House GOP set to try again in effort to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas

Feb. 13 (UPI) -- The House is expected to hold second vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise returning to his seat.

Scalise, who missed last week's vote while being treated for blood cancer, could provide the decisive vote to impeach Mayorkas as the GOP suffered an embarrassing defeat last week.

The vote failed 216-214 in the first attempt to impeach Mayorkas. Republicans Ken Buck, of Colorado, Tom McClintock, of California, and Mike Gallagher, of Wisconsin, joined all Democrats against impeachment.

If Republicans delay the vote, they could face an increased challenge if former Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., reclaims his old House seat in a special election on Tuesday that was previously held by George Santos, R-N.Y., before he was expelled.

Buck has said while he disagrees with Mayorkas and the Biden administration's policies at the border, his work as Homeland Security secretary does not rise to the "high crimes and misdemeanor" standards set by the Constitution.

McClintock said he plans to repeat his vote against impeachment on Tuesday.

"Well, the Constitution hasn't changed since last week, so my vote is not going to change," McClintock told The Hill. "These are the same reasons I vigorously opposed the sham impeachment of Donald Trump.

"It dumbs down the standard for impeachment and assurance is going to become a constant fixture in our national life whenever the White House is held by one party and in the Congress by other."

Mayorkas, in turn, blamed Congress on Sunday for the U.S. struggles to stop southern border crossing.

"It certainly is a crisis [at the border] and we don't bear responsibility for a broken system," Mayorkas told NBC News. "We're dealing a tremendous amount within that broken system but fundamentally Congress is the only one who can fix it."

Even if Republicans muster enough votes to impeach Mayorkas, there would be little chance of him being removed with the Democratic control of the Senate where a trial would need to be held and a two-thirds vote for removal.