On Tuesday (April 18), Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and other officials were defensive as Senate Republicans became increasingly vocal about supporting an effort to impeach the secretary.
Mayorkas’ appearance before the Senate Homeland Security Committee drew the usual heated debate and personal attacks that are common in such forums today, but the GOP’s stance escalated when Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) vowed to introduce a motion of no confidence.
Efforts by the House GOP to impeach Mayorkas have been festering for some time, with Republican lawmakers claiming he failed to manage the border, leading to uncontrollable immigration.
Despite the falls, no formal inquiry has yet been launched, and those efforts recently got placed on the back burner as negotiations on the debt ceiling take precedence.
Marshall changed that order on Tuesday by suggesting the Senate move the process forward, where little progress is expected because of the Democratic majority.
Marshall described “stand[ing] ready to receive articles of impeachment from the House” and moving forward with them in the higher chamber.
But while he waits for the House to move forward with an impeachment of Mayorkas, Marshall suggested the Senate GOP demonstrate to those in the House that we have “had enough” of Mayorkas’ failures and a belief he is unable to “faithfully” carry out his duties.
At one point, Mayorkas at one tried to respond to Marshall’s claims, asking to be allowed to speak on a point of personal privilege, but Marshall objected, instead insisting he wanted Mayorkas to answer his questions and not offer a lecture.
When the next speaker, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), offered Mayorkas an opportunity to respond, he rejected it.
