The White House has adamantly criticized the House Republicans’ efforts to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas, the Homeland Security Secretary. In a scathing memo obtained by NBC News, the White House denounced the push as unconstitutional and accused Republicans of disregarding the democratic system of checks and balances.
According to White House spokesman Ian Sams, the campaign to impeach Mayorkas represents extreme, far-right politics. He emphasized that this move is reminiscent of attempts by Republicans to overturn the 2020 presidential election and impeach President Joe Biden himself. Sams further added, “This stunt by House Republicans is just the latest example of their blatant disregard for the Constitution and our democratic system of government.”
Republicans argue that the hearings, spearheaded by the House Homeland Security Committee, are warranted due to the escalating number of border crossings and fentanyl trafficking across the southern U.S. border during Mayorkas’ tenure. The impeachment effort is being led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia.
In response to these allegations, Sams’ memo cited legal scholars and experts who assert that there is no legal basis for impeaching Mayorkas. Additionally, it states that voting to impeach a Cabinet secretary over policy disagreements goes against the Constitution.
Quoting Jonathan Turley, a top witness for Republicans in the first Biden impeachment hearing, Sams highlighted the risks of pursuing this endeavor as a “slippery slope.” Conversely, a constitutional law scholar called as a witness by Democrats, Professor Frank Bowman of the University of Missouri School of Law, expressed his belief that Mayorkas should not be charged with “high crimes and misdemeanors” – the typical grounds for impeachment.
The Republicans have requested Mayorkas’ in-person testimony before the committee, which is chaired by Republican Mark Green of Tennessee. However, Mayorkas did not attend last week’s hearing.
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