MTG backs off accelerated impeachment of Mayorkas after guarantee from Speaker Johnson

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) withdrew her efforts to force a vote on impeaching Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas after receiving guarantees from party leaders they would move forward with the full impeachment process.

Greene pulled her privileged resolution from consideration just moments before the House was scheduled to convene for a vote, telling reporters she had secured commitments from both House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) that they would move her articles of impeachment forward.

The timeline is unclear, but Greene said she forged an agreement with the pair that it would happen "very soon."

Greene filed the privileged resolution to impeach Mayorkas on Wednesday, vowing to continue to bring the motion to the floor until it passes. The House previously voted on the motion earlier this month, but eight Republicans joined all Democrats in shooting down the measure.

“I’ll just keep reintroducing it,” Greene said Wednesday. “I think the American people will not tolerate Republicans continuing to vote it down. They have no excuse.”

Shortly after winning the majority last year, House Republican leaders vowed one of their top priorities would be to investigate Mayorkas and push for his removal. However, that effort has largely been overshadowed by efforts to impeach President Joe Biden amid his 2024 reelection bid.

A handful of Republicans previously expressed frustration with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) over his failure to push for Mayorkas’s impeachment despite his vow to do so when he was elected to the top leadership position. The same complaints are beginning to hit Johnson.

The guarantee marks the first time Greene and Johnson have discussed Mayorkas's impeachment, according to the Georgia Republican, who has previously lamented that the speaker and Homeland Security Committee have not prioritized the effort.

"The eight Republicans that voted with the Democrats claimed that they wanted it to follow proper House procedure and go through the committee," Greene said Wednesday. "But my articles of impeachment had been sitting in committee for over six months, and they've been basically sitting there collecting dust not being picked up."

“It's still early in his speakership, so I have been patient but honeymoon’s over,” she added. “So at this point, yes, I'm frustrated.”

However, Greene said she came to the new agreement with the speaker to ease concerns from lawmakers who wanted to follow due process while ensuring the committee moves promptly with its inquiry.

The House Homeland Security Committee opened a five-step investigation into Mayorkas earlier this year, gradually releasing its findings. However, the timeline of that inquiry has been repeatedly changed,prompting Greene to lament the slowed process.

But other Republicans have criticized the push to impeach Mayorkas, arguing the process is at risk of losing its weightiness if it becomes overused. Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) said the House is already seeing lawmakers weaponize impeachment and censure resolutions to the point where they are “ridiculous.”

Impeachment resolutions have become increasingly common in Congress, with several being led by Greene. However, those bills rarely see a floor vote, and even fewer succeed . It is unclear whether the Republicans who voted against Mayorkas's impeachment earlier this month will change their vote after a full-fledged investigation, but it could help sway a few members to support the motion.