WASHINGTON — The House is holding a test vote Monday on whether to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a step usually reserved for grave misconduct in office that is instead being wielded in an extraordinary effort to remove the Cabinet secretary for his handling of the southern border.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a hard-right Republican from Georgia, forced a vote on impeaching Mayorkas floor through a rule that allows any single member to force a snap vote on resolutions, including constitutional matters such as impeachment.
Democrats have sought to bottle the matter up through a vote on Monday evening that would “table” or kill the impeachment resolution, but the outcome is uncertain. Several prominent Republicans have become outspoken advocates of pushing ahead on the GOP’s longstanding effort to impeach Mayorkas. House GOP whip Tom Emmer, the No. 3 House Republican, as well as Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican whose congressional district runs along the border with Mexico, have voiced support for Greene’s resolution.
Greene in a floor speech Monday accused Mayorkas of a “pattern of conduct that is incompatible with the laws of the United States,” as she cited record numbers of illegal border crossings, an influx of drugs and his “open border policies.” The impeachment resolution accuses him of failing to adhere to his oath to “defend and secure our country and uphold the Constitution.”
Impeaching a Cabinet official for their policy decisions would be unprecedented.
