TEXAS, USA — Congressman Michael McCaul, R-Austin, says the failed impeachment effort against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas came down to three Republican votes.
Republicans, he says, knew two of them would always vote no.
But Congressman Mike Gallagher, a Republican from Wisconsin, surprised everyone with his no vote.
“I’ll be honest with you, it’s embarrassing,” McCaul told us on Inside Texas Politics. “You’re supposed to count the votes. Now, I’m not the whip, right? But you should have your votes in order before you put something on the floor. I would say it was an embarrassing moment.”
And after Houston Democrat Al Green was rushed to the Capitol in scrubs following abdominal surgery to cast his no vote, the impeachment failed 216 – 214.
On top of that, Republican Congressman Steve Scalise, R-LA, missed the vote while hospitalized for blood cancer and McCaul thinks his return to the chamber will tip the scales in favor of impeachment.
“So, what we decided to do was to sort of table it, if you will, for a later date. We’ll come back and have another vote. And at that point in time, Scalise should be there, and we think it’ll pass,” McCaul said.
If the effort does come up for another vote and passes, McCaul will be a floor manager for the Senate impeachment trial.
McCaul also addressed another failed effort led by Republicans, the bipartisan border security bill.
Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford spent months leading negotiations for legislation that Democrats would allow on the floor. It included many of the details demanded by Republicans, from border wall construction to allowing officials to close the border if daily crossings top 5,000.
But former President Donald Trump and many far right Republicans sank the deal so it wouldn’t hand President Biden a perceived victory during an election year.
Even though Republicans pushed President Biden to the right on this issue, they didn’t take the win, which McCaul indicated he would have.
“I’m a Reagan Republican. Why not get 85% than go off a cliff with your flag in your hand,” said the Congressman.
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