After failing in an earlier vote, House Republicans successfully impeached the DHS secretary—the first cabinet official to be impeached in nearly 150 years.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on Feb. 13 became only the second presidential cabinet member ever to be impeached in the 236-year history of the United States government.
Mr. Mayorkas, who was appointed by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Democratic Senate in 2021, was impeached on two counts by a vote of 214-213 with all but three Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats opposing the action. Former Secretary of War George Belknap resigned in 1876 after the House passed five counts of impeachment against him. The Senate failed to convict Belknap, who was appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant.
The House action came almost exactly a week after the lower chamber of Congress failed to impeach the embattled Homeland Security Secretary on a 215-215 vote. That tally was updated to 216 against and 214 for when Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah) changed his Aye to a Nay in a parliamentary move to enable the House to reconsider the impeachment resolution.
Three Republicans who opposed the impeachment resolution last week voted the same the second time around. The trio includes Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and Rep. Tom McLintock of California.
Earlier Tuesday before the vote, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) media office released a lengthy statement condemning the House Republicans for pursuing “a baseless push” for a “pointless, unconstitutional impeachment.” The statement then quoted Mr. Buck and Mr. McLintock contending Republicans on the House Committee on Homeland Security HCHS) failed to produce evidence of “impeachable crimes.”
The statement also quoted Mr. Gallagher justifying his opposition by saying, “Creating a new, lower standard for impeachment, one without any clear limiting principle, wouldn’t secure the border or hold Mr. Biden accountable. It would only pry open the Pandora’s box of perpetual impeachment.”
Three Republicans who opposed the impeachment resolution last week voted the same the second time around. The trio includes Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and Rep. Tom McLintock of California.
