Republicans impeach US homeland security chief over border crisis
Republicans impeached US President Joe Biden's immigration chief on Tuesday, the culmination of months of attacks on the Democratic administration as they seek to make border security a key issue in November's election.
Conservatives in the House of Representatives, which is narrowly controlled by Republicans, blame Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for a surge in illegal entries from Mexico that they have called a «humanitarian catastrophe.»
Lawmakers passed two articles accusing him of «willful and systemic refusal» to enforce immigration law and «breach of public trust» — making him the first Cabinet secretary to be impeached in nearly 150 years.
It was Republican leaders' second swing at Mayorkas after they botched a first impeachment effort last week by wrongly anticipating how many lawmakers would be present on each side and losing by just one vote.
Tuesday's re-run was just as close, but the return of Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who had been receiving cancer treatment, swung the chamber the other way in a 214-213 vote.
«Next to a declaration of war, impeachment is arguably the most serious authority given to the House and we have treated this matter accordingly,» said House Speaker Mike Johnson.
«Since this secretary refuses to do the job that the Senate confirmed him to do, the House must act.»
But Biden immediately rebuked Republicans for what he termed a «blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship that has
