Republicans tried to impeach the Secretary of Homeland Security. Here's how Kentucky voted

John Tufts, Louisville Courier Journal
·2 min read
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The House rejected a GOP push Tuesday to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a setback for Republican lawmakers who are trying to punish Washington officials on immigration and border issues ahead of the 2024 elections.

The vote failed by a count of 214-216 to not impeach Mayorkas, with no Democrats supporting the move and a handful of Republicans joining them. It was always a heavy lift for House Republican leaders to push the impeachment effort through considering their razor-thin majority in the lower chamber. That means Republicans could hardly afford to lose any votes in the impeachment fight.

House Republicans voted on two articles of impeachment accusing Mayorkas of a “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law” and a “breach of public trust.” Mayorkas, GOP lawmakers argue, has intentionally allowed the crisis at the border to continue.

But Democrats, a small number of House Republicans and legal experts across the political spectrum have long dismissed Republicans’ impeachment push. They say the GOP’s grievances with Mayorkas amount to nothing more than policy disagreements over how to handle the border and America's immigration system. Impeaching him, they say, would set a dangerous precedent for future impeachments.

Here's how Kentuckians in Washington, D.C., voted. Click here to find your representative.

How Kentucky lawmakers voted, by district

Rep. James Comer (R), District 1: Yes.

Rep. Brett Guthrie (R), District 2: Yes.

Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D), District 3: No.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R), District 4: Yes.

Rep. Harold Rogers (R), District 5: Yes.

Rep. Andy Barr (R), District 6: Yes.

Even if the House did approve the articles, the prospect of removing Mayorkas from his office faced long odds in the Senate, which has the power to hold a trial to remove an impeached official. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer declined to commit to even holding those proceedings.

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John Tufts covers trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How Kentucky lawmakers voted in the Homeland Security impeachment