In a surprising turn of events, House Democrats, along with a small group of Republicans, successfully shut down an effort led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to impeach Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday. The final vote tally was 209-201, with eight Republicans crossing party lines to join Democrats in blocking the impeachment resolution from going to a straight up or down vote on the House floor.
The resolution, introduced by Greene last Thursday, would have bypassed the usual process of a committee hearing and markup, and straightaway sent the impeachment to the Senate for trial. However, the majority of House members saw this as a baseless attack and a distraction from more pressing national security matters and voted to refer the resolution to the House Homeland Security Committee instead.
Notably, the eight Republicans who joined with Democrats in stopping the vote were Reps. Ken Buck, R-Colo., Darrell Issa, R-Calif., Tom McClintock, R-Calif., Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., John Duarte, R-Calif., Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., and Mike Turner, R-Ohio. This comes as a blow to Greene’s efforts and highlights the growing divide within the Republican party over how to handle the ongoing border crisis.
BREAKING: 8 House Republicans joined Democrats to KILL a resolution to bring articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas 209-201—arguably the most deserving of impeachment of any of Biden’s corrupt cabinet officials.
Here are the 8 Rs who voted with Ds:
1.…— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) November 14, 2023
The Department of Homeland Security responded to the vote with a statement expressing disappointment in Congress’s actions and calling on them to focus on more pressing matters such as funding the government, reforming the broken immigration system, and providing necessary resources to secure the border.
This vote comes at a time when Mayorkas is facing increased criticism for his handling of the border crisis. The number of illegal migrants attempting to cross the southern border has reached record highs, with over 260,000 encounters reported in September alone. This has put immense strain on Border Patrol agents who are struggling to cope with the overwhelming influx of illegal immigrants amid the crisis.
Furthermore, Republican lawmakers have repeatedly raised concerns about the risk to national security and public safety posed by the large numbers of illegal immigrants evading law enforcement at the border. Mayorkas himself confirmed that over 600,000 illegal immigrants have evaded law enforcement in the fiscal year 2023 alone, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of his approach to border control.
Tonight Republicans had the chance to hold Secretary Mayorkas accountable for his failures in protecting our homeland.
Luckily for Mayorkas, weak republicans can always be found when you need them. 8 members of the GOP voted against it and 12 more didn’t even vote.
How can… pic.twitter.com/FhH3e6ZP4M
— Travis (@Travis_in_Flint) November 14, 2023
However, despite these calls for his impeachment, Mayorkas remains laser-focused on the safety and security of the nation. In his statement responding to the vote, he emphasized the need for Congress to do its job and prioritize national security matters over petty political attacks.
As the border crisis continues to unfold, it is clear that the House of Representatives remains divided on how to address the issue. With the decision to refer Greene’s impeachment resolution to the Homeland Security Committee, it remains to be seen what further action will be taken regarding Mayorkas and the border crisis.
