You’d think the House GOP advance team was purposely setting out rakes for Republican lawmakers to step on with how much they’ve embarrassed themselves this Congress. Last week their conspiracy driven effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas collapsed. House Republicans have absolutely no evidence to justify impeaching the DHS Secretary and are more interested in pulling political stunts than actually governing. Once again, the facts came first.
House GOP Conspiracy Theorists Lost In An Embarrassing Spectacle
TIME (Column): “The Conspiracy Theories Behind The Drive To Impeach Mayorkas”
Daily Beast: “GOP Rep Calls Out His Party’s Mayorkas Impeachment ‘Stunt’”
- Ken Buck On The Effort To Impeach Mayorkas: “This Is Not A High Crime Or Misdemeanor. It’s Not An Impeachable Offense. This Is A Policy Difference.” “Retiring Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) told MSNBC anchor Chris Jansing that what’s alleged in the articles of impeachment doesn’t rise to the level. The draft legislation claimed Mayorkas ‘willfully and systemically refused to comply with the law’ by instituting a ‘catch and release scheme’ that frees migrants while they await immigration court proceedings. Republicans also allege that he ‘knowingly made false statements, and knowingly obstructed lawful oversight of the Department of Homeland Security’ about border security. ‘This is not a high crime or misdemeanor. It’s not an impeachable offense. This is a policy difference,’ said Buck, who has also bashed his GOP colleagues’ impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.” [Daily Beast, 2/2/24]
ABC News: “In Stunning Defeat, House Republicans Fail To Impeach DHS Secretary Mayorkas Over Border”
CNN: “House Vote To Impeach Mayorkas Fails In Stunning Defeat For Republican Leaders”
Vox: “Republicans’ Humiliating Failed Impeachment Of Alejandro Mayorkas, Explained”
Axios: “Mayorkas Impeachment Fails In Stunning Loss For House Republicans”
The Hill: “In Stunner, House GOP Bid To Impeach Mayorkas Fails”
NBC News: “House Republicans Fail To Impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas”
Daily Beast: “House GOP Suffers Spectacular Double Fail On Mayorkas, Israel Package”
Associated Press: “Broken Congress: It Can’t Fix The Border, Fund Allies Or Impeach Mayorkas As GOP Revolts”
Huffington Post: “Mayorkas Impeachment Flop Shows The Difficulty Of Impeaching Joe Biden”
Daily Beast: “The GOP Wants To Impeach Biden. Republicans Can’t Even Impeach The DHS Secretary.”
The Hill: “Legal Experts Counter GOP Claims That Mayorkas Broke The Law”
EVEN CONSERVATIVES DON’T THINK HOUSE REPUBLICANS HAVE EVIDENCE TO JUSTIFY THEIR IMPEACHMENT CHARADE AGAINST DHS SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS
Former Bush Administration DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff Said House Republicans Don’t Have Evidence To Justify Impeaching DHS Secretary Mayorkas
OP-ED: “Don’t Impeach Alejandro Mayorkas” [Wall Street Journal, Former DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff Op-Ed, 1/28/24]
Former Bush DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff On House GOP Efforts To Impeach DHS Secretary Mayorkas: “I Can Say With Confidence That, For All The Investigating That The House Committee On Homeland Security Has Done, They Have Failed To Put Forth Evidence That Meets The Bar.” “The House Homeland Security Committee is moving toward a Jan. 30 vote on articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, with a possible vote by the full House on Feb. 5. As homeland security secretary under President George W. Bush—and as a former federal judge, U.S. attorney and assistant attorney general—I can say with confidence that, for all the investigating that the House Committee on Homeland Security has done, they have failed to put forth evidence that meets the bar.” [Wall Street Journal, Former DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff Op-Ed, 1/28/24]
Former Bush DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff: “Despite Our Different Parties, I Know Mr. Mayorkas To Be Fair And Honest—Dedicated To The Safety And Security Of The U.S. He Has Represented DHS To The Country And To Both Parties In Congress With Integrity. Republicans In The House Should Drop This Impeachment Charade And Work With Mr. Mayorkas To Deliver For The American People.” [Wall Street Journal, Former DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff Op-Ed, 1/28/24]
Conservative Commentator Jonathan Turley Said House Republicans Have No Evidence To Justify Impeaching DHS Secretary Mayorkas
HEADLINE: “Turley Says There’s No ‘Cognizable Basis’ For Republicans To Impeach Mayorkas” [The Hill, 1/29/24]
Jonathan Turley On House Efforts To Impeach DHS Secretary Mayorkas: “I Just Don’t Think They Have A Cognizable Basis Here For Impeachment. The First Article Is Basically A Disagreement About The Level Of Enforcement Being Done By This Administration.” STEVE DOOCY: “While the House has a tiny little majority of Republicans, the Senate’s not going to pass it, they’re not going to get two-thirds majority.” JONATHAN TURLEY: “No they’re not, but the thing is, I don’t fault the House if they have a basis for impeachment, regardless of what the other house does, they have an obligation to proceed. I just don’t think they have a cognizable basis here for impeachment. The first article is basically a disagreement about the level of enforcement being done by this administration.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 1/29/24] (video)
Former RNC Chair Michael Steele Said House Republicans Have No Evidence To Justify Impeaching DHS Secretary Mayorkas
HEADLINE: “‘This Is A Stunt’: Ex-RNC Chair Blasts GOP’s Latest Effort To Oust DHS Secretary Over ‘Policy Disagreement'” [AlterNet, 1/28/24]
Former RNC Chair Michael Steele Said House Republican Efforts To Impeach DHS Secretary Mayorkas Were A “Stunt” And “Impeachment Is Being Thrown Around And Used As A Political Cudgel Against The Opponents Of The Republicans That They Disagree With On Policy.” FORMER RNC CHAIR MICHAEL STEELE: “Understand fundamentally: this is a stunt. This is not about anything that Mayorkas, the secretary, has done that violates his constitutional oath of office. That falls into the high crimes or misdemeanor category that is required by the constitution. This is purely a policy disagreement and you know it ain’t really that because Republicans haven’t put up a policy that they could counter what Mayorkas has done and what the administration has done. So, I think it’s important for us to really contextualize this moment because yet again, impeachment is being thrown around and used as a political cudgel against the opponents of the Republicans that they disagree with on policy.” [MSNBC, The Weekend, 1/28/24] (video)
HOUSE REPUBLICANS AREN’T INTERESTED IN SOLVING IMMIGRATION ISSUES, THEY JUST WANT TO FEARMONGER AND PULL POLITICAL STUNTS
HEADLINE: “Trump, House Republicans Plot To Kill Border Deal” [Axios, 1/29/24]
HEADLINE: “Trump Brags About Efforts To Stymie Border Talks: ‘Please Blame It On Me’” [Washington Post, 1/28/24]
HEADLINE: “Trump Slams Deal That Would Give Biden Authority To Close Border” [Politico, 1/27/24]
HEADLINE: “Republicans Flail On Bipartisan Border Deal After Trump Orders Them To Reject It” [Huffington Post, 1/25/24]
HEADLINE: “GOP Senators Seethe As Trump Blows Up Delicate Immigration Compromise” [CNN, 1/25/24]
HEADLINE: “Romney: ‘Appalling’ Trump Wants To Kill Border Bill So He Can ‘Blame Biden’” [The Hill, 1/25/24]
HEADLINE: “Trump’s Grip On Congressional Republicans Casts Doubt On Possible Border Deal” [ABC News, 1/26/24]
HEADLINE: “As Trump Vies To Blows Up Border Deal, Migrant Crisis Could Get Worse” [TIME Magazine, 1/27/24]
HEADLINE: “House Republican Admits He’ll Kill Border Deal If It Helps Biden” [New Republic, 1/4/24]
Rep. Chip Roy Admitted All House Republicans Have Done Is Pull Stunts For Photo-Ops When It Comes To Immigration
Rep. Chip Roy On House Republicans’ January 2024 Border Stunt: “Our People — Law Enforcement, Ranchers, Local Leaders — Are Tired Of Meetings, Speeches, And Press Conferences.” “Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said he won’t be attending the House GOP border trip Wednesday, calling instead for Congress to focus on new legislation and vowing to fight fellow Republicans to do it, if necessary. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is set to lead a group of about 60 Republican lawmakers to Eagle Pass, Texas, on Wednesday as the House zeroes in its legislative focus on the southern border as the 2024 election cycle ramps up. The congressman commended the trip but added that the House should instead be working on passing bills. ‘Our people — law enforcement, ranchers, local leaders — are tired of meetings, speeches, and press conferences,’ Roy said in a letter obtained by The Hill. ‘It’s time to act with urgency,’ he added, noting a ‘historical failure’ of Republicans to properly address border security in the past.” [The Hill, 1/2/24]
House Republicans Acknowledged They Have No Evidence To Impeach President Biden
CNN: “House GOP Skeptical Biden Inquiry Leads To Impeachment As Election Draws Near”
- CNN: “Republicans Have Struggled To Articulate A Clear, Tangible Case That Rises To The Level Of An Impeachable Offense, Multiple GOP Lawmakers Told CNN.” “But Republicans have struggled to articulate a clear, tangible case that rises to the level of an impeachable offense, multiple GOP lawmakers told CNN. In many cases, some of the GOP’s most damning claims about the president’s role in his son’s foreign business deals, put forward by Comer, have been undercut by their own witnesses. And the trio of committees leading the investigation have at times offered conflicting answers about what they think their most compelling piece of evidence is, sending mixed signals to the conference about the direction of their probe.” [CNN, 2/2/24]
- Nicole Malliotakis: “Let The American People Decide In November If They Want To Take This Country In A Different Direction… I Think That’s Probably Most Likely, Considering The Politics Of The Senate.” “And with a Biden impeachment expected to go nowhere in the Democratic-controlled Senate and the 2024 presidential election coming into focus, others say the best-case scenario at this point would be to leave it up to voters. ‘Let the American people decide in November if they want to take this country in a different direction,’ GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York told CNN. ‘I think that’s probably most likely, considering the politics of the Senate.’” [CNN, 2/2/24]
- Mike Kelly On Comer’s Impeachment Inquiry: “I Have Seen Nothing. I Really See Nothing. I Know What People Say. And I Watch The News.” “GOP Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, who is not on any of the committees conducting the probe, told CNN, ‘I have seen nothing. I really see nothing. I know what people say. And I watch the news,’ when asked if any evidence uncovered by the committees rose to the level of impeachment.” [CNN, 2/2/24]
- Mike Garcia Said None Of The Committee Chairs Leading The Impeachment Inquiry Explicitly Said They Had Evidence Of An Impeachable Offense When They Updated The Republican Conference. “Another swing district Republican, Rep. Mike Garcia of California, who is waiting to see what the committees produce before making a final judgment, told CNN that when the committee chairs leading the investigation presented to a subsection of the conference this week they each gave updates on their work, but none said explicitly they had evidence of an impeachable offense.” [CNN, 2/2/24]
- Dan Newhouse On Comer’s Impeachment Inquiry: “Nobody Is Talking About That.” According to a CNN article about the House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry: “Others say it has not been a big focus of their already crowded agenda. ‘Nobody is talking about that,’ said GOP Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington state, when asked for his thoughts on the Biden impeachment inquiry. Another swing district Republican, Rep. David Valadao of California, said: ‘I spend zero time on this.’” [CNN, 2/2/24]
- David Valadao On Comer’s Impeachment Inquiry: “I Spend Zero Time On This.” According to a CNN article about the House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry: “Others say it has not been a big focus of their already crowded agenda. ‘Nobody is talking about that,’ said GOP Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington state, when asked for his thoughts on the Biden impeachment inquiry. Another swing district Republican, Rep. David Valadao of California, said: ‘I spend zero time on this.’” [CNN, 2/2/24]
- GOP Lawmaker On Comer’s Impeachment Inquiry: “I Don’t Think It Goes Anywhere.” “Now, many feel that their window to capitalize on the inquiry is slipping away as they march closer to the November election. ‘I don’t think it goes anywhere,’ one Republican lawmaker said of the Biden impeachment inquiry. ‘The window to impeach is rapidly closing,’ another GOP source added.” [CNN, 2/2/24]
- GOP Lawmaker On Comer’s Impeachment Inquiry: “We Don’t Have The Votes Right Now.” “Republicans have struggled to get the full support of the conference behind their impeachment inquiry into Biden. ‘We don’t have the votes right now,’ one GOP lawmaker told CNN. A number of lawmakers said that is because they still don’t see the evidence or are waiting for the investigation to conclude to make a final decision.” [CNN, 2/2/24]
- GOP Source On Comer’s Impeachment Inquiry: “You’d Be Hard Pressed To Say It’s Going Well… It’s A Jumbled Mess.” “The prospect of their inquiry not culminating in impeachment has prompted some internal frustration among Republicans, with finger-pointing already underway in GOP circles about what went wrong – and who is to blame – even as the Republican-led committees continue to push on with their probe. Some of the ire has been directed at House Oversight Chairman James Comer, who has spearheaded the investigation into Biden family business records. ‘You’d be hard pressed to say it’s going well,’ said a GOP source closely following that investigation. ‘It’s a jumbled mess.’” [CNN, 2/2/24]
New Republic: “Republicans Have Nothing To Impeach Joe Biden On. And They Finally Know It.”
Washington Examiner: “Republicans Skeptical The ‘Case Has Been Made’ To Push Biden Impeachment Into Reality”
Raw Story: “‘A Jumbled Mess’: GOP Insiders Say James Comer Catching Ire As Impeachment Fizzles”
PoliticsUSA: “Biden Impeachment Is Going Down In Flames As GOP Is 20 Votes Short”
Washington Post (Column): “The House GOP’s Impeachment Fyre Festival”
USA Today (Column): “Do You Know What Republicans Don’t Need For A Biden Investigation? Evidence, Apparently.”