Why it matters that the GOP is advancing Mayorkas' impeachment [View all]

[LetMyPeopleVote]

House Republicans took a big step toward impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and the scope of the abuse should matter to voters.

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https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/matters-gop-advancing-mayorkas-impeachment-rcna136515

This is a story with a variety of moving parts, so some Q&A is probably in order.

What’s next for the impeachment resolution? Now that the Homeland Security Committee has approved the articles of impeachment, the measure will go to the House floor for a vote.

When will the vote happen? GOP leaders haven't yet laid out a specific timeline, but most expect to see a vote next week.

Will the House actually impeach Mayorkas? Given the incredibly narrow Republican majority in the chamber, the party can only lose a handful of votes, and there are a few GOP skeptics. In fact, during a related effort in November, eight GOP members balked, and if even half of them remain opposed, the resolution will fail.

That said, Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska — ostensibly one of his conference’s less radical members — announced his support for the impeachment resolution this week, which makes its success a bit more likely.

Are any Democrats on board with this scheme? Apparently not.

Do Republicans have evidence of the DHS secretary committing high crimes? No. The party is accusing him of failing to uphold immigration laws to Republicans’ satisfaction, but GOP lawmakers haven’t uncovered any evidence of high crimes or corruption.

Have Republicans presented a credible case? No. A variety of constitutional experts from the left, right, and center have slammed the effort, arguing that Republicans have failed to make their case and proceeding anyway risks doing dangerous harm. Even Jonathan Turley — ordinarily, a reliable ally for congressional Republicans — told GOP lawmakers they would be “wise to avoid” such a radical course. The editorial board of The Wall Street Journal, which also tends to be aligned with GOP politics, has now also denounced the effort.