Senate will call impeachment trial against Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas; Democrats plan quick dismissal

Senate Democrats could end the impeachment trial of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday before arguments even begin.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is expected to call a vote to dismiss two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas after senators are sworn in as jurors at noon, a move that could derail the trial and frustrate Republicans. who have demanded that House prosecutors be able to present their case. Democrats appear to be united against moving forward.

The House voted narrowly in February to impeach Mayorkas over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border, arguing in the two articles that he “deliberately and systematically” refused to enforce immigration laws. House impeachment managers appointed by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, delivered the charges to the Senate on Tuesday, standing on the Senate floor and reading them aloud to a captive audience of senators.

The entire process could be done in a few hours on Wednesday. The Democratic majority has said the GOP case against Mayorkas falls short of the “high crimes and misdemeanors” set out as a bar to impeachment in the Constitution, and Schumer likely has enough votes to end the trial immediately if he decides to do so. .

Schumer has said he wants to “address this issue as quickly as possible.”

“Impeachment should never be used to resolve a political disagreement,” Schumer said. “That would set a horrible precedent for Congress.”

As Johnson signed the articles Monday in preparation for sending them across the Capitol, he said Schumer should call a trial to “hold fully accountable those who engineered this crisis.”

Schumer “is the only impediment to holding the American people accountable,” Johnson said. “In accordance with the Constitution, the House demands a trial.”

Once senators are sworn in on Wednesday, the chamber will become the impeachment court, chaired by Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. Murray is the president pro tempore of the Senate, or the ranking member of the majority party who replaces the vice president.

It's still unclear exactly how Democrats will proceed on Wednesday. Impeachment trial rules generally allow the Senate majority to decide how to handle the trial, and Schumer has not said exactly what he will do.

Senate Republicans are likely to try to raise a number of objections if Schumer calls for votes to dismiss or postpone. But they ultimately can't block a firing if the Democratic majority has the votes.

In any case, Republicans would not be able to obtain the support of the two-thirds of the Senate needed to convict and remove Mayorkas from office: Democrats control the Senate, 51-49, and appear to be united against impeachment. effort. No House Democrats supported it either.

While most Republicans oppose quick impeachment, some have hinted they could vote with Democrats.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said last week that he wasn't sure what he would do if there was a move to dismiss the trial. “I think it's virtually certain that someone will not be convicted when the constitutional test has not been met,” he said.

At the same time, Romney said he wants to at least express his opinion that “Mayorkas has done a terrible job, but he is following the president's instructions and has not passed the constitutional test of a high crime or a misdemeanor.”

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channels Youtube, WhatsApp and to newsletter. Turn on notifications and follow us on Facebook, x and instagram.