Democrats will pay the price for not supporting the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at the polls, House Majority Leader Tom Emmer said Tuesday, ahead of a vote on articles of impeachment later in the evening. I predicted it would be deafening.
“I think Democrats are making mistakes again, especially people in some parts of South Texas, some people in New York and other states where immigration and illegal immigration are a big problem. “I think they’re making a mistake by not supporting this, and they’re going to answer that at the ballot box,” he said.
Emmer filed two impeachment charges accusing Mayorkas of “repeatedly violating the laws enacted by Congress regarding immigration and border security” and “making false statements to Congress” that the border was secure and closed. He spoke to Fox News Digital ahead of the vote on the provision. DHS has operational control of the border.
Republican members of key immigration subcommittee call impeachment of Mayorkas a ‘fantasy’
House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) speaks after a House Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on September 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The vote is expected to be largely along party lines, with two Republicans so far saying they will vote against the provision. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) issued a scathing statement against the provision early Tuesday, and Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., is also expected to vote against the bill. The House majority is so slim that if all members are present and all Democrats vote against impeachment, Republicans can only remove three people from the party.
Emmer said she would not share the number of whips used with anyone, but rejected criticism that Republicans were impeaching Mayorkas over policy differences, saying the House would “fulfill its constitutional duty tonight.” ” he said.
”This is literally a story about someone intentionally, knowingly, and systematically creating the ability of government agencies to subvert our laws. They are literally violating our laws,” he said.
House begins voting to impeach Mayorkas over border crisis
Republicans have stoked the crisis with “open border” policies, including “catch-and-release” measures, rolling back domestic enforcement and reversing Trump-era policies that Mayorkas and his administration believe have helped secure the border. I’m accusing them of being there. Mr. Mayorkas has denied those claims even with record numbers at the border, and has gained support from Democrats, some former Homeland Security officials and others.Former Bush administration DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff recently called out to the Republican Party “Stop this impeachment drama” and work with Mayorkas to resolve the crisis.
Mayorkas himself He opposed impeachment in a letter to Republicans last week, calling the allegations “false” and “baseless” and calling on Congress to reform the broken system and provide more funding.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Border Patrol Station in Eagle Pass, Texas, on January 8, 2024. (John Moore/Getty Images)
“I assure you that your false accusations will not sway me or distract me from the law enforcement and broader public service mission to which I have devoted and continue to dedicate most of my career,” Mayorkas said in a statement. I will.”
If Mayorkas is impeached, it would be the first time a cabinet member has been impeached since the 1800s.
“This vote is appropriate because this is someone who intentionally and willfully violated the law and refused to do his job,” Emmer told Fox. “I think that’s one thing, but two, it’s also the only thing we can do at this point. It’s the only recourse left to us, because we refuse to do anything. We have the White House, and we have one-half of one-third of the government.”
Mayorkas slams Republicans’ ‘baseless’ allegations ahead of crucial impeachment vote
Meanwhile, in the Senate, the Senate border deal announced this week faces significant opposition in the House, but also in the Senate, making it unlikely it will even make it to the floor.
Emmer said he was not surprised by the bill’s difficulties and took aim at what it includes, such as emergency border controls that would allow deportations if there are more than 5,000 encounters per day on average over a seven-day period. Ta.
“5,000 people a day before closure authority is given? There are too many people coming across the southern border at this point. It’s not supposed to fly,” he said. “I think the rumors we heard turned out to be true and even worse. In effect, that bill is a codified catch-and-release…that’s the very thing Mayorkas is violating.” It makes the law into law.”
“I think once the senators saw and read the documents that were submitted, they realized how bad this is and this is not where the American people are. “We’re going to stand with the American people, not with illegal activity,” he said of the Biden administration.
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Emmer emphasized that the agreement should address five issues that he believes the House package addressed. Reform widespread use of humanitarian parole. Limit refugee law. End of “catch and release”. and complete construction of the southern border wall.
”These five things in HR 2 need to be addressed. Everything has to fall into place, but with only one-third of the federal government, it may not be possible to get everything done. But at least we need to restore our stay in Mexico and end catch-and-release,” he said.
FOX News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
