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Who is Ken Buck, the Republican who voted against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas?
House rejects Republican-led effort to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over border crisis
On Tuesday, February 6, 2024, the House of Representatives narrowly rejected a Republican-led effort to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border crisis.
The vote was 216 to 214, with four Republicans breaking ranks and siding with the Democrats.
Who is Ken Buck?
One of those Republicans was Ken Buck, who represents Colorado’s 4th Congressional District. Buck is a lawyer and a former district attorney who has been in Congress since 2015. He is also a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and the former chair of the Colorado Republican Party.
Buck has been a vocal critic of Mayorkas and the Biden administration’s immigration policies, accusing them of creating a humanitarian and national security disaster at the border. He has also supported former President Donald Trump’s efforts to build a border wall and restrict legal immigration.
However, Buck also argued that impeaching Mayorkas was not the right way to address the border situation. He said that impeachment should be reserved for high crimes and misdemeanours, not policy disagreements or incompetence. He wrote in an opinion column on The Hill that “maladministration or incompetence does not rise to what our founders considered an impeachable offense.”
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“To be clear, Secretary Mayorkas has completely failed at his job. He is incompetent. He is an embarrassment. And he will most likely be remembered as the worst secretary of Homeland Security in the history of the United States,” he added.
Buck also expressed concern that impeaching Mayorkas would set a dangerous precedent and undermine the separation of powers. He said that Congress should instead use its oversight and legislative authority to hold the executive branch accountable and enact reforms.
‘I’m here to do what I think is right’: Ken Buck
Buck’s vote against impeachment was not the first time he has clashed with his party leadership or defied the expectations of his conservative base. He has also taken some independent or bipartisan positions on issues such as antitrust, criminal justice, and foreign policy.
For example, Buck has been one of the leading Republican voices in calling for stronger antitrust enforcement against big tech companies such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon. He has co-sponsored several bills with Democrats to curb the market power and influence of these platforms.
Buck has also supported some criminal justice reforms, such as reducing mandatory minimum sentences and expanding drug treatment programs. He has co-sponsored legislation with Democrats to end the federal prohibition of marijuana and allow states to regulate it.
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On foreign policy, Buck has been critical of some of Trump’s decisions, such as withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate agreement. He has also opposed Trump’s veto of a defense bill that included sanctions on Turkey for buying a Russian missile system.
Buck has said that he is not afraid to stand up to his party or the president when he thinks they are wrong. He has also said that he is not interested in running for higher office or seeking popularity. He said in an interview with The Denver Post that “I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to do what I think is right.”
