Representative Majorie Taylor Greene is going on the offensive against the GOP holdouts who blocked her resolution to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.
Greene's resolution failed on Monday night after eight Republicans voted with Democrats to refer the measure to a committee, instead of voting on impeachment. The resolution included a single article that accused Mayorkas of violating a law that requires the government to maintain "operational control" over the U.S.-Mexico border as well as his "constitutional duty" to protect states from "invasion."
The eight holdouts were Representatives Cliff Bentz, Ken Buck, John Duarte, Virginia Foxx, Darrell Issa, Tom McClintock, Patrick McHenry, and Mike Turner. Moments after the vote, Greene posted a video to X, formerly Twitter, in which she called out each individual GOP defector and questioned why some of them held seats on the powerful House Judiciary Committee.
"If we have people serving on Judiciary Committee that don't believe in impeachment, then why are they on this committee? What is the point of them being there?" she asked.
Republicans have been threatening to impeach Mayorkas since they took control of the House in January. Greene's measure comes days after eight people died in a vehicle collision involving a suspected human smuggler on a Texas highway last week. Two of the victims were from the Georgia Republican's district, according to Texas authorities.
Although Mayorkas has been the target of GOP attacks for nearly two years, Greene's decision to bring the impeachment resolution to the floor was seen as a risky move. Since the move would force vulnerable Republicans to vote on impeachment, it was likely there would be some holdouts who did not want to back what they saw as an underdeveloped measure.
After Monday's vote, Greene posted a list of the Republican names alongside their committee assignments. Bentz, Buck, Issa and McClintock all serve on the Judiciary panel, while Foxx chairs the Education Committee, McHenry leads the Financial Services Committee and Turner heads the Intel Committee.
"As a matter of fact three of the eight Republicans are from the state of California that gets invaded every single day," Greene said in reference to Duarte, Issa and McClintock. "How do they vote against impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas? I can't understand it."
But Turner countered Greene's criticisms, pointing out that he wasn't voting against impeachment but rather to send the matter to committee.
"No one voted to kill an impeachment inquiry—there is currently an ongoing investigation into Secretary Mayorkas in the House of Representatives," the Ohio Republican told Newsweek. "Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene's resolution was referred to the ongoing Homeland Security Committee's investigation under Chairman Mark Green. When his investigation is complete, he can at any time refer fully documented Articles of Impeachment to the House, which will pass overwhelmingly."
Issa, who also serves on the Judiciary Committee, issued a statement defending his vote on Monday, saying that while Mayorkas has "failed to faithfully carry out his duties," the secretary should face an impeachment trial instead.
"I am confident this Homeland Security Committee will make the case that he must be held accountable," the California Republican said. "I will be requesting my opportunity to testify before the committee and make my case why Sec. Mayorkas is the worst to ever hold his job and why impeachment would be a fitting punishment."
Greene called out Buck, who she often butts head with, in the video, accusing him of "revenge votes against anybody he doesn't like" and bucking the party because he won't be running for re-election next year.
"He's retiring so he doesn't care what happens to Mayorkas, he simply doesn't care about anything," Greene said.
A spokesperson for Buck also told Newsweek that while the Colorado Republican "believes Secretary Mayorkas has put this country at grave risk," he doesn't believe that Mayorkas is guilty of the high crimes and misdemeanors that are required to bring an impeachment inquiry.
"Instead of focusing on another fruitless impeachment (it would be dead-on-arrival in the Senate), he would like House Republicans to focus their attention on reining in government spending by passing appropriations bills," Buck's press secretary Victoria Marshall said.
Greene also slammed Duarte for a previous vote against a GOP-led border bill and Turner, who she said she thought would have been one of the biggest supporters of the impeachment resolution.
"You would think the chairman of the Intel Committee knows really how bad the dangers are at the southern border," she said of Turner.
"This should be very frustrating for many people. I know it's frustrating to me, it's frustrating to everyone I've talked to," Greene said. "This type of lack of will, lack of courage, lack of—I don't even know what they're lacking—a lot, to actually hold Secretary Mayorkas accountable and impeach him is shameful."
Newsweek reached out to Bentz, Duarte, Foxx, McClintock and McHenry via email for comment.
Update 11/14/23 10:14 a.m. ET This story was updated with comments from Marshall.
Update 11/14/23 1:22 p.m. ET This story was updated with comments from Turner.
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Katherine Fung is a Newsweek reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. and world politics. ... Read more