US House Votes Against Impeaching Mayorkas

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • The US House on Tuesday voted 214-216 against a Republican-led effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the southern border, as a handful of Republicans joined with all the Democrats.1
  • The four Republicans who voted against the proposal were Reps. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), Ken Buck (R-Colo.), Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), and Blake Moore (R-Utah), who voted no as a procedural move so that the GOP could bring the resolution back to the floor at a future date.2
  • Democrats were able to defeat the measure in part because Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) made a surprise appearance in hospital garb to vote against it after having abdominal surgery.3
  • The vote was on two articles of impeachment, which were introduced last month by House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.), accusing Mayorkas of a 'systemic' refusal to comply with immigration law and a breach of public trust.4
  • Several GOP legislators vowed to bring their effort to impeach a cabinet official for the first time since 1876 back next week for a vote. However, even if it passes the House, the Democratic-majority Senate is unlikely to convict Mayorkas.5
  • This vote comes as many Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), have vowed to defeat a bipartisan border security bill being negotiated in the Senate. Johnson previously promised his party Mayorkas would be impeached.6

Sources: 1USA Today, 2FOX News, 3New York Times, 4Forbes, 5Independent and 6Time.

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by Mother Jones. Democrats and legal experts tried to warn Republicans that this political stunt would fail, but they still went forward with their baseless vote. Republicans claim they want to secure the border, but they're intent on removing the man in charge of doing so and have attacked him since he first took office. Now House Republicans must adjust to the humiliating defeat they've brought on themselves.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by Daily Caller. Were it not for a few turncoats, this Republican effort to hold Mayorkas responsible for his criminal indifference to the crisis at the border would've passed. Mayorkas has failed bureaucratically and he must be removed from office. In the near future, all Republicans will be available to vote, and — despite the efforts of Democrats and a couple of unfortunate GOP outliers — this measure will pass and Mayorkas will be held to account.

Predictions