12:30 Report — House GOP makes case for ousting Mayorkas

View Online  12:30 REPORT It's Tuesday. Have your social media feeds calmed down from all of the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce celebration content from Sunday? Because my feeds have not. 😅 Here's what's happening in politics today: House Republicans are holding a hearing today on whether to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. It's a pretty controversial move that has been blasted by the left and some on the right.  Former President Trump takes credit for the economy in 2024, despite being out of office for more than three years.  The New York Times has an interesting read on how convoluted the primary process has become this year.    I'm Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what's coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@thehill.com.  Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.   🧱 In Congress  Happening today:  House Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee are trying to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, accusing him of failing to follow immigration laws.     What Republicans are specifically alleging: "[The impeachment articles] accuse Mayorkas of failing to follow immigration laws — pointing to detention standards that have never been met under any administration, including during the Trump era. They also accuse him of 'breach of public trust' — something they say amounts to a 'violation of his oath to well and faithfully discharge the duties of his office.'"     How seriously should we take this?: House Republicans' approach is receiving a lot of criticism from the left and some on the right.    Some of the pushback: Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who served under former President George W. Bush, wrote an op-ed on Sunday, warning Republicans not to impeach Mayorkas. And conservative commentator and legal expert Jonathan Turley said: "I just don't believe that they have a cognizable basis here for impeachment." More on the back and forth over Mayorkas    How extraordinary this move would be: If impeached, Mayorkas would become the first Cabinet secretary to be impeached in 148 years. (NBC News)     How Mayorkas is handling this: Mayorkas sent a seven-page response to House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.), describing the impeachment as "politically motivated" and "personal attacks."     MTG wants credit: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) says she "absolutely" deserves credit for the Mayorkas impeachment proceedings, according to The Hill's Mychael Schnell.    💻 Watch the impeach article markup live  Step one: Get on the same page: "The Senate is poised for a border showdown with the House as it gets ready to move ahead with legislation, despite Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) warning that it is likely dead on arrival in the lower chamber," reports The Hill's Alexander Bolton.    If the legislation is dead on arrival, why push through?: "Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and his allies aren't ignoring Johnson, but they're betting if the legislation passes the Senate with strong Republican support, Johnson will come under heavy pressure to put it up for a vote in the lower chamber."     How this could backfire: "If Johnson doesn't act on the bill, House Republicans would risk getting blamed for abandoning Ukraine on the battlefield and undermining American credibility with its allies. They would allow Democrats to hammer them for blocking reforms to significantly reduce the flow of migrants across the southern border." ( The Hill)   Related read — 'House Republicans poised to torpedo GOP's best chance in years to pass border bill'  🎤 In The White House The latest with the attack on U.S. troops: " President Biden said Tuesday he has decided how he plans to respond to an attack on U.S. forces in Jordan that killed three Americans but stressed he was not seeking a wider war in the Middle East." (The Hill)   So, what is Biden going to do?: He didn't specify. ➤  THE SERVICE MEMBERS WHO DIED: "The three were identified as Sgt.  William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Ga.; Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Ga.; and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Ga." (NPR) ➤  BIDEN ALSO TALKED TO THE FAMILIES OF THE KILLED SOLIDERS:  President Biden said he spoke with the families of the three U.S. Army soldiers who were killed in a drone attack in Jordan.   White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters: "He was grateful for their time. He expressed to them how proud we all are of their service, how we mourn and feel sorrow over their loss," Kirby.   Plus: Biden plans to travel to Delaware on Friday for the dignified transfer. (The Hill) 📈 On The Campaign Trail That's me. ALL me:  ©  GIPHY/America's Got Talent Former President Trump is taking credit for the stock market's recent record high levels, even though he left office more than three years ago.    Trump's reasoning: "THIS IS THE TRUMP STOCK MARKET BECAUSE MY POLLS AGAINST BIDEN ARE SO GOOD THAT INVESTORS ARE PROJECTING THAT I WILL WIN, AND THAT WILL DRIVE THE MARKET UP," the former president posted on his Truth Social platform. ⌨️ His full post   The Biden campaign had fun with this: The Biden campaign posted a side-by-side comparison of Trump's 2020 remarks predicting a stock market crash if Biden wins, next to the recent post of the former president taking credit. 📷 The Biden campaign post  ➤  HOW ARE AMERICANS FEELING ABOUT THE ECONOMY? The economic mood is the highest it's been in two years, according to the latest Gallup Economic Confidence Index, but Americans are still concerned about inflation. More from the poll     ^ Another poll echoes this: U.S. consumer confidence hits its highest level since December 2021, according to a survey by The Conference Board released Tuesday. More from the survey  ➤  SPEAKING OF THE ECONOMY:  The Federal Reserve is expected to lower interest rates this year. "The expected rate cuts raise a big question: Why would central bankers lower borrowing costs when the economy is experiencing surprisingly strong growth?"     Read — 'Why Cut Rates in an Economy This Strong? A Big Question Confronts the Fed.' This perfectly describes the 2024 primary cycle:   ©  GIPHY/Achievement Hunter The New York Times's Maggie Astor has an interesting read of just how complicated the 2024 nominating process has become. Read this excerpt to see just how convoluted it is:     "Next on the primary calendar is South Carolina, on Feb. 3, but only if you're a Democrat. If you're a Republican there, you will not vote until Feb. 24. … Oh, and about Nevada: If you support Nikki Haley, you can vote for her in the state's primary on Feb. 6, but your vote will not count toward the Republican nomination. That is tied to the party's caucuses on Feb. 8, and Ms. Haley will not be part of that process. If you support former President Donald J. Trump, you can vote for him in the caucuses, but not in the primary. The primary, which is run by the State of Nevada, will be conducted by mail, while the caucuses will be in person. … Got it?"    Read more — 'Voting Is Bewildering This Primary Season. That Worries Experts.'  ➤  HEADLINES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL:  'DeSantis boosts public image after dropping out, sparking '28 speculation': Axios  'Trump puts on full-court press for big-time donors — and nabs more than a few': Politico  'The Brain-Breaking Logic of No Labels': "The group has a reasonable criticism of American politics, but its approach won't help matters.": The Atlantic  THE HILL JOBS Interested in exploring a new career? Visit The Hill Jobs Board to discover millions of roles worldwide, including:   Vice President of Policy and Communications — School-Based Health Alliance, Washington, D.C. Apply   Veterans Affairs Systems Integration Lead — Accenture Federal Services, Remote  Apply Director, Communications — NACWA, Washington, D.C.  Apply   Account Executive — CloudHesive, Washington, D.C.  Apply   Click here to get your job mentioned 🐝 Internet Buzz 🥐 Celebrate: Today is National Croissant Day!    💝 Wirecutter, CALL ME next time. I'll be there!: The New York Times tested and ranked the best boxed chocolates for Wirecutter. The winners  ©  GIPHY/SpongeBob SquarePants 🏈 Kylie Kelce is so relatable. I love it.: Kylie Kelce, the wife of football star Jason Kelce and whose Chiefs player brother-in-law Travis Kelce is dating Taylor Swift, spoke with ABC News about her life and recent fame. "I am trying to scrape applesauce off the couch … this is not that fascinating," she said with a laugh, describing her life with three young kids. 💻 Watch    📦 Shipping demand is down: UPS announced that it will cut 12,000 jobs this year amid reduced shipping demand. (The Hill)  🗓 On The Agenda The House and Senate are in. President Biden is in Florida, and Vice President Harris is in Washington, D.C., with no public events.  (all times Eastern) This morning: House Republican leaders held a press conference. 💻 Watch  1:30 p.m.: First House votes. Last votes are expected around 4 p.m. 🗓️ Today's agenda  2 p.m.: Biden participates in a campaign reception in Palm Beach.  3 p.m.: The Senate meets. 🗓️ Today's agenda  6:45 p.m.: Biden participates in a campaign reception in Miami.  👋And Finally… Because you made it this far, here's a giraffe getting morning head rubs.  Stay Engaged Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com. A friend forward this to you?  Subscribe here.   View past issues of 12:30 Report here and check out other newsletters from The Hill here. See you next time! Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  Sign Up for Other Newsletters 1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 © 1998 - 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.