Quick Hit:

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted 214-213 to impeach Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border crisis. 

Key Details:

• This is the first time a Cabinet secretary has been impeached by the U.S. Congress since 1876.
• The impeachment vote was based on accusations that Mayorkas deliberately flouted existing immigration laws, exacerbating the migrant crisis at the U.S. border.
• Three Republicans voted against the impeachment, expressing concerns over the precedent it could set for future political impeachments.

Diving Deeper:

The impeachment vote was a contentious one, with every House Democrat rallying to protect Mayorkas during the previous attempt. This time, however, the vote passed by a slim margin. The three Republicans who voted against the impeachment - Reps. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin (retiring), Ken Buck of Colorado (retiring), and Tom McClintock of California, criticized Mayorkas' handling of the border crisis but questioned whether it warranted impeachment. McClintock, in particular, warned of the potential for this to set a precedent for politically motivated impeachments in the future.

Despite these concerns, Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed the idea of precedent, arguing that Mayorkas' actions represented an exceptional case. He accused Mayorkas of causing more damage to the country than any other Cabinet secretary in U.S. history. Johnson emphasized the House's constitutional responsibility to hold Cabinet members accountable, regardless of potential repercussions.

The House Homeland Security Committee approved two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas. The first accused him of refusing to comply with federal immigration laws, while the second charged him with violating public trust.