House Speaker Mike Johnson has informed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that the House will be sending the impeachment articles against Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate on April 10. This marks the next step in having an impeachment trial in the upper chamber, with senators expected to be sworn in as jurors on April 11. Mayorkas was impeached by the House on February 13 by a narrow margin, making him the first Cabinet secretary to be impeached in nearly 150 years.
House Republicans have sought to impeach Mayorkas in an effort to spotlight the Biden administration’s handling of the southern border, as they face pressure from their base to hold the administration accountable for immigration and border security policies. The Democratic-controlled Senate is not expected to convict Mayorkas, and there is speculation that the impeachment may be quickly dismissed. Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray will preside over the proceedings, although specific details of the trial have not been outlined by Schumer.
Johnson accused Mayorkas of committing high crimes and misdemeanors for his handling of the southern border, despite experts stating that the evidence does not meet the standard for impeachment. The impeachment articles were intentionally delayed in being sent to the Senate until Congress completed addressing government funding for the fiscal year, with both chambers not returning to session until the week of April 8. Johnson has called on Schumer to hold a Senate trial for Mayorkas and urged for it to be scheduled expeditiously.
The impeachment of Mayorkas has created divisions among Republicans, leading many to question the prospects of impeaching President Biden. With limited evidence and a razor-thin majority, Republicans have stalled their impeachment inquiry into Biden, as they lack the votes to move forward with the process. The impeachment of Mayorkas is expected to go nowhere in the Democratic-controlled Senate, further complicating Republicans’ efforts to hold the administration accountable.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer, who is involved in investigating Biden, raised concerns about the futility of trying to impeach the president in a recent fundraising email. He highlighted that the Senate is likely to dismiss the Mayorkas impeachment articles quickly, making the efforts to impeach Biden appear to be a dead end. Johnson signed the letter to Schumer with a group of House Republicans who have been selected as impeachment managers, setting the stage for a showdown between Senate Democrats and Republicans over the border in the lead up to the 2024 presidential election.
