House Republicans have impeached the first Cabinet secretary in almost 150 years

House Republicans on Tuesday rammed through the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, marking a historic moment exactly a week after an embarrassing failure.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s return to Washington provided the GOP majority the final vote needed to impeach Mayorkas on charges that he has not enforced the nation’s immigration laws. The final vote was 214 to 213.

Three Republicans, Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, Tom McClintock of California, and Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, joined House Democrats in voting against the measure. The trio of Republicans have warned that the case against Mayorkas is weak and that impeaching him over policy differences would set a new precedent that could be used against GOP officials in the future. Rep. Blake Moore, a Utah Republican, also voted against the impeachment last week but that was only for procedural reasons that made Tuesday night’s vote possible.

President Joe Biden quickly took aim at Republicans for a vote, pointing out that failed once before. Biden said that Mayorkas has “upheld the rule of law faithfully.”

“History will not look kindly on House Republicans for their blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship that has targeted an honorable public servant in order to play petty political games,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.

Republicans raced to finish their monthlong push just hours before New Yorkers could have further imperiled their majority in a special election to replace the ousted former Congressman George Santos. It is quite possible that Democrats could flip the seat.

The last time Congress impeached a Cabinet secretary was in 1876 when lawmakers impeached former Secretary of War William W. Belknap. Belknap, who resigned just before his impeachment, was accused of accepting bribes.

Mayorkas is not expected to be removed from office. Multiple Republican senators have cast doubt on the case against the Homeland Security secretary, meaning there are nowhere near the 67 votes needed to convict him. Technically speaking, every senator is now a potential juror in the trial against Mayorkas, though senators aren’t bound by the typical restraints imposed on everyday juries. There might not even be a trial. Some experts have pointed out that Democrats, who hold a narrow majority, could avoid a trial altogether. There could also be an early move to dismiss the case.

In the meantime, the impeachment provides another avenue for the GOP to hammer President Joe Biden over immigration. Polls show that the American people are deeply unhappy with the current crisis at the U.S. Southern border. Biden has emphasized how the White House tried to strike a bipartisan border-Ukraine deal only for former President Donald Trump and House Republicans to nuke the agreement shortly after its public announcement.

This is also a major moment for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The Georgia Republican was booted from her committee assignments shortly after she arrived in Washington. She quickly became then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s ally, which paid dividends during his brief speakership. Greene, who wrote the initial impeachment articles against Mayorkas, is set to serve as a House manager, a group of members that formally presents their case to the Senate. Past House managers have included Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, both of whom gained a larger national profile after serving as managers during impeachment trials against President Bill Clinton and Trump, respectively.

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