House Poised to Try Again on Mayorkas Impeachment

The House on Tuesday is expected to vote for a second time on whether to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the southern border.

House Republicans last week were thrown for a loop when their first impeachment attempt went awry. GOP leaders displayed confidence going into the vote despite knowing ahead of time that at least a couple Republican members were going to vote against the effort. In the end, 212 Democratic votes and several from Republicans sunk GOP prospects.

But with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise back this week from undergoing treatment for blood cancer, House Speaker Mike Johnson is ready to try again. Holding the vote Tuesday also could be key for Republicans should the results of a special election in New York to replace the ousted George Santos not go their way and cut into their already thin majority in the chamber.

If the impeachment vote succeeds, it would be the second time a Cabinet official has been impeached and the first time in nearly 150 years. The question then would be kicked to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where a conviction is highly improbable.

House Republicans have accused Mayorkas of not complying with immigration law regarding the southern border with Mexico, where the U.S. has been grappling with a surge of migrants. Democrats and immigration law experts, however, say his actions do not meet the impeachment threshold of treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.

The House has focused on Mayorkas as efforts to impeach President Joe Biden have been met with less enthusiasm. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has vehemently opposed the push to impeach the secretary.

“The House Republicans need to do serious work, work that actually matter(s),” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing Tuesday. “Work that actually the American people care about. This is not it.”

Mayorkas, on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, called allegations against him “baseless.”

“The system has not been fixed for 30 years. A bipartisan group of senators have now presented us with the tools and resources we need … and yet, Congress killed it before even reading it,” Mayorkas said, referring to a border package Republicans demanded but then quashed.