House GOP planning second vote to impeach Biden DHS Sec Mayorkas after first attempt narrowly fails

Just one week after their first motion to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas failed, House Republicans have signaled that a second vote is imminent.

Though the GOP has a slight majority in the House, not all members voted along party lines. Four sided with Democrats, who unanimously sided against impeachment, making the final tally 214-216.

As Fox News reports, the second vote could take place as early as Tuesday, though Speaker Mike Johnson may push it back until after the special election in New York's 3rd Congressional District, which could result in Republican Mazi Pilip replacing former Rep. George Santos, thus potentially providing the party with one extra vote.

Republicans who voted against impeachment last week were Colorado's Ken Buck, Wisconsin's Mike Gallagher, California's Tom McClintock, and Utah's Blake Moore. The latter switched his vote from yea to nay at the last moment, thereby enabling Republicans to bring up a Motion to Reconsider at a later time for a fresh vote.

Two articles of impeachment were approved by the House Homeland Security Committee in late January. They accused Mayorkas of having "repeatedly violated laws enacted by Congress regarding immigration and border security" and of having "made false statements to Congress" that the border is secure and closed and that his agency is in control of the situation.

"I assure you that your false accusations do not rattle me and do not divert me from the law enforcement and broader public service mission to which I have devoted most of my career and to which I remain devoted," Mayorkas said in response, claiming that record-breaking border crossings were due to "problems with our broken and outdated immigration system."

If the House votes in favor of moving forward with impeachment this time around, the case will go to the Senate for trial.