From Hamodia staff
In a historic rebuke, the House of Representatives impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas by a narrow 214-213 vote over his disastrous handling of the U.S.-Mexico border, making him the first Cabinet member to be indicted in nearly 150 years.
Majority Leader Steve Scalise returned from cancer treatment to boost Republican numbers and help secure an impeachment majority after failing in a politically embarrassing setback last week.
Three Republicans were split last week over the impeachment of Mr. Mayorkas, which several leading conservative scholars dismissed as unwarranted and a waste of time. Johnson had a 219-212 majority, with very few votes remaining.
During last week's impeachment vote, Rep. Al Green, a Texas Democrat who had been hospitalized for emergency abdominal surgery, suddenly appeared, drove into the chamber wearing scrubs and socks, and cast a no vote. The vote remained tied and rejected. .
One of the Republican holdouts, former Marine Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, announced over the weekend that he would not seek re-election in the fall.
Mr. Mayorkas faces two impeachment charges filed by the Committee on Homeland Security. It alleges that he “deliberately and systematically” refused to enforce current immigration laws and betrayed the public's trust by lying to Congress and claiming the border was secure. There is.
Critics of impeachment said the charges against Mr. Mayorkas amount to little more than a policy dispute over Mr. Biden's border policies and hardly meet the constitutional standards for a felony or misdemeanor.
The charges against Mr. Mayorkas will be heard next in the Senate, but no Democratic or Republican senators have expressed interest in the matter, and any referral to the committee could be delayed indefinitely.
President Joe Biden condemned the House's actions, calling it a political stunt, in a statement condemning Republican leadership for voting.
“Republicans with real concerns about the border will demand from Congress more border resources and stronger border security,” the statement said. “Sadly, the same Republicans who are pushing this baseless impeachment are also pushing back against the bipartisan plan that Secretary Mayorkas and other members of my administration have worked so hard to strengthen border security.” “Congress has challenged me, Secretary Mayorkas, and my administration to address the situation at the border. We must act to give us the tools and resources we need. As we continue to pursue real solutions to the challenges facing the American people, will House Republicans join us in solving the problem? We have to decide whether we want to continue playing border politics.”
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