CLARIFICATION, Feb. 8, 2024: Republican Rep. Blake Moore of Utah supported the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, but he changed his “yes” vote to a “no” in a procedural move to allow the resolution to be reconsidered at another time.
House Republicans failed in their effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
The vote was 214 for impeachment and 216 against.
Republican Reps. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Tom McClintock of California and Ken Buck of Colorado voted with Democrats, according to The Washington Post.
GOP Rep. Blake Moore of Utah, who supported Mayorkas’ impeachment, also did so in the final vote.
“Congressman Moore changed his vote from ‘yes’ to ‘no’ as a procedural move so that House Republicans could bring the impeachment resolution up for another vote,” a spokeswoman for his office told the Deseret News.
“As shown by his initial ‘yes’ vote, he is supportive of impeachment,” she said.
Moore’s move will allow him to “move to reconsider” the impeachment resolution at another time.
BREAKING: The vote to impeach DHS Secretary Mayorkas fails thanks to 4 Republican defections:
Rep. Ken Buck
Rep. Mike Gallagher
Rep. Tom McClintock
Rep. Blake Moore— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 6, 2024
214-216: The GOP-led House vote to impeach DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border fails. Four Republicans joined all Democrats in voting no.
This is the first time in U.S. history that an impeachment vote against a Cabinet member has failed. pic.twitter.com/pA7U0YufKy
— The Recount (@therecount) February 6, 2024
Republicans claimed Mayorkas was guilty of “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law,” alleging he violated immigrant laws by not detaining illegal immigrants, according to The Hill.
McClintock said before the vote that Republicans wanting to impeach Mayoraks “fail to identify an impeachable crime that Mayorkas has committed. In effect, they stretch and distort the Constitution.”
Buck also said impeachment was not justified.
“The failure of the Biden administration to rein in an open border is a national disgrace and will be a stain on his presidential legacy. However, the truth is that this is a policy disagreement masked as an impeachment,” he said.
Had the House impeached Mayorkas, a trial on the charges against him would have been held in the Democrat-controlled Senate, where conviction on any charges was regarded as highly unlikely.
House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green of Tennessee said impeachment was a necessary if unpleasant duty.
“While I do not wish to be standing here presenting these articles, we have exhausted all other options. Our oath to the Constitution now requires us to exercise this solemn duty. Secretary Mayorkas has explicitly refused to comply with the law. His refusal to obey the law has led to the death of our fellow citizens, and he no longer deserves to keep his job,” Green said.
Secretary Mayorkas has allowed over 10 MILLION illegal aliens to invade our country.
Democrats would rather see Americans assaulted, raped, and murdered than secure our border and impeach Secretary Mayorkas.
It’s time to IMPEACH Mayorkas and secure our border! pic.twitter.com/Bpmxgmq58A
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene?? (@RepMTG) February 6, 2024
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia claimed Mayorkas was responsible for what she called an “invasion.”
“These are people who have completely evaded U.S. authorities and are roaming the interior of the American communities, assaulting, raping, and murdering Americans,” Greene said.
Greene also had harsh words for McClintock, according to Politico.
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