FOX News correspondent Bill Melugin joins ‘The Big Weekend Show’ with details on a human trafficking attempt caught on camera and the upcoming vote to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. House Democrats, with the help of a small group of Republicans, on Monday successfully blocked an effort led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to impeach Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas in a straight up or down vote.
The final vote tally was 209-201, with eight Republicans joining all Democrats in support of the latter party’s motion to stop that floor vote, and instead refer the impeachment resolution introduced by Greene to the House Homeland Security Committee. Twenty-four members — 12 Democrats and 12 Republicans — did not vote on the measure.
The eight Republicans who joined Democrats included Reps. Ken Buck, R-Colo., Darrell Issa, R-Calif., Tom McClintock, R-Calif., Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., John Duarte, R-Calif., Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., and Mike Turner, R-Ohio.
Greene introduced the resolution to impeach Mayorkas on Thursday, which would have forced a vote on impeachment without a hearing or a committee markup. If voted on and passed, it would have sent his impeachment straight to the Senate for trial.
The Department of Homeland Security responded to the vote with a statement accusing Congress of “wasting time,” and calling on it to “do its job by funding the government, reforming our broken immigration system, reauthorizing vital tools for DHS, and passing the Administration’s supplemental request to properly resource the Department’s critical work to stop fentanyl and further secure our borders.” “Secretary Mayorkas continues to be laser-focused on the safety and security of our nation. This baseless attack is completely without merit and a harmful distraction from our critical national security priorities,” the statement read.
Mayorkas has faced increased calls for his impeachment over the past year concerning his handling of the border crisis. At the same time, Republican lawmakers have repeatedly raised concerns about the risk to national security and public safety posed by the numbers of illegal immigrants evading overwhelmed Border Patrol agents amid the crisis. Under Mayorkas, migrant encounters at the southern border hit an all-time record in September with a massive 260,000 encounters as border officials continue struggling to cope with the large influx, sources told Digital.
Overall, this vote to block the impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas showcases the divide among House Democrats and Republicans on immigration and national security issues. While some Republicans supported the motion, the majority of Democrats rallied together to prevent a straight up or down vote on the impeachment resolution. The Department of Homeland Security defended Mayorkas, emphasizing his commitment to national security and criticizing the impeachment effort as baseless. This ongoing debate highlights the challenges faced by the Biden administration in addressing the border crisis and finding bipartisan solutions.
