During a visit to the border in El Paso, Texas, House Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy threatened President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas with impeachment.
McCarthy, a candidate for House Speaker, said Republicans will seek Mayorkas’ impeachment if he refuses to resign.
McCarthy was heading a group to the southern border in El Paso, Texas, only days after Republicans claimed a majority in the House when he made the remarks.
Several Republican colleagues, including Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales, who represents a southern border district, joined him to demonstrate support for Border Patrol.
“He cannot and must not remain in that position. If Secretary Mayorkas does not resign, House Republicans will investigate every order, every action and every failure to determine whether we can begin an impeachment inquiry.” McCarthy said.
Previously, the Republican Study Committee advocated for Mayorkas’ impeachment.
Mayorkas, on the other hand, maintains that the southern border is “safe.” He most recently stated this during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on November 15.
Republican legislators have been calling for Mayorkas to quit for months as the crisis along the U.S. southern border has continued to worsen.
In fiscal year 2021, there were more than 1.7 million migrant interactions, and more than 2.3 million in fiscal year 2022.
Republicans have blamed the government of exacerbating the problem by reversing Trump-era border initiatives like as the Remain in Mexico policy and tightening internal enforcement.
For it’s part the Biden White House denounced McCarthy’s visit to the border.
“McCarthy has no plan. The Republican Party has no plan. They do nothing except political stunts,” Biden Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday, in response to McCarthy’s actions and rhetoric.
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