Current:Home > ScamsHouse readies test vote on impeaching Homeland Secretary Mayorkas for handling of southern border-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
House readies test vote on impeaching Homeland Secretary Mayorkas for handling of southern border
View Date:2024-12-23 23:26:37
WASHINGTON (AP) — 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. But House Republicans have shown increasing willingness to reach to Congress’ most grave weapons and redefine what the Constitution means by impeachable “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
“While the House Majority has wasted months trying to score points with baseless attacks, Secretary Mayorkas has been doing his job and working to keep Americans safe,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement.
Republicans have closely scrutinized the Biden administration’s handling of the border with Mexico for months and sought to build an impeachment case against Mayorkas. But Greene voiced frustration with the speed of those inquiries and pointed to a car crash in Texas that killed eight people after a driver suspected of smuggling people tried to flee the police and crashed into another vehicle.
The renewed push to impeach Mayorkas is yet another headache for new House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is already juggling both a potential impeachment vote and delicate negotiations over government funding legislation to avert a federal shutdown at the end of the week.
Johnson earlier this month said in a Fox News interview that he believed Mayorkas has committed “impeachable offenses,” but also warned that the House has “limited time and resources.” The speaker, who is just three weeks into his job, has also been supportive of an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
Only one U.S. cabinet official has ever been impeached: Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876. A House investigation found evidence that he had received kickback payments while administering government contracts.
veryGood! (4646)
Related
- Caitlin Clark shanks tee shot, nearly hits fans at LPGA's The Annika pro-am
- NFL to play first regular-season game in Brazil in 2024 as league expands international slate
- What small businesses need to know about new regulations going into 2024
- Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman headline first Bulls' Ring of Honor class
- Krispy Kreme is giving free dozens to early customers on World Kindness Day
- How Hilary Duff survives the holidays: 'Lizzie McGuire' star talks parenting stress, more
- St. Louis Blues fire Stanley Cup champion coach Craig Berube
- Pennsylvania lawmakers defeat funding for Penn amid criticism over school’s stance on antisemitism
- Investigators believe Wisconsin kayaker faked his own death before fleeing to eastern Europe
- 'Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget': Release date, cast, trailer, where to watch movie
Ranking
- Investigation into Chinese hacking reveals ‘broad and significant’ spying effort, FBI says
- Judge questions whether legal cases cited by Michael Cohen’s lawyer actually exist
- Oprah Winfrey reveals she uses weight-loss medication
- Oprah Winfrey reveals she uses weight-loss medication
- College Football Playoff bracket: Complete playoff picture after latest rankings
- Wartime Palestinian poll shows surge in Hamas support, close to 90% want US-backed Abbas to resign
- Warriors' Draymond Green ejected for striking Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in head
- Supreme Court to hear dispute over obstruction law used to prosecute Jan. 6 defendants
Recommendation
-
Trump ally Steve Bannon blasts ‘lawfare’ as he faces New York trial after federal prison stint
-
Black man choked and shocked by officers created his own death, lawyer argues at trial
-
1 Marine killed, 14 taken to hospitals after amphibious combat vehicle rolls over during training
-
Gift card scams 2023: What to know about 'card draining' and other schemes to be aware of
-
Caitlin Clark has one goal for her LPGA pro-am debut: Don't hit anyone with a golf ball
-
24 Games to Keep Everyone Laughing at Your Next Game Night
-
Lawsuit alleges ex-Harvard Medical School professor used own sperm to secretly impregnate patient
-
Costa Rican president expresses full support for Guatemala’s President-elect Bernardo Arévalo