House panel holds first impeachment hearing for Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas

The House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday held its first impeachment hearing focused on Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas as Republicans push to impeach the top Biden administration official over the border crisis.

Republicans lambasted Mayorkas during the hearing over what they claim is a dereliction of duty as border crossings have reached record highs, while Democrats argued that the impeachment proceedings are politically motivated and meritless.

The hearing comes as the House GOP majority ramps up its scrutiny of the administration on multiple fronts. House Republicans continue to pursue an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden and are taking steps this week toward holding the president’s son Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress. But with the Biden probe moving methodically and a number of Republicans still skeptical about impeaching the president, senior Republicans now believe targeting Mayorkas will be an easier lift as the border crisis becomes a defining campaign issue.

If the Homeland Security secretary is impeached, it would be an exceedingly rare event. Only one Cabinet official has ever been impeached in American history - Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876.

The panel is expected to hold additional impeachment hearings as part of the proceedings against Mayorkas in addition to Wednesday’s initial hearing.

Once the hearings conclude, the panel is expected to hold a markup on articles of impeachment followed by a committee vote, which would set the stage for the articles to then be sent back to the full House for consideration.

The Constitution sets the standard for impeachment as treason, bribery, or “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Legal experts and