House committee initiates impeachment proceedings against Biden Homeland Security chief
House Republicans are moving forward with plans to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, as they believe he has failed to effectively address key national security concerns, according to a GOP source
The GOP source informed CNN that House Republicans are moving forward with plans to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. In a statement to CNN, a committee spokesperson revealed that the House Committee on Homeland Security has conducted a thorough investigation into Mayorkas' actions and involvement in the crisis at the Southwest border for almost a year.
"After the bipartisan vote in the House to refer articles of impeachment against the secretary to our Committee, we will proceed with hearings and address those articles in the upcoming weeks," the statement announced.
The committee spokesperson informed CNN that the hearing is set to commence next week. "The Committee will see to it that the public understands the extent of Secretary Mayorkas' serious misconduct and failure to uphold the law, and also that this process is carried out quickly and accountability is achieved promptly as demanded by the American people," the statement concluded.
The Department of Homeland Security responded to the news on Wednesday, with spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg stating, "The House majority is wasting time and taxpayer dollars on a baseless political exercise that has already failed on a bipartisan vote and has been rejected by members of both parties."
"There is no legitimate reason to impeach Secretary Mayorkas, as confirmed by senior members of the House majority. This extreme impeachment push is a harmful distraction from our important national security priorities," Ehrenberg continued. "Secretary Mayorkas and the Department of Homeland Security remain focused on working every day to ensure the safety of Americans."
Mayorkas tried to minimize worries about impeachment on Wednesday, but he emphasized the importance of funding for border security. He warned that his department lacks the resources needed to fully and effectively carry out their duties.
Despite this, it is clear that reaching an agreement on a border deal will be extremely challenging in the House. Mayorkas has played a significant role in bipartisan discussions in the Senate.
"We require more personnel to enhance border security and technology to combat the spread of fentanyl. Additionally, the asylum adjudication process needs to be accelerated with the assistance of more asylum officers," he mentioned during an interview on "CNN This Morning," highlighting a growing backlog of 3 million immigration court cases.
When asked by CNN's Phil Mattingly about the potential impact of an impeachment effort on passing a border deal, Mayorkas responded, "I certainly hope not."
In the latest development, the House voted in November to refer a resolution to impeach Mayorkas to the Homeland Security Committee in a 209-201 vote, with eight Republicans joining Democrats. Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia filed a privileged resolution to impeach Mayorkas in November, which compelled GOP leadership to schedule floor action on the measure.
After gaining back the House majority, Republicans have been pushing for Mayorkas' impeachment related to his management of the Department of Homeland Security and the US-Mexico border. Greene's action comes as Republicans continue to advocate for stronger border security measures in any additional aid package. Please note that this story has been updated with more information.
CNNs Manu Raju contributed to this report.
