House Republicans successfully voted Tuesday to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas after failing to approve a resolution to impeach Mayorkas last week over his handling of the southern border crisis amid unprecedented levels of illegal immigration.
The House of Representatives voted 214-213 to impeach Mayorkas, marking the first Cabinet secretary to be officially impeached since 1876. Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), Ken Buck (R-Colo.), and Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) joined all voting Democrats in opposing the impeachment resolution, while both Republicans and Democrats had two representatives who did not vote on the impeachment resolution.
The return of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) was the deciding vote in Tuesday’s impeachment proceeding, providing the Republican majority with the final vote needed to reverse last week’s failed impeachment vote.
House Republicans failed to impeach Mayorkas last week as three Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the resolution. When it was clear that Republicans did not have the necessary votes to impeach Mayorkas last week, GOP Vice Chairman Blake Moore (R-Utah) changed his vote to “no” in a “procedural” move that allowed the House to reconsider the resolution this week.
A video shared Tuesday evening by CSPAN on social media showed House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announcing, “The resolution is adopted” after members voted to impeach President Joe Biden’s Cabinet secretary.
In a press release following Tuesday’s vote, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) highlighted the “decisive action” Congress took to “hold accountable a public official who has violated his oath of office.” Green explained that the House’s investigation and impeachment proceedings “demonstrated beyond any doubt” that Mayorkas “breached the public trust” and “willfully and systematically refused to comply” with U.S. laws.
“As a result, our country has suffered from an unprecedented border crisis that has turned every state into a border state, causing untold suffering in communities across our country,” Green said. “With this vote, Congress has made clear that we will not tolerate such lawlessness.”
READ MORE: GOP fails to impeach DHS Sec. Mayorkas amid border chaos
Johnson also released a statement Tuesday, claiming that the House’s investigation presented “clear” results that showed Mayorkas actions as Secretary of Homeland Security led to “fueling the worst border catastrophe in American history.”
“Alejandra Mayorkas deserves to be impeached, and Congress has a constitutional obligation to do so. Next to a declaration of war, impeachment is arguably the most serious authority given to the House and we have treated this matter accordingly,” Johnson stated. “Since this secretary refuses to do the job that the Senate confirmed him to do, the House must act.”
