House Republicans used their slim majority on Thursday to target Vice President Kamala Harris — and some Democrats backed the effort.
The House passed a resolution criticizing Harris for her work on the border in a 220-196 vote, an issue the GOP has identified as a key line of attack as the party pivots its election strategy to Harris.
Six Democrats voted for the resolution, which was spearheaded by GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik of New York, and no Republicans opposed it. Those Democratic “yea” votes were Reps. Jared Golden (Maine), Yadira Caraveo (Colo.) Don Davis (N.C.), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.), Henry Cuellar (Texas) and Mary Peltola (Alaska).
Republicans already viewed border security as a wedge issue they could wield against vulnerable Democrats, pushing votes in the House that put those lawmakers in tough positions. But Republicans believe Harris’ work on the border earlier in President Joe Biden’s term — with the GOP labeling her the “border czar” — lends new credence to that line of attack.
“No matter what congressional district you go to, the number one issue facing Americans is Kamala Harris’ open border crisis,” Stefanik said on the floor. “The American people deserve elected officials who understand the gravity of the crisis at the border.”
Stefanik announced the measure almost immediately after Biden endorsed Harris to take his spot on the November ticket Sunday.
It’s one of the few proposals to go after Harris that has received wide backing in the House GOP. Conservatives have floated several other ideas, including trying to impeach Harris or launching a new sweeping investigation, but those would likely derail given centrist pushback. Some Republicans also still want Harris to invoke the 25th Amendment against Biden, but a measure calling on her to do so has been met with intraparty skepticism.
The resolution on Harris’ border role is purely symbolic and has no shot at getting taken up by the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Meanwhile, House Democrats accused Republicans of trying to “slander” Harris and criticized that GOP lawmakers changed some text of the original bill. Part of it initially said Harris was tapped “to serve as the administration’s border czar.” Republicans changed it to instead say that Harris “came to be known colloquially as the Biden administration’s ‘border czar.’”
“This is a non-binding resolution. This will never become law. … The idea that Kamala Harris was the border czar was invented by right-wing media,” said Rep. Jim McGovern (Mass.), the top Democrat on the Rules Committee.
