Republicans’ Defections Thwart House Vote to Impeach Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas

House Republicans faced a significant setback on Tuesday when four members of their conference, including Majority Leader Steve Scalise, voted with Democrats against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

The House voted 216-214 to not impeach Mayorkas over his failure to secure the border with Mexico. Only one Republican did not vote, believed to be Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., who is not in Washington following surgery in January. Scalise last fall was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer.

Republican Reps. Ken Buck of Colorado, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Tom McClintock of California, and Blake Moore of Utah joined Democrats in voting against the resolution. Moore first voted to impeach but then joined the no side to allow the House GOP to bring up the vote again.

House Republicans claim Mayorkas committed high crimes and misdemeanors for his handling of the crisis at the southern border.

Only one Cabinet official has been impeached in U.S. history: Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876. He resigned before he was acquitted by the Senate.