In a stunning turn of events, House Republicans failed in their attempt to impeach homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The White House quickly denounced the effort as an 'unconstitutional impeachment stunt,' while even conservative journal opinion editors had previously criticized it as setting a bad precedent.
The vote on the impeachment resolution narrowly failed, with 214 voting in favor and 216 against. Republicans expressed their discontent, with some criticizing House Speaker Mike Johnson for not accurately gauging the vote count on their side. Republican Ralph Norman remarked that it should not be difficult to know where their votes stand. However, a last-minute surprise occurred when Democrat Al Green, who was thought to be absent due to surgery, was wheeled onto the House floor to cast his vote. It was reported that he wasn't even wearing shoes. Four Republicans ultimately voted against the resolution, with three joining the Democrats and the fourth abstaining to allow the House GOP to bring up the vote again at a later time.
Following the failed impeachment attempt, House GOP member Marjorie Taylor Greene declared that they were not finished with the issue and intended to bring it up again in committee.
Critics have highlighted the questionable timing of the impeachment resolution, especially considering ongoing negotiations regarding a Senate border bill. Several conservative senators, including James Lankford and independent Kyrsten Sinema, were involved in the bill, which addressed key Republican concerns. However, despite the bill aligning with their stated objectives, many Republicans argued against it, suggesting that their opposition was driven by political considerations rather than substantive policy disagreements.
Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin, who led the case against former President Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial, criticized Republicans for rejecting a favorable compromise on immigration. Raskin pointed out that prominent Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, had supported the Senate bill. He speculated that Trump's desire to run on an anti-immigration platform and the influence of figures like Vladimir Putin may have contributed to the Republican opposition.
The failed impeachment attempt and the ongoing partisan rancor surrounding immigration policy have raised concerns about the state of the Republican Party. Raskin lamented that what was once Abraham Lincoln's party, associated with anti-slavery and pro-union values, had transformed into an authoritarian cult that embraced conspiracy theories and disinformation. The current political climate has detracted from meaningful legislative progress, leading to a perception of a 'do-nothing Congress.'
Although Mayorkas remains in his role as homeland security secretary, the fallout from the impeachment attempt and the continued polarization within Congress foreshadow potential challenges and hurdles in the pursuit of effective immigration reform and governance in general.
