These are turbulent times, with many serious challenges facing the country: a two-year old war in Ukraine that threatens the stability of Western Europe; an ongoing war in Gaza that could engulf the entire region; lower but still stubborn inflation; a flood of immigrants at the border; rise in violent crime in many cities; millions of Americans still without health care; a dramatic increase in wildfires, tornadoes and other serious weather conditions due to climate change.
And which of these national priorities is the Republican-controlled House of Representatives spending time on? None of the above. Instead, their No. 1 priority — scheduled for a floor vote this week — is the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Perhaps never before has the House so openly abandoned its responsibility to govern to engage in naked, partisan, political game-playing — which is doomed to fail in the Senate.
First, let’s be clear. Impeaching Mayorkas was not the Republicans’ first choice. For two years, House GOP leaders vowed they were going to impeach President Biden himself. But after lots of puffing and preening, and after holding several committee hearings in which they promised to produce the “smoking gun” but didn’t, Republicans changed course: from Impeachment Plan A (Biden) to Impeachment Plan B (Mayorkas).
Now what everyone wants to know is: Exactly what are the “high crimes and misdemeanors” for which Republicans demand that Mayorkas be impeached? The answer is that there aren’t any. They want to impeach him because they don’t like the way he’s running his agency. They plan to impeach him over differences in policy.
Read the two articles of impeachment adopted by the Homeland Security Committee. The first accuses Mayorkas of maladministration in dealing with a flood of refugees; the second accuses him of misleading Congress by testifying that the border was “secure” when they believe it is not. But nowhere do they cite evidence of “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors” cited in the Constitution as grounds for impeachment.
Many conservative legal scholars agree that doesn’t pass the impeachment test. Michael Chertoff, former DHS secretary under President George W. Bush, wrote in the Wall Street Journal: “I can say with confidence that, for all the investigating the House Committee on Homeland Security has done, they have failed to put forth evidence that meets the bar.” George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley wrote in The Daily Beast: “There is no current evidence he is corrupt or committed an impeachable offense.”
Even Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), one of the secretary’s chief critics, told reporters last week he was a “solid no” on impeaching Mayorkas because “this just isn’t an impeachable offense.”
Nevertheless, with Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) blessing, House hardliners barge ahead, determined to impeach Mayorkas. Which raises the obvious question: Why stop there? Secretary of State Antony Blinken hasn’t brought back all the hostages to Israel. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg didn’t stop Boeing from making unsafe 737s. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm hasn’t built enough offshore windfarms. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hid his hospital stay. Go down the Cabinet list. There are policy disagreements with each of them. Impeach them all.
The whole idea is ridiculous. It makes a mockery of the Constitution. And it dashes any hopes that Speaker Johnson would ever stand up to the most extreme members of the GOP House Caucus.
“Maga Mike” is just as beholden to them as was his predecessor, “My Kevin.” The only difference is they haven’t ganged up to throw Johnson out of office. Yet.
Press hosts “The Bill Press Pod.” He is the author of “From the Left: A Life in the Crossfire.”