An effort to impeach Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas failed by a small margin in the House of Representatives Tuesday. The effort came as a result of months of efforts by congressional Republicans, who blamed the secretary for the significant influx of illegal immigrants into the country over the last several years.
The attempt to impeach the secretary failed by a margin of two votes, with several Republicans in the House voting alongside Democrats to kill the measure. Reps. Ken Buck (R-CO), Tom McClintock (R-CA) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI) all voted against the resolution.
In order to allow another potential future vote on the topic, Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) voted against the impeachment.
Mayorkas impeachment COLLAPSES 214-216.
A resounding betrayal of the American people. As one of 435, we stood firm, voting for impeachment.
Now, members are ON THE RECORD, shamefully choosing to snub the will of the people.
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) February 6, 2024
Last month, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) called for an impeachment vote as soon as possible.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) lamented the failure of the vote, citing Republicans who voted against the resolution. She said that she would “love” to see those who voted against impeachment talk to the voters of their districts.
When asked about how the voters of their districts would react, Greene said that they should “listen” to the people in their district.
She also said that she had been praying for Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), who could not make the vote due to ongoing cancer treatment. Considering Moore’s procedural vote, it would appear likely that the impeachment could move forward upon Scalise’s return.
Republicans highlighted the sharp increase of migrants entering the United States since President Joe Biden entered office. Many cited the failure as an example of Mayorkas not keeping the terms of his oath.
Last year saw the highest flow of migrants into the country in its history at more than three million. Furthermore, more than 300,000 border encounters were registered by federal law enforcement in December 2023, the highest on record.
The failed impeachment does not preclude the House from another effort in the future. Given the closeness of the parties in the House, another effort’s results would be uncertain. Should Mayorkas be successfully impeached, it is unlikely that the Democratic-controlled Senate would vote to impeach the Biden administration official.
