This week, House Republicans voted to impeach Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, marking only the second time in U.S. history that a Cabinet Secretary has faced impeachment. President Biden expressed disdain for the impeachment, labeling it as a blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship. Despite the impeachment in the House, the Democrat-led Senate may not proceed with a trial, making it unlikely that Mayorkas will face conviction.
Republican Congressman Tom McClintock, one of the three Republicans who voted against impeaching Mayorkas, highlighted the importance of upholding the Constitution in matters of impeachment. He argued that maladministration, malfeasance, corruption, and neglect of duties were not grounds for impeachment, as the American founders rejected these terms during the Constitutional Convention. According to McClintock, the term 'high crimes and misdemeanors' in the Constitution referred to actual crimes committed using one's office, rather than policy or political disputes.
