Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas remains resolute, asserting that his recent impeachment won't impede his duties, he stated in an interview with CNN on Friday, reported The Hill.
"I don’t let it distract me from the work — would I have preferred that correctness had prevailed? Of course," Mayorkas told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. "So, the fact that it did not, does not slow me down in doing the work that I’m tasked to do by the president of the United States."
Mayorkas faced impeachment in the Republican-led House on Tuesday, marking the first impeachment of a Cabinet official since the late 1800s. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., justified the move, asserting that Mayorkas "deserves to be impeached, and Congress has a constitutional obligation to do so."
In his interview with CNN, Mayorkas criticized House Republicans for stalling additional aid to Ukraine, emphasizing the significance of U.S. leadership in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
"The inability to continue with emphasis that leadership on the part of the United States — the uncertainty that we are bringing — only can empower Vladimir Putin, and we have to continue our leadership," Mayorkas said.
While the Senate has passed a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine, House Speaker Johnson has indicated reluctance to bring it to a vote in the lower chamber.
Responding to Johnson's decision to begin a House recess without considering the Senate's Ukraine aid package, the White House admonished the delay.
"Every day that Speaker Johnson causes our national security to deteriorate, America loses. And every day that he puts off a clean vote, congressional Republicans' standing with the American people plunges," stated White House spokesperson Andrew Bates. "Running away for an early vacation only worsens both problems."
Republicans, since regaining control of the House, have scrutinized Mayorkas' border management. Momentum for a swift impeachment of the secretary gained traction last month, particularly as swing-district Republicans showed newfound receptiveness amidst a surge in migrant crossings at the southern border.
During Friday's interview, Mayorkas conceded the bipartisan consensus regarding the dysfunctionality of the U.S. immigration system.