Last week, the Republican Party experienced considerable challenges in the House of Representatives, marked by discord and thwarted ambitions.
The party’s attempts to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and pass an aid package for Israel on February 6 both hit roadblocks, reflecting the ongoing tumult within the GOP.
The bid to impeach Secretary Mayorkas fell short with a 214-216 vote, signaling a significant split within the party. Three Republican representatives — Ken Buck of Colorado, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, and Tom McClintock of California — broke from party ranks to vote against the motion. This indicated internal turmoil within the GOP over Mayorkas’ alleged failure to enforce U.S. immigration policies and charges of violating public trust.
Democrats criticized the impeachment efforts as unsubstantiated and politically driven, citing the intense debate that drew on former President Donald Trump’s contentious border security proposals.
This discord signals a deeper division within the House GOP, a sentiment reflected by Representative Ryan Zinke of Montana, who pointed out the party’s struggles in pushing its legislative plans.
In a 250 to 180 vote, the Republican-led House rejected legislation that would allocate $17.6 billion to Israel. The measure, which needed two-thirds of the House to pass, was opposed by 166 Democrats and 14 Republicans. The bill was seen as a strategic move against President Biden, emphasizing the GOP’s commitment to Israel. However, disputes over the package’s particulars and strategy resulted in its failure.
In the wake of these events, Republican lawmakers expressed their frustrations. Representatives Troy Nehls of Texas and Cory Mills of Florida voiced their concerns about the lack of unity in crucial votes, while first-term Representative Mark Alford of Missouri voiced his frustration over the difficulties in reaching legislative consensus. Despite these challenges, some GOP members, like Representative Eric Burlison of Missouri, remained optimistic, suggesting that had House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who was absent due to cancer treatment, been present, the impeachment vote might have turned out differently.
The events of last week reveal broader concerns about strategy and unity within the GOP. The difficulties faced in the Mayorkas impeachment attempt and the failure to pass the aid package for Israel not only exposed fissures within the party but also raised questions about its leadership and strategic direction.
On Tuesday, February 13, the Republicans took another vote, and the House charged Mayorkas with impeachment with a vote of 214-213. The GOP replenished their numbers due to the comeback of Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who returned to Washington after cancer treatment, along with a storm in the Northeast affecting others. This happened in spite of disagreements within the Republican party.
Four members of Congress, two Democrats and two Republicans, were absent. These were Representatives Judy Chu (D-California), Lois Frankel (D-Florida), Brian Mast (R-Florida) and Maria Salazar (R-Florida). Chu later announced via Twitter that her absence was due to a positive COVID-19 test result.
Mayorkas’ charges are now set to be forwarded to the Senate for a trial. However, there hasn’t been any considerable interest demonstrated towards the matter by either Democratic or some of the Republican senators, hinting that it might be perpetually moved to a committee. The Senate is anticipated to get the impeachment articles from the House upon resuming its session on February 26.
