House Republicans seeking to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for failure to adequately police the southern border do not have the votes to do so, Politico reported.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who is among those who've lobbied GOP leadership to move forward with impeachment proceedings, admits the votes just might not exist in Republicans' narrow House majority.
"We have what — a majority of three, or four, or five depending on the day and people's health? So, if there’s a handful of people that don't cross the line, that's where we are," Roy said, Politico reported.
One GOP lawmaker told Politico that the effort to impeach Mayorkas has died down "some." The representative added that although the Biden administration has made bad policy decisions related to the border, "incompetence isn't an impeachable offense."
Even some conservatives and members of the Judiciary Committee, which deliberates over whether to initiate an impeachment inquiry, do not appear to be behind the effort.
Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., a Judiciary Committee and Freedom Caucus member, said he remains unconvinced that impeaching Mayorkas is necessary.
"Think about it — you replace Mayorkas with another Biden appointee," said Buck, who added that impeachment is "a rare occurrence. It's supposed to be."
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said he hasn't heard much recently about impeaching Mayorkas.
"In the end, what are you going to get?" Bacon said, Politico reported. "You’re going to get Biden’s policies."
Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who last year said he might be open to holding impeachment proceedings, has signaled he's not convinced about pursuing them.
"The only time you use impeachment is if someone has done something that rises to impeachment," McCarthy told Politico, adding that committees continue to investigate the DHS secretary.
Some Republicans who have supported investigations into Mayorkas, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and President Joe Biden also have warned that holding impeachment votes without proof of wrongdoing could result in the GOP losing control of the House in 2024.
Mayorkas' biggest critics, though, believe the impeachment issue is not dead.
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., a member of the Judiciary Committee, is holding a joint field hearing Tuesday on "Biden’s border crisis," Politico reported.
Biggs has already introduced impeachment articles against Mayorkas, but he acknowledged during a tele-townhall last week that the House GOP remains short of the votes needs to move forward.
Roy, for one, is eyeing the Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government. The Texan has vowed to oppose any spending bills that fund the DHS without enacting immigration and border reforms — which include impeaching the secretary.
"I think the case has been made. And I think we are going to see a pretty big fight play out between now and Sept. 30 about what the next steps are with respect to dealing with the border," Roy said, Politico reported.
Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., said his panel would not make a final decision about any impeachment referrals to the Judiciary Committee until a five-phase investigation into the agency is completed.
"Clearly it's not as exciting" as other investigations, Green said, Politico reported. "But we ain't stopping."
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