On Feb. 6, the GOP attempted to do something that had not been done since 1876: to impeach a cabinet secretary. Instead, what occurred in the Capitol was nothing short of an act of political bravery and courage. Rep. Al Green (no, not the singer/songwriter), a Texas Democrat, rolled in on a wheelchair, still dressed in a blue hospital gown, and adamantly voted “nay” to swing an important vote to a final tally of 214-216.
The House vote was an attempt by the GOP to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas for growing tensions at the Mexican-American border. The GOP appeared to be scapegoating, or at least placing the blame on Mayorkas for the events at the border, where a record number of immigrants are entering the United States from Mexico. Clear political divides persist along party lines, with Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., calling Mayorkas’ actions a “dereliction of duty” and Jim McGovern, D-Mass., calling the impeachment inquiry “a bunch of garbage.”
However, one of the two Republican representatives to vote “nay” on the matter, Ken Buck from Colorado, brought up an important point, stating “… the Constitution is clear that impeachment is reserved for ‘Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.’ Maladministration or incompetence does not rise to what our founders considered an impeachable offense.” Buck demonstrated key bipartisanship, which Congress lacks. Most importantly, he gets at the elephant in the room, which is that an official cannot be impeached simply for being “a bad cabinet member,” as George Washington University professor Jonathan Turley puts plainly. Whether or not Mayorkas fits this description is a matter of political discussion, not of impeachment.
Impeachment of a cabinet secretary is a large accusation, and an uncommon one at that. In fact, it has only occurred once in the nearly 250-year history of the United States. During the “scandal tarnished” Presidency of American Civil War hero Ulysses S. Grant, Secretary of War William Belknap faced the same vote that Mayorkas did on Feb. 6. Belknap was engaged in corruption; extracting funds from the U.S. Military and therefore from the government. On March 2, 1876, with the impeachment vote looming, “Belknap raced to the White House, handed Grant his resignation, and burst into tears,” as historians described in an official report. Belknap’s obvious and poorly devised crimes against the state resulted in charges of “criminally disregarding his duty as Secretary of War and basely prostituting his high office to his lust for private gain.” Needless to say, there were no actions committed or evidence so unequivocal for Mayorkas to deserve an impeachment inquiry.
However, Americans should not be surprised that outlandish claims continue to be made throughout the sphere of the federal government. In fact, Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. — who led the impeachment effort and “pushed it to the fore” as put by Lisa Mascaro of the Associated Press — has had more than her fair share of ridiculousness as a member of Congress. In 2022, Greene uttered that women are “ ...the weaker sex. …we are our husband’s wife.” This abomination of speech is one of an abundance of examples that can be traced throughout Greene’s career. Regardless of political views, it goes without saying that such comments are harmful to the nation. In addition, these detrimental remarks represent exactly the opposite of how a United States Representative should render themselves. Our elected Congress members ought to be honorable and heroic, not ludicrous and inept.
Green (not Greene) exemplified the rightful esteem of a United States official in his actions on Feb. 6. At 76 years old, Green was in the emergency room having undergone abdominal surgery, but this did not stop him from exercising the duties he swore to execute and protect. “I had to go to the emergency room and I had to have surgery, so it’s not easy to leave a hospital and get back here … I always intend to show up” said Green. Congress members need to follow Green’s example and not only show up physically but also intellectually.
He stated humbly that he “had to be” there. “I didn’t come assuming that my vote was going to make a difference, I came because it was personal,” mentioned Green. Now more than ever, we need more government officials like Green whose conduct defines the relentless commitment to maintaining justice — a vital characteristic which will lead to our nation’s success.