Although House Republicans faced criticism that they again couldn't unite when they failed in a vote Tuesday to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., told Newsmax it's what can happen when a party holds such a slim majority.
With a 219-212 advantage, House Republicans could not spare to lose many votes on the impeachment resolution, sponsored by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. But four Republicans joined all 212 Democrats in voting against the resolution: Ken Buck of Colorado, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Tom McClintock of California, and Blake Moore of Utah.
Moore changed his yes vote to no to allow the GOP to bring up the vote again, likely next week when Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., who is expected to vote for impeachment, returns after being treated for blood cancer.
"This was something that we didn't expect but knew it was going to be very tight and, quite frankly, it's going to be tight next week," Van Drew said on "American Agenda" on Wednesday. "We really need to make sure that everybody is there. We have a razor-thin majority, and we need to make sure that everybody votes, and we'll get to the finish point. We almost did and we will next time."
Buck and McClintock telegraphed their votes before Tuesday, saying Mayorkas' incompetency in failing to secure the southern border does not reach the impeachment threshold of high crimes and misdemeanors.
"I can't speak for the few people, the 1% of the caucus that didn't vote the right way," Van Drew said. "Their sense is, well, it still isn't grounds for impeachment, and I believe they think they're constitutionalists and they believe that if we do this, that in the future, if there's ever a Democratic majority — I hope not — but if there ever is, they will do the same thing.
"But no, because we're never hopefully going to have people in office that are as awful as Mayorkas. Let's understand something. He swore an oath to the American people, he swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, and he's done anything but. He perjured himself when he came before the Judiciary Committee. He is purposefully and willfully allowed our borders to be open, which allows an invasion into our country, and we're feeling it throughout the entire United States of America. "
Van Drew, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said he doesn't like impeachment and that it should rarely be used. In fact, only one Cabinet official, Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876, has ever been impeached. He resigned before he was acquitted in a Senate trial.
"We have an individual who is the head of Homeland Security who is uniquely bad, uniquely doing the wrong thing," Van Drew said. "This is not about policy change. This is not about Republicanism versus Democrats. This is about not fulfilling your obligation to the Constitution of the United States of America."
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