WASHINGTON ― Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas) instructed Wednesday that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ought to be impeached as a result of slavery exists on this planet and fentanyl is killing folks ― a declare that legislation professor Frank Bowman, a witness on this House listening to, needed to maintain informing the congressman made no sense.
Both have been individuals in a House Homeland Security Committee listening to centered on impeaching Mayorkas. The listening to, which went on for practically 5 hours, was a political stunt: Republicans are desperate to make the migration disaster on the U.S.-Mexico border a serious legal responsibility for President Joe Biden within the 2024 elections. Mayorkas is their newest goal.
The downside with the GOP’s impeachment effort is that Mayorkas, a cupboard secretary charged with finishing up immigration legal guidelines, as damaged as they could be, has not been accused of any crimes. Never thoughts the sorts of significant “high crimes and misdemeanors” that meet the constitutional threshold for impeachment, like treason or bribery.
Nonetheless, the GOP’s rationale is that as a result of Mayorkas is overseeing Biden’s border insurance policies, he’s answerable for the egregious crimes that individuals commit on the border and elsewhere, so he ought to be impeached.
Luttrell leaned laborious into that rationale on Wednesday, attempting to pin blame on the homeland safety secretary for crimes carried out by others.
“Can you give me the definition of a ‘high crime and misdemeanor?’” the Texas Republican requested Bowman, who’s a professor emeritus of legislation on the University of Missouri School of Law, and a former federal prosecutor.
Bowman mentioned there’s no single definition that can fulfill everybody, however that the late constitutional scholar, Charles Black, would outline it as “extremely serious offenses in the way that serious crimes like treason and bribery are.”
Bowman was nonetheless speaking when Luttrell lower him off.
“Extremely serious,” repeated the Republican congressman. “That’s a great point. Is the selling of fentanyl inside the United States causing hundreds of thousands of deaths over the past years considered a high crime, in your opinion?”
“I’m unaware that the secretary has sold any fentanyl,” Bowman mentioned flatly.
“No, I’m not directing that to the secretary, I’m asking you,” mentioned Luttrell. “If the selling of fentanyl inside the United States, killing hundreds of thousands of Americans over the years, would that be considered a high crime?”
“If you could establish that an officer actually did that, possibly,” Bowman started, as Luttrell talked over him. “But we have no evidence that that ever happened.”
“There’s no evidence that hundreds of thousands of people over the past few years have died from fentanyl overdoses?” the Texas Republican requested.
“I’m unaware of any evidence that Secretary Mayorkas has ever sold fentanyl,” mentioned Bowman.
By now, the 2 have been brazenly clashing and elevating their voices. Luttrell saved mentioning that fentanyl is killing folks ― and Bowman saved reminding him that this has nothing to do with crimes being dedicated by the homeland safety secretary that warrant impeachment.
“I’m not talking about Secretary Mayorkas,” mentioned Luttrell, flustered. “I’m talking about fentanyl!”
“But that’s what we’re here to talk about!” replied Bowman. “Are we not, congressman? Secretary Mayorkas?”
The Texas congressman isn’t fallacious that America is going through a fentanyl disaster. More than 150 folks die day by day within the United States from overdoses on opioids like fentanyl, in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And Mexico, together with China, is a major supply for fentanyl being trafficked into the nation.
But fentanyl is overwhelmingly smuggled into the United States by U.S. residents, not by folks illegally crossing the border, because the Cato Institute reported in 2022. Moreover, Mayorkas will not be personally committing these crimes, so there isn’t any authorized foundation for impeaching him.
Luttrell finally moved on from attempting responsible Mayorkas for fentanyl deaths in America, and tried responsible him for different crimes.
“Let me ask you this, since we’re unhinged on fentanyl,” requested the Republican lawmaker, visibly agitated. “Do you consider slavery a high crime?”
Cross-border human trafficking can also be a major problem, and as Luttrell cited, there are tens of tens of millions of individuals all over the world are who’re trapped in a type of fashionable slavery. But once more, Mayorkas will not be committing these crimes, so the concept that he ought to be impeached for them is senseless.
The legislation professor, talking slowly and finally closing his eyes as he spoke, mentioned solely, “Is there any evidence that Secretary Mayorkas has enslaved anyone?”
That signaled the top of Luttrell’s questions for Bowman.
“This is getting a little bit more complicated than I thought it was going to be,” he mentioned, shifting on.
You can watch their change right here.
