WASHINGTON – House Republican leaders could not have the votes to question Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, hours earlier than they’re set to maneuver ahead with their stunt.
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) introduced Tuesday that he opposes impeaching Mayorkas, making him the second Republican to publicly reject the trouble. Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) introduced his opposition final week. Party leaders can solely afford to lose a complete of three votes, assuming each GOP member is current and voting sure.
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Between recurring GOP absences, some brazenly expressing skepticism and numerous Republicans refusing to say how they’ll vote, issues are wanting murky at greatest.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) mentioned Tuesday that he had particular person conversations together with his impeachment-skeptical colleagues however betrayed no concern that he lacked the votes for the Mayorkas impeachment articles, that are scheduled to hit the House ground Tuesday night.
“There is no other measure for Congress to take but this one,” Johnson mentioned at a press convention. “It’s an extreme measure. We do not take it lightly. And I respect the conscience of everyone and how they vote.”
Johnson’s remarks got here shortly after McClintock launched a 10-page memo laying out why it’s dangerous politics, dangerous coverage and unconstitutional to question Mayorkas. He emphasised the easy proven fact that the cupboard secretary, who’s accountable for finishing up the present immigration regulation, hasn’t dedicated any crimes. Impeachment is meant to be for bribery, treason or different “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
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For all of the GOP’s criticisms of President Joe Biden’s border insurance policies, the issue with going after Mayorkas is that Republicans “fail to identify an impeachable crime that Mayorkas has committed,” McClintock mentioned. “In effect, they stretch and distort the Constitution in order to hold the administration accountable for stretching and distorting the law.”
The California Republican’s opposition echoed Buck’s earlier complaints in regards to the effort.
“It’s maladministration. He’s terrible. The border is a disaster,” the Colorado Republican advised reporters final Thursday. “But that’s not impeachable.”
Republicans debated the impeachment articles throughout a celebration assembly earlier Tuesday, the place Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) reportedly spoke in favor of McClintock’s argument. Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), who voted to advance impeachment in a committee markup final week, advised HuffPost that he believed the articles had been now “in peril.”
Gimenez mentioned that, along with Buck, “I sense that there could be two or three more” Republicans towards impeachment.
Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), who hasn’t introduced his place, sounded skeptical after the assembly.
“I’m more of the thinking that we have an administration, we have one of the cabinet members carrying out the wishes of the President of the United States,” Kelly advised HuffPost, echoing criticism that Republicans are concentrating on Mayorkas over a coverage distinction.
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“It’s absolutely imperative that we can take a really long, deep look at what it is we’re doing and make sure we’re doing it for the right reasons, and it won’t be interpreted as just a tit-for-tat,” he mentioned.