The number of co-sponsors signing on to the impeachment resolution against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will likely be "much higher," Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said Friday on Newsmax.
Thirty-two House Republicans have signed on to an impeachment resolution by Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, against Mayorkas due to problems at the southern border. The resolution says Mayorkas has "undermined the operational control of our southern border and encouraged illegal immigration," and lied to Congress about the border being secure.
"I suspect it will go much higher, I suspect the House will make that vote, and I do suspect the Senate won't do anything, which is pretty much their standard course of operation," Burchett said on "John Bachman Now."
"But I would encourage [House] Speaker [Kevin] McCarthy to not worry about what the Senate does. We're supposed to be separate but equal bodies. Let them deal with what they want to deal with, and we need to deal with the facts before us.
"The fentanyl crisis is a disaster, the Democrats wouldn't even let us hold a hearing, if you remember, on fentanyl because they would have to admit they have a problem at the daggum border."
The cartels crossing the border "are basically working without any fear of reprisal from Washington," Burchett said.
The only impeachment of a Cabinet secretary came when Secretary of War William Belknap was impeached March 2, 1876, on charges of "criminally disregarding his duty as Secretary of War and basely prostituting his high office to his lust for private gain."
In a statement, a spokeswoman for Mayorkas said he has no plans to resign and called on Congress to fix the immigration system.
"Secretary Mayorkas is proud to advance the noble mission of this Department, support its extraordinary workforce, and serve the American people. The Department will continue our work to enforce our laws and secure our border, while building a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system," the spokeswoman said in a statement.
"Members of Congress can do better than point the finger at someone else; they should come to the table and work on solutions for our broken system and outdated laws, which they have not updated in over 40 years."