Democrats who control the Senate may try to quickly discard the impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border crisis, a group of GOP senators said on Tuesday.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and a dozen Republican colleagues sent a letter to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) stressing that it is “imperative that the Senate Republican conference prepare to fully engage our Constitutional duty and hold a trial.”
Briefings by McConnell’s staff indicate Senate Democrats “intend to dispense with the articles of impeachment by simply tabling both individually,” the letter said. “This is an action rarely contemplated and never taken by the U.S. Senate in the history of our Republic.”
GOP leadership must push for an impeachment trial for DHS Secretary Mayorkas.
We cannot allow Chuck Schumer to sweep the Biden administration’s border invasion under the rug. pic.twitter.com/qg1EFCdoF3
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) February 20, 2024
Last week, House lawmakers narrowly passed two articles of impeachment that accuse Mayorkas of “willfully and systemically” refusing to comply with federal immigration laws and the other alleged he “breached the public trust” with false statements and obstructing lawful oversight of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The office of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the House impeachment managers “will present the articles of impeachment to the Senate following the state work period,” which means a trial could start next week. Schumer’s team added that senators “will be sworn in as jurors in the trial the next day” and Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray (D-WA) will preside.
A two-thirds vote is required for a conviction in the Senate, which would lead to removal from office. But the articles may not make it far with a motion to table, which according to the Senate glossary is “a proposal to set aside any pending question. Used to dispose of a question the Chamber does not want to consider further. Agreement to the motion is equivalent to defeating the question tabled.”
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Lee and his colleagues ended the letter by calling on McConnell to “join us in our efforts to jettison this approach by Democrats to shirk their Constitutional duty, ensure that the Senate conducts a proper trial, and that every Senator, Republican and Democrat, adjudicate this matter when the Senate returns.”