The House of Representatives is preparing to transfer articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate following a GOP-led hearing on Capitol Hill. Mayorkas is scheduled to testify at a hearing before the House Homeland Security Committee about President Biden’s fiscal year 2024 request for his department. Eight of the 11 impeachment managers appointed by Speaker Mike Johnson are on the committee, including Chairman Mark Green. They were originally supposed to make the ceremonial trip last Wednesday, but the date was delayed at the request of GOP senators to give them more time to build a case.
In February, the House passed two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas in a narrow 214-213 vote, stemming from Republican criticism of his and President Biden’s handling of the border crisis. One article accused him of refusing to comply with federal immigration laws, while the other accused him of violating public trust. This impeachment marks the first time a Cabinet secretary has been impeached by the U.S. Congress since 1876. A Fox News analysis found that 7.2 million people crossed the border illegally since Biden took office, a number larger than the populations of 36 individual states.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has criticized the House GOP’s impeachment push but vowed to move forward with the process expediently. Republicans in the House and Senate have expressed concerns that Schumer will move to quickly dismiss the case without a trial. Schumer, however, has emphasized the need to move forward efficiently, stating, “We’re ready to go whenever they are. We are sticking with our plan. We’re going to move this as expeditiously as possible.” There is a fear among Republicans that the case may not receive a fair trial in the Senate.
The House impeachment managers are expected to walk the two House-passed articles of impeachment to the Senate around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday following Mayorkas’s testimony at the House Homeland Security Committee hearing. Johnson’s office confirmed the schedule to Fox News Digital. The delay in transferring the articles was at the request of GOP senators to allow more time to build a case against Mayorkas. The impeachment proceedings have generated significant interest due to the controversial nature of Mayorkas’s actions and the ongoing border crisis.
The transfer of articles of impeachment against Mayorkas marks a significant development in the ongoing debate over his and President Biden’s handling of the border crisis. The narrow vote in the House to impeach Mayorkas highlights the intense political divisions over immigration policies and border security. The upcoming Senate trial will be closely watched as both parties seek to make their case for or against Mayorkas’s removal from office. The outcome of the trial could have far-reaching implications for the Biden administration’s immigration policies and the overall approach to border security. It remains to be seen how the Senate will proceed with the impeachment trial and whether a fair and thorough review of the evidence will be conducted.
