Republican bid to impeach Biden border official fails in US House
WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives delivered a blow to Republican Speaker Mike Johnson when it voted yesterday against impeaching Democratic President Joe Biden's top border official.
In a 214-216 vote, the Republican-controlled House blocked a committee's impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Four Republicans bucked their leadership, joining Democrats in opposing the charges against Mayorkas, a Cabinet member.
Partisan fighting over immigration has escalated ahead of the presidential election in November. After the failed impeachment vote, Republicans said they would try again.
"House Republicans fully intend to bring Articles of Impeachment against Secretary Mayorkas back to the floor when we have the votes for passage," Raj Shah, Johnson's spokesman, said in a tweet on X.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said in a statement that House Republicans should "abandon these political games" and instead "get DHS the (border) enforcement resources we need."
Nevertheless, far-right House Republican rhetoric remained fiery. "Everyone who voted against impeaching Mayorkas owns everything that happens as a result of our wide open border - every rape, every murder, every drug overdose, everything," said Representative Lauren Boebert in a social media post.
Republican Representative Mike Simpson predicted that his leaders would arrange a second vote on Mayorkas once House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who has been receiving treatment for cancer, returns from sick leave.
Scalise's office did not say when he plans to return to work.
Several Republicans, including Simpson, said the failed vote would have no bearing on their party's investigations of Democratic President Joe Biden.
The senior Democrat on the House Homeland Security, Representative Bennie Thompson, said in an interview that the vote was indicative of Republicans "not understanding the gravity of what impeachment is all about."
The House already was investigating whether any of Biden's past behavior before moving into the White House might have constituted a high crime or misdemeanor. But even some Republicans have said they do not see such evidence yet.
Democrats view the effort as retribution for having twice led impeachments
against Republican former President Donald Trump.
Earlier, Senate Republicans appeared to have killed a bipartisan border security deal.
The measure was an effort to solve the very border security problems that they wanted Mayorkas to stop, including record numbers of people entering the country illegally at the southern border with Mexico.
Biden, speaking at the White House, laid the blame on Trump, who is expected to face Biden in a rematch in the November presidential election. "All indications are this bill won't even move forward to the Senate floor. Why? The simple reason: Donald Trump. Because Donald Trump thinks it's bad for him politically," Biden said.