Mayorkas trial is set to start, but Democrats may dispose of charges
The Alejandro Mayorkas Impeachment Trial is a Promised Successor of the Framers’ Right – Reply to Romney’s Critique
The upper chamber is about to swear all 100 of its members in for jury duty in the Alejandro Mayorkas impeachment trial.
The impeachment managers were appointed by Johnson and will prosecute the trial. The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Mark Green of Tennessee, and the woman who sponsored the impeachment resolution were also on the committee. Other Republicans on the homeland security panel serving as managers are:
Johnson first notified Schumer in a letter last month he planned to transmit the articles on April 10, and argued the Senate needed to launch a full scale trial. “We call upon you to fulfill your constitutional obligation to hold this trial. The American people demand a secure border, an end to this crisis, and accountability for those responsible,” he said.
She used social media to push Schumer to hold a trial. Her role as a manager comes at the same time she is threatening to bring up a resolution to oust Speaker Johnson.
After the 11 House impeachment managers deliver the articles of impeachment to the Senate, they will read the charges against Secretary Mayorkas. The House has two charges, willfully ignoring the law and breaching the public’s trust.
The charges against Mayorkas have been called for debate by the conservative wing of Senate Republicans. On Tuesday, Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, a moderate, joined the calls.
Johnson’s letter had an objection to the move. The speaker said, “To table articles of impeachment without ever hearing a single argument or reviewing a piece of evidence would be a violation of our constitutional order and an affront to the American people whom we all serve.”
The Senate is required to hold a trial. In every previous congressional impeachment of the past 227 years, Congress has been faithful to the process set out by the framers,” the senators wrote. They said that the Senate has never abandoned this duty even when certain members believed the basis for impeachment was tenuous at best.
Unless all 100 senators agree, no other business can be taken up after the resolution is sent to the Senate. The debate comes amid a busy week. Schumer said that he would like to extend the Section 702 program which is used to monitor communications abroad from people who could potentially pose a national security threat. The program’s authority ends on Friday. Congress is also debating additional aid for Israel, following the attack from Iran over the weekend.
The issue of border security is a priority for the Republicans in both chambers. According to recent public opinion polls, President Biden’s handling of the U.S.- Mexico border remains a weak spot for him.
Schumer said his plans had not changed with the House Republicans’ delay. He noted on Monday, “We are ready to go whenever the House sends us the articles. We want to deal with this issue as quickly as possible.
Initially House Speaker Mike Johnson planned to transmit the articles last week, but he postponed the action after a group of Senate Republicans pressed for more time to prepare and make a case for a full debate.
The Democrat-House Correspondence in the White House: “Impeachment cannot be used to settle a precedent”: Rep. Chuck Schumer
“The catastrophe at the southern border is the number one issue for the American people. We must hold those who engineered this crisis to full account,” he said.
The Senate should not ignore their clear responsibility and not give the charges they deserve, he said.
Moderate Republicans like Romney are watched closely by Democrats because he is a key swing vote who could help wrap up the effort as quickly as possible.
Romney told NPR he preferred a debate or a trial over a committee discussion. “I think a motion to table sets a very unfortunate constitutional precedent.”
Unless all 100 senators agree, no other business can be taken up during the trial. The Democrats are concerned because Congress faces a Friday deadline to renew legislation that would extend the Foreign Intelligence Supervision Act, or FISA. Congress is also debating additional aid for Israel, following the attack from Iran over the weekend.
At the center of the procedural fight is the U.S.-Mexico border and the people who have crossed it in record numbers. Republicans accuse Mayorkas of refusing to enforce immigration laws, Democrats and the Biden administration say Republicans have a policy disagreement with the White House and impeachment isn’t the way to address it.
Mark Green, chair of the House Homeland Security Committee and the lead House impeachment manager, said Mayorkas had warrants for impeachment, trial and removal from office.
Schumer said they want to address the issue as quickly as possible. “Impeachment should never be used to settle a policy disagreement. Talk about awful precedents.”
The impeachment of Mayorkas by the House Republicans was the closest of the two votes. The House impeachment managers delivered the articles to the Senate on Tuesday, triggering the next steps in a trial.
Chuck Schumer was supposed to dispose of the charges, either by a motion to dismiss or tabling them, but discussions continued late Tuesday for a possible bipartisan deal. A deal had yet to be reached by early Wednesday.
