While addressing the press on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was asked to explain “what happened” with the House’s failed impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Tuesday night.
“Why bring that to the floor if you didn’t have the votes? And will you hold another vote to impeach him?” a reporter asked.
“Yeah, on impeachment, last night was a setback, but democracy is messy. We live in a time of divided government. We have a razor-thin margin here, and every vote counts. Sometimes when you’re counting votes and people show up when they’re not expected to be in the building, it changes the equation,” the House Speaker responded.
Johnson indicated that he didn’t expect Rep. Al Green (D-TX) to attend the Mayorkas impeachment vote. Green, who was recovering from an emergency surgery, rushed to the Capitol for the vote, which he did in hospital garb.
“But listen, we have a duty and a responsibility to take care of this issue,” Johnson continued. “We have to hold the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security accountable. Mayorkas needs to be held accountable. The Biden administration needs to be held accountable. And we will pass those articles of impeachment. We’ll do it on the next round.”
