Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told fellow Republican lawmakers that he intends to hold a House-wide vote on whether to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas “as soon as possible.”
Johnson made the announcement in a letter to colleagues sent on Friday, a copy of which was obtained by Fox News Digital.
“The facts show that President Biden and his Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas have willfully ignored and actively undermined our nation’s immigration laws,” the speaker wrote. “Rather than accept accountability, President Biden is now trying to blame Congress for what HE himself intentionally created.”
Johnson pointed out polling that showed illegal immigration as an increasingly urgent issue for American voters.
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“The American people know better, and that’s why public opinion polls show the country has overwhelmingly sided with us on this issue. When we return next week, by necessity, the House Homeland Security Committee will move forward with Articles of Impeachment against Secretary Mayorkas,” he said. “A vote on the floor will be held as soon as possible thereafter.”
He also reaffirmed the House GOP’s support for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott amid a tense standoff with the federal government at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“I made clear that we stand with Texas Governor Greg Abbott in his heroic efforts to protect the citizens of his state and all Americans, and I am emphasizing again today that House Republicans will vigorously oppose any policy proposal from the White House or Senate that would further incentivize illegal aliens to break our laws,” Johnson said.
It comes as a bipartisan deal on border security between the Senate and White House, talks Mayorkas has been a part of, appears increasingly out of reach.
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Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who is involved in the talks, told reporters on Thursday that they would know in the next 24 to 48 hours whether a border deal was possible. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., leading talks for the GOP, said later when asked about text coming next week, “That’s been the hope. Of course, a week ago I said we would have text that week too.”
When asked about Johnson’s Friday letter, a spokesperson for DHS pointed Fox News Digital to an earlier memo emphasizing Mayorkas’ role in the talks to solve the crisis. “Instead of working in a bipartisan way to fix our broken immigration laws, the House Majority is wasting time on baseless and pointless political attacks by trying to impeach Secretary Mayorkas,” they added.
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But House lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have warned that whatever comes out of the Senate will not just be accepted by their chamber.
Johnson has gone further both in public and in private, calling for nothing short of the measures in H.R.2, the border security bill House Republicans passed in May. That bill, which includes Trump-era policies like Remain In Mexico, has been called a nonstarter by Democrats.
Republican lawmakers have also expressed skepticism of the talks over Mayorkas’ role, after blaming him and Biden for the current border crisis. The GOP-led House Homeland Security Committee is expected to advance articles of impeachment against Mayorkas next week.
But Republicans are demanding concessions on border security in exchange for support on Democrats’ $106 billion supplemental funding request for Ukraine
