The GOP-led House approved a motion from the Democrats on Monday to punt on Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene‘s (R-GA) impeachment resolution against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
By a 209-201 tally, members voted to send the impeachment resolution to the House Homeland Security Committee, which is already investigating Mayorkas. More than 20 lawmakers did not vote.
Greene introduced a privileged resolution to force a quick vote on impeachment last week after two of her constituents were killed in a car crash involving a suspected human smuggler from Honduras. The congresswoman accused Mayorkas of “high crimes and misdemeanors” related to his handling of border security.
209-201:House referred GA GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene's resolution to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for not enforcing US border security laws to Homeland Security Cmte, preventing a floor vote on the measure.8 Republicans voted Yes with all Democrats. pic.twitter.com/gYUxtCVOPO
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) November 14, 2023
Democrats pivoted from offering a motion to table the resolution to one that redirected it to the Homeland Security Committee, a move that reportedly made it more palatable to some Republicans.
Ultimately, eight GOP members joined with all voting Democrats in supporting the motion. They included: Reps. Cliff Bentz (R-OR), Ken Buck (R-CO), John Duarte (R-CA), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Patrick McHenry (R-NC), and Mike Turner (R-OH).
In the lead-up to the vote, Greene bemoaned how some of her colleagues preferred moving through “regular order” despite “overwhelming evidence” and argued that sending her resolution to the Homeland Security Committee would effectively “kill” the impeachment effort.
The panel, led by Chairman Mark Green (R-TN), has been investigating Mayorkas for alleged dereliction of duty for months — a probe that could lead to impeachment proceedings. Earlier on Monday, the committee released an interim report assessing the “staggering” financial costs of the border crisis on U.S. taxpayers.
The Daily Wire reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday seeking comment on Greene’s resolution.
“While the House Majority has wasted months trying to score points with baseless attacks, Secretary Mayorkas has been doing his job and working to keep Americans safe,” a DHS spokesperson said in response.
“Under his leadership, the Department of Homeland Security is stopping unprecedented amounts of fentanyl from entering the country, countering threats from the Chinese government, helping communities recover from natural disasters, and working to protect our nation from cyberattacks, terrorism, and targeted violence,” the spokesperson added.
“Instead of continuing their reckless impeachment charades and attacks on law enforcement, Congress should work with us to keep our country safe, build on the progress DHS is making, and deliver desperately needed reforms for our broken immigration system that only legislation can fix,” the DHS spokesperson concluded.