A Frustrating Week for House Republicans: Failed Impeachment Vote and Defeat of Israel Aid Bill

The past week has been a frustrating one for House Republicans, with two major legislative defeats leaving many members irritated and disillusioned. The first setback came in the form of a failed impeachment vote against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, followed by the defeat of a standalone Israel aid bill.

The House GOP conference, which has been dealing with highly divided factions and a razor-thin majority, found itself at odds once again. Some members were frustrated with the outcome, while others were surprised by the turn of events.

The impeachment of Mayorkas had been a contentious issue for weeks, with Republicans expressing their dissatisfaction with the secretary’s handling of the southern border crisis. However, their efforts to remove him from office were thwarted when Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, made a surprise appearance in the House chamber still wearing hospital clothing to tie the vote. The unexpected intervention left GOP leaders and even some Democrats caught off guard.

The defeat of the Israel aid bill was another blow for House Republicans. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had announced over the weekend that the House would vote on the measure, which would have provided $14 billion in funding for Israel. However, the bill lacked the necessary support, and it failed to pass.

Some members blamed Johnson for bringing the bill to the floor, while others attacked the three House Republicans who voted against impeaching Mayorkas. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., described the situation as an “unmitigated disaster,” arguing that the votes did not move the party or the country forward.

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, expressed his frustration with the situation, stating that the House was not acting like it was in the majority. He argued that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., would not have brought the bills to the floor if he was uncertain of their passage.

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., one of the eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy, warned Johnson against putting the Israel aid bill up for a vote without offsetting its cost with spending cuts elsewhere. The House had previously passed a $14 billion Israel aid bill that would have been offset by cuts to IRS spending, but the measure was never taken up by the Senate.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who also voted to oust McCarthy, expressed her frustration with the Republicans who were not on board with impeachment. She argued that the policies to fix the nation’s dire situation were being going against, and she made the right vote.

Freshman Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., fumed over the failure of the Mayorkas impeachment. He believed that the secretary should have been removed from office and expressed his disappointment with the outcome.

Despite the setbacks, some House Republicans saw parallels between their status under Johnson and McCarthy. Rep. Collins believed that it was basically the same and that Johnson was following a similar path as the ex-leader by putting the Israel aid bill up for a vote without offsetting its cost.

Speaker Johnson’s office was reached out for comment on the matter.

Elizabeth Elkind is a reporter for Fox News Digital focused on Congress as well as the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and politics. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News. Follow her on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com.