Full List of Republicans Who Voted Against Impeaching Mayorkas
Mayorkas #Mayorkas
House Republicans failed to garner enough votes to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday, with four Republicans joining their Democratic colleagues to keep him in power.
Mayorkas has been targeted by Republicans in recent months as conservatives ramp up their attacks on President Joe Biden’s handling of border security.
The impeachment case accuses the secretary of refusing to comply with immigration laws, resulting in what the GOP describes as an “invasion” along the U.S.-Mexico border. The articles also claim that Mayorkas breached the public’s trust after he “knowingly made false statements” regarding the border.
Supporters behind the impeachment articles included House Speaker Mike Johnson, who told reporters ahead of the vote on Tuesday that he was confident his party had enough votes to go through with the charges. Republicans hold a razor-slim majority in the House, meaning the GOP could only afford to lose the vote of two of its members in order to pass the articles.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas waits for the beginning of a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee on November 8, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. House Republicans failed to bring articles of… Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas waits for the beginning of a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee on November 8, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. House Republicans failed to bring articles of impeachment against Mayorkas in a vote on Tuesday. More Alex Wong/Getty Images
All 212 Democrats voted against the impeachment charges. The charges failed to pass on a 214-216 vote.
Here is the list of the four Republicans who joined their Democratic colleagues:
Moore switched his vote to “no” at the last second to avoid a 215-215 tie on the measure, which would have prevented the bill from being brought up again at another time. He then immediately moved to reconsider the bill at a later date, which was adopted by Johnson.
Democrats argued before Tuesday that the articles against Mayorkas included charges that did not constitute impeachment. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also accused Republicans of putting up a “sham vote,” claiming that the charges against Mayorkas had “absolutely nothing” to do with border security.
Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Mia Ehrenberg said in a statement shared with The New York Times following Tuesday’s vote, “House Republicans will be remembered by history for trampling on the Constitution for political gain, rather than working to solve the serious challenges at our border.”
Buck warned in the days leading up to the vote on Mayorkas that impeaching the current Homeland Security secretary could open a door “as Republicans that we don’t want to open,” warning that future presidents and their administrations would be subjected to the same “scrutiny.”
“The next president who is a Republican will face the same scrutiny from Democrats,” Buck said while speaking with MSNBC last Thursday. “It’s wrong, and we should not set this precedent….This is not a high crime or misdemeanor. It’s not an impeachable offense. This is a policy difference.”
Newsweek reached out to Johnson’s office via email for comment.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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