House Republicans Successfully, but Just Barely, Execute Their Impeachment Maneuver | Vanity Fair

Written by Eric Lutz

In their second attempt, House Republicans finally achieved their objective of impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Speaker Mike Johnson, on Tuesday, appreciated his team’s “careful and methodical” investigation into Mayorkas, which began nearly a year ago.

The impeachment was based on two charges – “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law and the “breach of public trust.” The claims were vague and rooted in policy disputes rather than high crimes, a fact acknowledged by some republicans, including Ken Buck, who criticized this approach on CNN Tuesday. He also pointed out that this impeachment set a dangerous precedent.

Despite the criticism, most Republicans supported the impeachment, raising questions about their political interests, especially relating to immigration for the 2024 issue. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is of the opinion that Speaker Johnson used impeachment as a means to appease Donald Trump.

Even though the impeachment will likely fail in the Senate, which Democrats currently control, Republicans are pushing ahead. A previous impeachment attempt failed when Democrats voted against it with Al Green making a hospital exit to cast his vote. Two Democrats missing the vote on Tuesday led to a narrow Republican victory. The 214-213 outcome was more reflective of the Republican's slim majority than their strength.

The victory of Democrat Tom Suozzi to fill the vacant seat of George Santos further threatens the Republican’s majority. Suozzi based his successful campaign on addressing and resolving divisive issues. His opponents, Mazi Pilip and her party, had earlier dismissed the bipartisan Senate border deal brokered by Republican James Lankford, Independent Kyrsten Sinema, and Democrat Chris Murphy.

After replacing Kevin McCarthy following his abrupt fall, Speaker Johnson is faced with a demanding situation where he can only afford two Republican defections to get anything accomplished. The Mayorkas impeachment might be his significant achievement for the time being. Joe Biden criticized House Republicans for their “blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship” that targeted Mayorkas.