House Republicans’ failure to impeach embattled Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas by a single vote (sealed by a wheelchair-bound Democratic lawmaker who rolled him out of the emergency room) is a sign of the party’s promise to do so. The ability to fight has come under new scrutiny.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and Republican leaders cannot predict how many Democrats will attend and take the necessary steps to pressure three fellow Republicans to vote to impeach Mayorkas. The long-awaited vote ultimately fell through.
The situation also highlights the continued absence of Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana), who has been forced to work from home in Louisiana due to unfortunate health issues. There is.
Scalise’s office announced his absence on January 5, 2024, as the House was scheduled to reconvene after an extended Christmas break that began on December 13, 2023. The Majority Leader will be absent until February due to treatment for multiple myeloma, according to a statement from his staff. A situation beyond his control, no doubt.
But with one of the few remaining achievable goals in the House Republican caucus nearing the finish line, rumors continue to swirl on Capitol Hill about Scalise’s health and ability to continue in his leadership role. There is a possibility that it will intensify.
The significance of Scalise’s absence was reminded by last-minute theater on the other side of the aisle.
Democratic Party rolled Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) reportedly entered the chamber wearing a wheelchair, hospital gown and no shoes as the vote was in progress and the vote was stalled with 215 people on each side. The tie forced Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah), who supports Mayorkas’ impeachment, to change his vote to “no” as a procedural move, leaving the House ready for a resolution. You can now take up the resolution again at any time or when you are ready.
Mr. Green, 76, came from the emergency room where he had undergone abdominal surgery. Upon arrival, his doctor checked his vitals.
“I had decided to vote a long time ago, but I didn’t know how close it would be,” Green said. Said He said this in an interview from his hospital bed. new york times. “I never expected my vote to make a difference. I came because it’s personal.”
Mr. Mayorkas is “a good, decent man whose reputation should not be tarnished,” Mr. Green said.
in a TV interview photographed On the day of the vote, Scalise spoke in Louisiana about his support for impeachment. But whether it’s fair or not, the contrast between Mr. Scalise, in a coat and tie, giving an interview while missing out on a crucial vote, and Mr. Greene, being wheeled away after surgery to drive a stake into the heart of a long-awaited impeachment case is striking. It was shocking and could have been an election year. result.
Many Republicans worry that strong split-screen signals that Democrats are prepared to fight by any means necessary, but Republicans have faced repeated setbacks, poor performance and I am satisfied that I can overcome the dysfunction and continue to get my message out.
The absolutely narrow loss was a crushing blow to House Republicans, who were desperate for a victory. But Scalise’s vote wasn’t the only thing needed. Mr. Moore undertook difficult t0 messages and politically risky procedural votes to win his team’s vote and accomplish what is generally the duty of a majority leader.
“Our majority leader, Steve Scalise, is the person who typically does this,” Moore said in a video posted to X to explain the procedural nuances. “However, unfortunately Steve is currently undergoing treatment for cancer.
“He’s doing very well and he’s going to be fine, but he couldn’t come here on the House floor, so that role was given to me as another member of the leadership.”
Moore you know (proceeding): Clearing up confusion about last night’s House impeachment vote. pic.twitter.com/k8LhKJJr34
— Congressman Blake Moore (@RepBlakeMoore) February 7, 2024
As Mr. Moore pointed out, this was not the first time the majority leader’s team had asked him to perform Mr. Scalise’s duties.
Drama has previously unfolded over Scalise’s poor health, which ultimately prevented him from running for Congress in the fall of 2023.
Scalise himself said he would be invited to speak as a speaker in October. undercut Questions about his health, he claimed, were fabricated. The majority leader even suggested that fellow delegate Rep. Garrett Graves (R-Louisiana) was to blame.
from times picayune December 1, 2023:
Ms. Scalise filed a lengthy complaint about misinformation being spread about her cancer diagnosis, including a campaign that implicated Ms. Graves.
“I know what is being said,” Scalise told Politico. “So the medical opinion that was being published was completely false. I have a doctor at MD Anderson, the world’s leading myeloma cancer specialist, who checked all my blood tests with a local doctor. , he met with me regularly and said, “It’s okay, most of the cancer will go away and you’ll live a long life.” He’s looking at my blood tests. And there are members of Congress who are naming people who may not even be doctors and saying they will die in six months. It was that bad.
It is unclear when Mr. Scalise learned he would have to undergo the treatment, which he first disclosed in a Jan. 5 statement while the House was in session, or when he began it. That statement explaining the seriousness of his diagnosis was released just 36 days after his diagnosis. times picayune Please read in part:
Last month, leader Scalise successfully completed induction chemotherapy and tested positive. He has now been determined eligible for an autologous stem cell transplant. He is currently undergoing the transplant process and is reaching an important milestone in his fight against cancer. Once the procedure is complete, he will recover under the supervision of a medical team and work remotely until returning to Washington next month.
Scalise’s relationship with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is notoriously frosty, and many of the tasks normally delegated to the majority leader are carried out by Scalise’s longtime rival, Rep. Louisinan Graves. and other members of Congress, such as Rep. Patrick McHenry (R). – North Carolina), whom he named interim chairman after McCarthy’s ouster.
Before Tuesday’s vote, Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) and Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) announced they would vote against impeachment. On Tuesday morning, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), who had voiced concerns about impeachment, joined the unified Democratic bloc.
Mr. Johnson and other senior Republicans pressured Mr. Gallagher, who chairs the China Select Committee, to no avail, and the vote was held up as Mr. Gallagher folded his arms in defiance.
It’s unclear whether Republican leaders threatened the gavel to secure Mr. Gallagher’s vote and bail out Republicans. Mr. Gallagher could have voted “present” and avoided any embarrassment for Republicans.
House Republicans may try to impeach Mayorkas again. But that window could close on Tuesday.
This day is the day after the House of Representatives is scheduled to begin its session, but it is also the day of a special election to replace expelled Rep. George Santos (R-New York) in New York’s 3rd House of Representatives.
Former Rep. Tom Suozzi, who held the seat for years before his failed bid for governor in 2022, faced a largely unknown Republican challenger in a district that Biden could easily win. Many predict that they will have the upper hand.
If Mr. Suozzi is successful, he would likely be sworn in the next day, making any future Scalise vote to impeach Mr. Mayorkas inconsequential (in the event of Democratic absences or future House changes). (unless a vote is taken).
But even if Republicans are successful in impeaching Mayorkas, the impact will likely be blunted after Tuesday’s setback.
And the visual of Greene’s winning vote over a seemingly hapless Republican will remain.
Bradley Jay is Breitbart News’ Capitol Hill correspondent. Follow him on X/Twitter. @BradleyAJay.
