Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was impeached by House Republicans late Tuesday in a historic vote after a failed first attempt. Mayorkas is the first cabinet member to be impeached in over 140 years.
Three Republican representatives—Ken Buck (CO), Tom McClintock (CA), and Mike Gallagher (WI)—broke rank just days ago to vote against Mayorkas’ impeachment alongside Democrats. They were joined by Rep. Al Green (D-TX), who showed up last minute after receiving surgery and tipped the vote. The three Republicans argued their party members were being irresponsible with their impeachment powers.
The Tuesday vote came down to a narrow margin of 214 to 213. Mayorkas has been charged with consciously and purposely refusing to enforce border laws and abusing the public trust. Some believe that the impeachment process is doomed to fail in the Senate based off preliminary remarks by Republican senators, who have implied Mayorkas’ actions do not constitute “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
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However, Republicans in the House have loudly made the case they do. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) put out a statement defending the vote on the grounds that Congress had a “constitutional obligation” to impeach anyone who has “willfully and consistently refused to comply with federal immigration laws,” “undermined public trust through multiple false statements to Congress, obstructed lawful oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, and violated his oath of office.”
Related: DHS Sec. Mayorkas Blames Climate Change, Not Biden Admin, for Migration Surge
To find precedent for such a move, one has to travel back to 1876, when Ulysses S. Grant’s War Secretary William Belknap was caught embezzling government funds on lavish parties and promiscuous ladies in the midst of the Gilded Age. The House sent the Senate five articles of impeachment against Belknap, who was charged with “criminally disregarding his duty as Secretary of War and basely prostituting his high office to his lust for private gain.”
Watch the video below to learn more about the ongoing migrant crisis at the southern border, or read a write-up of the video here.
Shane Devine is a writer covering politics, economics, and culture for Valuetainment. Follow Shane on X (Twitter).
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