The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas, the head of the Department of Homeland Security, in a significant decision, as a consequence of his management of the border between the United States and Mexico.
The House of Representatives has voted to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of Homeland Security, on Tuesday for his actions regarding the U.S.-Mexico border. This marks only the second time in U.S. history that a Cabinet secretary has faced such severe consequences from the House.
214 votes were in favor of two articles of impeachment, while 213 were opposed. Three Republicans joined all Democrats in voting against impeachment. Two Republicans and two Democrats were not present for the vote.
Representative Mark Green from Tennessee, the Republican leader of the House Homeland Security Committee, stated that the ballot is a way to hold Mayorkas responsible and urged the Senate to take action and remove Secretary Mayorkas from his position after a fair trial.
Last week, Republican leaders suffered an embarrassing defeat when a small group of Republicans, who believed that Mr. Biden’s border chief had not committed impeachable offenses, voted with all Democrats to reject it.
returned to the Capitol.
The Republicans promised to make another attempt when House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who was receiving treatment for cancer, came back to the Capitol.returned to Washington
The Louisiana Republican went back to work this week, providing them with an additional vote.
The vote occurs on the same day as…
A unique vote in the third district of New York to elect a member of Congress. to replace former GOP Rep. George Santos
The GOP’s majority in the House may be further reduced, potentially leading to Democrats gaining a critical seat. This has prompted Republicans to expedite the voting process.
was filed
A lawsuit was brought against Mayorkas for impeachment.
The Republican party claims that Mayorkas should face charges for not upholding immigration laws, citing the failure to detain all migrants during court proceedings as their main argument.
Democrats and Mayorkas have maintained that the issue at hand is a result of differing policies and that Republicans are exploiting impeachment for their own political gain in the midst of an election year. They believe it is the responsibility of Congress to address the issues with the immigration system and provide additional funding for border security.
Experts from both political parties have also denounced the attempt, stating that Mayorkas’ actions do not meet the required standard for impeachment.
a tax plan that would overhaul the current tax system by lowering rates for businesses and individuals, simplifying the tax code, and repealing some popular deductions.
In the previous month, the Republican party revealed a proposal for tax reform that would completely change the existing tax structure by reducing rates for both businesses and individuals, streamlining the tax system, and eliminating certain commonly used deductions.two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas after speeding through impeachment proceedings.
The initial charge against Mayorkas is that he allowed migrants to enter the United States instead of detaining them. The second accusation claims that he misled government officials by stating that the southern border was secure, despite previous testimony stating that his department had full control. This also accuses Mayorkas of hindering congressional oversight of his department.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that the executive branch has never received the necessary resources and staff from Congress to detain all migrants as mandated by federal immigration law. The department also refuted allegations that Mayorkas misled lawmakers, citing their use of “operational control” as an internal policy.
Last month, in a letter to the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Mayorkas stated that the issues with our immigration system, which is broken and outdated, have been ongoing. He emphasized the need for a legislative solution and recognized that only Congress has the power to provide it.
According to Mayorkas, he remains undeterred by the efforts to impeach him.
In a previous letter to the committee, he stated that he remains dedicated to his career in law enforcement and public service, despite false accusations that do not affect him.
Republican leaders went ahead with last week’s nail-biter of a floor vote amid uncertainty about whether they had enough support to impeach Mayorkas.
able to win a
The vote appeared to be on track for success, with three Republican members breaking ranks, until Representative Al Green managed to secure a win.
Suddenly, it rolled onto the floor.
The Texas Democrat, dressed in his hospital scrubs following intestinal surgery, managed to even the vote at 215-215, resulting in the defeat of the resolution.
The final vote count was 214 in favor and 216 against, as a fourth Republican changed their vote in the last moment, allowing GOP leaders to reconsider the vote.
Scalise was the lone legislator who did not participate in the vote.
Rep. Mike Gallagher, a Republican lawmaker from Wisconsin, recently expressed concern in a Wall Street Journal article about his party’s actions, stating that they are establishing a risky precedent that could be used against future Republican administrations. Following the impeachment vote, Gallagher announced his decision to not run for reelection.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson from Louisiana stated on Tuesday that he is not worried about establishing a standard by impeaching Mayorkas. He believes that this is a unique situation in the history of the United States.
Johnson stated in a statement following the vote that aside from declaring war, impeachment is possibly the most consequential power granted to the House. He emphasized the gravity of the situation and the necessity for action, as the Secretary in question is neglecting his duties despite being confirmed by the Senate.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, the leading Democratic member of the Homeland Security Committee from Mississippi, called on the Senate to vote against the impeachment.
In a statement, he commented that the actions of the Republicans tonight will be evaluated by history, and it is unlikely that they will be viewed positively. He believes that their disregard for the integrity of the House and the Constitution, as well as their failure to work together, will have negative consequences.
Which GOP members voted against the impeachment?
The trio of Republicans who opted to vote against the impeachment last week remained steadfast in their stance this week.
- has been a congressman for five years.
Congressman Ken Buck, representing Colorado, has served in office for a period of five years.
- is working hard to pass legislation that would make it easier for small businesses to access government contracts
Representative Mike Gallagher, hailing from Wisconsin, is diligently striving to enact a bill that would streamline the process for small enterprises to obtain government contracts.
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Representative Tom McClintock from California
Ellis Kim and Patrick Maguire were involved in creating this report.
Caitlin Yilek
Source: cbsnews.com