Marjorie Taylor Greene vows to bring impeachment motion back for Alejandro Mayorkas after razor-thin defeat
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In a dramatic turn of events on the House floor, Republicans fell short in their attempt to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, with a razor-thin vote of 216-214.
The closely contested decision has left the GOP in disarray, but Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene remains undeterred, promising to bring the impeachment motion back for another vote as soon as House Majority Whip Steve Scalise returns from cancer treatment.
Marjorie Greene Vows to revisit impeachment battle
Following the defeat, Greene addressed reporters, emphasizing that the battle is far from over. The Georgia representative expressed confidence that Scalise's return would sway the vote in their favor, hinting at a potential reattempt as early as next week.
Greene staunchly defended the impeachment efforts, asserting that failure has not occurred yet. She stated, "There hasn't been a failure yet. We're going to bring it back."
She laid blame on Democrats for supporting Mayorkas despite the crisis at the southern border, presenting the choice as either endorsing flawed policies or voting to impeach the Secretary. Greene pointedly accused Democrats who voted against impeachment of defending the dire consequences, including the loss of American lives, criminal activities, and the burden on citizens caused by the border crisis.
She declared, "Democrats are either owning those as their policies and defending Secretary Mayorkas, saying he's doing nothing wrong, or they can vote to impeach Secretary Mayorkas."
Marjorie Greene warns of fallout for 'No' votes
Acknowledging the narrow margin, Greene warned of consequences for those who voted 'No' in both parties, asserting that constituents would express their concerns.
Despite the setback, she defended the decision to bring the impeachment motion, stating that it provided transparency about representatives' beliefs to the American people.
Greene insisted, "We knew it was going to be close going in because our majority is so razor-thin. Of course, my colleagues that voted no, I think they'll be hearing from their constituents."
The failed Mayorkas impeachment vote marked the second legislative setback for House Republicans that day. Immediately following the defeat, Speaker Mike Johnson's $17.6 billion Israel aid stand-alone bill faced another humiliating failure in a 250 to 218 vote.
Earlier in the day, Senate Republicans rejected the $118 billion bipartisan border and security supplemental deal they had spent months negotiating.
The GOP's attempt to impeach Mayorkas was intended to serve as a rare unifying cause for the divided Republican factions, but the outcome left party leaders stunned.
With the vote hanging by a thread, Representative Hal Rogers, recovering from a car accident, returned to the floor to cast a crucial 'yes' vote. However, a last-minute entry by Democrat Representative Al Green, in a wheelchair after surgery, resulted in a tied vote of 215-215. Green said, wearing what looked like hospital scrubs for pants, "I just had surgery."
The role of Scalise's absence and GOP's strategic delay
Amidst the chaos, Representative Steve Scalise's absence, due to cancer treatment, kept the vote unresolved for several minutes. Ultimately, GOP Conference Vice Chair Blake Moore switched his vote to 'no' ensuring a 216-214 defeat but paving the way for a future retry. Moore explained, "It's a delay is all this is."
Republicans intend to reintroduce Articles of Impeachment against Mayorkas once they secure the necessary votes for passage. Homeland Security Chair Mark Green emphasized that the delay was temporary, with expectations of revisiting the issue upon Scalise's return. Green said, "It will come up again when Scalise was back in Washington."
The defeat, coupled with the earlier failures, has sent House Republicans back to the drawing board. Any potential border policy changes will likely be postponed until after the next presidency.
Despite the setback, Greene remains determined, hinting at the ongoing turmoil within the GOP and the challenges they face in finding common ground on critical issues.
Public outcry reflects frustration with congressional chaos
Amid the tumultuous events surrounding the failed impeachment vote, social media platforms have become a sounding board for public sentiment.
One user said, "What a disaster, worst Congress ever."
Another commented, "Republicans...I don't know how y'all get so tired of losing. Like, I really don't."
Republicans...I don't know how y'all get so tired of losing. Like, I really don't.
— Tweety Freedom (@TweetyFreedom) February 7, 2024
One replied, ""And we're going to pretend that even if we do impeach him, we'll easily get the 2/3rds majority in the Senate to convict.""
"And we're going to pretend that even if we do impeach him, we'll easily get the 2/3rds majority in the Senate to convict."
— Bubble Gum Comics (@VinSportsNutz) February 7, 2024
D "“I have not yet begun to make a mockery of the impeachment process!"," commented one.
“I have not yet begun to make a mockery of the impeachment process!”
— Rantor80 (@Rantor80) February 7, 2024