News/Commentary

Mayorkas impeachment articles set for full House vote. What happens next?

January 31, 2024 | | Print Article

The House Homeland Security Committee voted 18-15 on Tuesday to advance articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

The articles of impeachment now move to the broader House floor, where Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to bring them up for a full House vote “as soon as possible.”

“We are here today not because we want to be but because we have exhausted all other options. … Secretary Mayorkas’ actions have forced our hand,” committee chair Mark Green said during Tuesday’s committee hearing, according to Politico.

As previously reported, the first article accuses Mayorkas of having displayed a “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law,” while the second one claims he violated the public’s trust by having “knowingly made false statements” about the border.

“Throughout his tenure as Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro N. Mayorkas has repeatedly violated laws enacted by Congress regarding immigration and border security,” the first article reads. “In large part because of his unlawful conduct, millions of aliens have illegally entered the United States on an annual basis with many unlawfully remaining in the United States.”

“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,” the article continues.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Alejandro N. Mayorkas knowingly made false statements to Congress that the border is ‘secure,’ that the border is ‘no less secure than it was previously,’ that the border is ‘closed,’ and that DHS has ‘operational control’ of the border,” the second article reads.

In a letter sent Tuesday to Green, Mayorkas responded to the accusations by calling them “false” and labeling the impeachment effort against him “baseless.”

“I will defer a discussion of Constitutionality of your current effort to the many respected scholars and experts across the political spectrum who already have opined it is contrary to law,” he wrote. “What I will not defer to others is a response to the politically motivated accusations and personal attacks you have made against me.”

“I assure you that your false accusations do not rattle me and do not divert me from the law enforcement and broader public service mission to which I have devoted most of my career and to which I remain devoted,” he added.

ADVERTISEMENT

Green was not pleased by Mayorkas’ last-minute statement, especially given that the DHS secretary has spent months rejecting the committee’s request that he testify before them.

“Secretary Mayorkas’ 11th-hour response to the Committee is inadequate and unbecoming of a Cabinet secretary,” the committee chair said in a statement. “Our investigation has established that Secretary Mayorkas has willfully and systemically refused to comply with the laws of the United States and breached the public trust.”

“The Committee would have preferred he accept our multiple invitations extended to him since last August to appear before us in person. A letter at 4:48am on the morning of our markup, repeating the same false claims and doubling down on his commitment to his continued lawless conduct, indicates the contempt with which he views Congress, the American people, and the Constitution he swore an oath to defend,” he added.

What remains unclear now is whether Republicans possess enough votes to impeach Mayorkas. Politico notes that the two most likely “no” votes rest with Reps. Ken Buck and Tom McClintock.

ADVERTISEMENT

“McClintock told reporters Tuesday that he was waiting to see what came out of the committee, but has previously warned that he didn’t think Mayorkas’ behavior met the bar of an impeachable offense. Buck, meanwhile, described himself as a ‘lean no,'” Politico notes.

There are also several “undecided” votes, including from Reps. Dan Newhouse and David Joyce.

“Newhouse [said] on Monday night that he was waiting to see what came out of the committee, while Joyce is expected to meet with Green on Wednesday,” according to Politico.

Meanwhile, on Monday one previously “undecided” Republican, Rep. Don Bacon, flipped his position and announced he would hereby be backing the GOP’s impeachment effort against Mayorkas.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I think there’s been a dereliction of duty. There’s laws that have not been complied with and we’re suffering one of the worst crises in our country,” he said.”

Vivek Saxena
Latest posts by Vivek Saxena (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles