WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats hope to quickly reject the House articles Impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas this week and move on to other issues.
But Senate Republicans, who are calling for a full impeachment trial or a special impeachment committee, want to make the coming days as politically painful as possible for Mayorkas and his Democratic allies.
A group of conservatives, led by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, plans to remove procedural hurdles, delay the issue and draw attention to Democrats’ refusal to hold the trial and hold Mallorca accountable for what they say is a lawsuit. failure to provide southern border.
“For the first time in American history, Senator Schumer is trying to override the House articles of impeachment without a vote,” Senator Schumer told NBC News. “However, the Constitution requires us to initiate legal investigations, and I will fight on the floor of the Senate to hold both Secretary Mayorkas and the entire Congress accountable for the current occupation of America’s southern border.”
When lawmakers return from a two-week spring break, those conservatives say they will take to the Senate floor Monday night and make a series of speeches calling for full-fledged impeachment, like the two Donald Trump faces in 2019 and 2021.
That will be followed by a press conference Tuesday afternoon, where Republicans plan to deliver their message. Lee, who serves on the GOP leadership team, works with other members of the Steering Committee, including GOP Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, John Cornyn of Texas and Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Marco Rubio of Florida and Eric Schmitt of Missouri. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., the GOP campaign chairman, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-C., the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee.
Democrats, who control the Senate, have called the House vote to impeach President Joe Biden’s top border security official Mayorkas a “lie,” saying Republicans have failed to show Mayorkas committed any impeachable crimes and that Republicans are engaging in politically motivated crime. exercise on the eve of the presidential elections.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is expected to move to reject or debate the two House articles of impeachment on Wednesday after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., forwards them to the Senate. A simple majority is required to do so, and Democrats hold a 51-49 lead over Republicans. A handful of GOP senators suggested Mayorkas’ articles of impeachment were also without merit.
But Lee and his allies plan to use stalling tactics by elevating multiple points of order on the floor, GOP aides said. While the points of order don’t change the outcome of Mayorkas’ impeachment — Democrats have the votes to debate the issue and move on to other business — Republicans could use these tactics to force tough votes from Democrats facing tough re-election bids.
For example, a point of order might state that the quick repeal of the articles of impeachment violates the Senate’s constitutional duty to conduct a trial. Other disciplinary points may argue that the quick dismissal violates Senate rules that require each party’s attorney to be heard by senators and witnesses to be sworn in.
Republicans say they want to vote on up to 15 rules to reflect the number of amendment votes Democrats forced on the organizational resolution of Trump’s first impeachment trial. However, minority Republicans may accept fewer votes, such as votes in two or three rows, to compromise with Schumer, GOP sources said.
Without a bipartisan deal, Republicans could try to block any progress in the Senate, protesting secular jobs on the floor. They may even object to the adjournment of the Senate at the end of the week by threatening to resume the session of the house at the end of the week.
“I think if we’re in a situation where it’s on the floor, it’s going to be pretty unexpected,” said a top GOP aide.
On February 13, the GOP-controlled House of Representatives impeached Mallorcas over his border work, by just one vote, 214-213; 3 Republicans joined all Democrats in voting no. Mayorkas became the second Cabinet secretary to be impeached in history – and the first in nearly 150 years.
If senators can reach a bipartisan deal, things should move relatively quickly. A day after Johnson’s 11 managers filed their articles of impeachment, Schumer said all 100 senators would be sworn in as a jury on Thursday in what is expected to be a record-breaking trial. Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray, D-Wash., will preside.
Democratic participation this week is “essential” as the Senate begins impeachment, Schumer wrote to members of his party.
The White House was put back into circulation on Monday statements From congressional Republicans and constitutional scholars, including Jonathan Turley He was a Republican witness In Trump’s first impeachment inquiry, he called Mallorca’s impeachment unfounded and unconstitutional.
White House Oversight and Investigations spokesman Ian Sams said, “This effort is a waste of time that constitutional and legal experts have made clear is ‘unconstitutional’ and that even Senate Republicans don’t want to focus on it.” he wrote in his impeachment letter.
“But the worst part is that extreme Republicans promoted this stupid, baseless stunt at the same time they have killed the actual bipartisan border security bill It would solve the problems at the border and bring needed resources to DHS,” Sams continued. “It’s outrageous and outrageous.”
One of the comments highlighted by the White House came from Senator Kevin Cramer, who rejected Mayorkas’ impeachment.it is obvious that he is dead when he arrives” and “the worst, stupidest exercise and use of time”.