On Tuesday, House Republicans failed to muster enough support to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of a border crisis fraught with surging illegal crossings and fentanyl poisonings fueled by drug trafficking.
Three GOP lawmakers broke ranks and joined all voting Democrats to defeat a resolution that could have made Mayorkas the first Cabinet secretary to be impeached since 1876. The defectors included Reps. Ken Buck (R-CO), Tom McClintock (R-CA), and Mike Gallagher (R-WI).
The final tally ended up being 214-216, just short of the simple majority needed for success, as House GOP Vice Chairman Blake Moore (R-UT) flipped to a “no” vote at the last moment. Members said Moore changed his vote to break a tie and give Republicans another chance to bring up the impeachment resolution in the future.
Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) was the sole…
