House Democrats are intensifying their criticism of the GOP-led effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, as next week’s committee vote approaches.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, the leading Democrat on the Homeland Security panel, sent a letter to Committee Chair Mark Green, accusing him of violating House precedent and denying Mayorkas due process in moving toward marking up articles of impeachment.
In the exclusive letter obtained by POLITICO, Thompson expresses concerns about the impeachment process, emphasizing that it should adhere to established rules and practices rather than succumbing to partisan politics.
House Republicans Unveil Impeachment Charges Against Mayorkas (Credits: The New York Times)
He notes the gravity of impeachment and urges the committee to follow the traditions set over more than two centuries of congressional history.
Thompson’s letter highlights several points of contention, including the absence of a formal House authorization for an impeachment inquiry into Mayorkas.
Instead, the House had voted last year to send an impeachment resolution from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to Green’s committee, which had been conducting a lengthy investigation into Mayorkas and his border management.
The letter accuses Republicans of various infractions, such as violating ethics rules, denying Mayorkas the opportunity to testify, and rejecting Democrats’ hearing requests. The dispute between Republicans and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revolves around Mayorkas’ testimony.
Green claims that the secretary has refused to testify, while Mayorkas’ spokesperson stated that he offered to testify publicly, with no response from the committee.
The committee is expected to vote along party lines to impeach Mayorkas next week, with every Republican on the panel endorsing the move.
The Republicans, holding a narrow two-vote majority on the floor, will need to address skepticism within their own ranks to secure approval in a floor vote scheduled for the week of Feb. 5.
In a joint statement, Republicans on the panel asserted the necessity of exercising Congress’s constitutional duty and impeaching Secretary Mayorkas, citing a nearly year-long investigation and impeachment proceedings as evidence of accountability efforts having been exhausted.
