republicans of playing politics rather than truly wanting to shut down the southern border.
History will not look kindly on House Republicans for their baseless impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas.
Instead of staging political stunts like this, House Republicans with genuine concerns about the border should want Congress to deliver more border security.
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 14, 2024
“History will not look kindly on House Republicans for their blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship that has targeted an honorable public servant in order to play petty political games,” a statement attributed to Joe Biden read.
“This impeachment already failed once on a bipartisan vote. Instead of staging political stunts like this, Republicans with genuine concerns about the border should want Congress to deliver more border resources and stronger border security,” the statement continued.
Three Republicans voted against the impeachment articles, each criticizing Mayorkas while not believing he had committed an impeachable offense.
