U.S. House Votes To Impeach Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas

By Dan McCaleb and Bethany Blankley | The Center Square

(Worthy News) – The U.S. House of Representatives late Tuesday voted to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border crisis. Mayorkas becomes the first sitting cabinet member to be impeached in U.S. history.

The mostly party line vote Tuesday was 214-213 to impeach, with three Republicans joining Democrats in voting against. It comes exactly one week after a first vote fell short of passing. Two fewer Democrats cast votes Tuesday compared to last week.

The vote moves two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas to the U.S. Senate for trial.

Article 1 says Mayorkas violated his oath “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, to bear true faith and allegiance to the same, and to well and faithfully discharge the duties of his office, has willfully and systemically refused to comply with Federal immigration laws.”

Article 2 states Mayorkas violated his oath “to well and faithfully discharge the duties” because he “knowingly made false statements, and knowingly obstructed lawful oversight of the Department of Homeland Security of his office.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office said Mayorkas’ impeachment trial will begin later this month.

“The House impeachment managers will present the articles of impeachment to the Senate following the state work period,” a statement from Schumer’s office said. “Senators will be sworn in as jurors in the trial the next day. Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray will preside.”

Mayorkas has argued the articles are “baseless” and he’s followed the law. The White House, DHS and House Democrats maintain the impeachment articles don’t meet the standard for “high crimes and misdemeanors” and are a political ploy.

Since President Joe Biden first took office and appointed Mayorkas as his Homeland Security secretary, there have been more than 10 million illegal border crossings, primarily by single military age men. There also has been the greatest number of known or suspected terrorists apprehended. Retired FBI counter-intelligence officials recently warned Congress that a preventable, but likely, terrorist attack is imminent as a result of the Biden administration’s policies.

Tuesday’s revote was possible because, after last week’s first vote appeared to finish in a tie, Utah U.S. Rep. Blake Moore changed his vote from “yes” to “no,” allowing the matter to be reconsidered.

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