The Associated Press (“AP News”) reports that the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security (“CHS”) voted along party lines yesterday (1/30/2024) to move forward with the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas for a “willful and systematic” refusal to enforce immigration laws. The vote was 18-15, with Republicans in support and Democrats unified against the draft article of impeachment.
The CHS recommended two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas to the full House, which was a rare occurrence, as a presidential cabinet official has not been subject to impeachment in almost 150 years. Article I alleges “Willful and Systemic Refusal to Comply with the Law.” Article II alleges “Breach of Public Trust.”
A copy of the January 28, 2024 (Draft) U.S. House Resolution 863, Articles of Impeachment, may be read HERE.
The AP News article may be read HERE.
According to a recent National Public Radio (“NPR”) article, the CHS considers the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border to constitute a “breach of public trust,” and accuses Mayorkas of high crimes and misdemeanors, including the willful disregard of immigration law.
CHS Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) stated that the CHS had “exhausted all other options to hold Secretary Mayorkas accountable” and that “Congress must exercise its constitutional duty and impeach him.”
The only U.S. presidential cabinet official to ever be impeached was William Belknap, who was the Secretary of War under President Ulysses Grant. Belknap’s 1876 impeachment was related to bribery allegations and occurred after he had already resigned.
The NPR article may be read HERE.
My brothers and sisters, regardless of whether this impeachment attempt is successful, it is interesting to note that President Joe Biden has been saying since Day One of his presidency that the fault for the entire border situation lies at the feet of the Republicans.
This is among the most illogical, if not outright dishonest, positions this writer has ever heard articulated by a sitting president. The statistics and the visual evidence are beyond refute that a well-controlled border and (essentially) all of the contributing policies of the previous administration were destroyed immediately upon President Biden’s ascension to the presidency.
As pointed out in the proposed Articles of Impeachment – House Resolution 863, Mayorkas testified before the U.S. Congress that the border is “secure.” President Biden’s recent comments about how he’d “shut down the border” if Republicans in Congress would work to pass the administration’s immigration reform policies seem to fall short.
The increased funding would, reportedly, result in additional border patrol agents and infrastructure or equipment; however, the purpose for such increases would NOT be to stop the huge numbers of undocumented persons from flooding the border, but rather, to make the paperwork and processing of these persons quicker, smoother and more efficient!
Republicans, wanting to appear to the public as being able to successfully govern with the current House Speaker, Mike Johnson, are essentially pitted against many in their own party who desire a return to more traditional and strict control of the border – one that does not presume that thousands of persons, simply and justifiably, wanting a better life or a better job would ever meet the strict qualifications for asylum approval. Disfunction and disunity seem to reign in Congress. Yet, the current U.S. administration seems more than happy to allow persons into the country who have been told the “magic words” to say – truthful or not. The intellectual dishonesty is astounding.
Regardless of it all, the Answer was, is and will always be Jesus! The casualty in so much of politics and worldly wisdom is the truth. As a reminder, I submit that the Truth is a Person and His name is Jesus!
Politics seems to plant, nurture, grow, harvest and then feed upon untruth – corrupting even the most well-meaning of persons if they are not careful. The risk of developing “tunnel vision” and forgetting the basic needs of most Americans is real. Attempting to please everyone will inevitably result in pleasing none. Seeking the wisdom of God and living life from a biblical worldview will produce great fruit in the world, especially peace! Imagine if everyone suddenly looked at each other as persons made in the image and likeness of God! Amen.
Here are some powerful scriptures:
Psalm 112:1 (NKJV)
“Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, [w]ho delights greatly in His commandments.”
Psalm 119:160 (NKJV)
“The entirety of Your word is truth, [a]nd every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”
Proverbs 12:20 (NKJV)
“Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, [b]ut counselors of peace have joy.”
Proverbs 16:18 (NKJV)
“Pride goes before destruction, [a]nd a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, [a]nd lean not on your own understanding; [i]n all your ways acknowledge Him, [a]nd He shall direct your paths.”
John 14:6 (NKJV)
“Jesus said to [Thomas], ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV)
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
Praise Jesus forevermore!
