Republican U.S. senators have raised concerns about a reported strategy by Senate Democrats to dismiss the House impeachment charges against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
The House had initially planned to present the impeachment charges against Mayorkas this week, following their vote to impeach him back in February. However, due to a scheduling change made by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the proceedings have been rescheduled for next week. Schumer has criticized the impeachment as a sham and a political maneuver.
According to sources, Schumer, who initially stated that there would be a trial to promptly resolve the matter, has now decided to table the impeachment trial using a Senate procedural move. This particular move requires only two Democrats to second it.
Schumer addressed reporters’ questions about filing a motion to dismiss the impeachment charges in February, emphasizing the importance of resolving the issue promptly. He firmly stated that impeachment should not be utilized as a means to settle policy disagreements.
Republicans criticized Schumer, accusing House Democrats of impeaching former President Donald Trump twice for political reasons. The Senate conducted two trials, even after Trump had left office. Forty-four Republican senators deemed it unconstitutional for the Senate to hold a trial for a president who was no longer in office. Despite these trials, Trump was acquitted on both occasions.
U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas, voiced concern about Schumer’s alleged plan during a news conference on Tuesday. He was joined by Senators Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, and Eric Schmitt of Missouri. Following the conference, several senators released individual statements on the floor. Republican members from both the House and Senate have also been urging Schumer to proceed with the trial.
Kennedy took action by submitting Senate Resolution 623, aiming to create a system of fair and efficient trial procedures for impeachment, in line with the Senate’s long-standing conventions. He expressed concern over Senate Democrats potentially disregarding the articles of impeachment passed by the House, without giving both sides an opportunity to present their arguments.
“They are refusing to allow the House impeachment managers to present their case. They are also unwilling to let Secretary Mayorkas make his case. Their intention is to dismiss the evidence presented by the House and simply brush it aside, without giving it proper consideration. This approach is fundamentally flawed and unfair.”
According to Kennedy, the Senate has never tabled an impeachment in its entire history. He emphasized that in over 200 years, the House of Representatives has impeached officials 21 times, yet the Senate has never taken the step of tabling the impeachment even once.
According to him, Senator Schumer might consider dismissing these charges instead of tabling them, although this has never been done before. If the Senate chooses to dismiss the charges without a trial, it will mark the first instance in the Senate’s extensive history where impeachment charges against an official under its jurisdiction are dismissed without that official resigning first – and this is indeed a factual statement.
Senate Democrats blocked the resolution on Wednesday, coinciding with Kennedy’s expression of concerns during a Senate Appropriations hearing. During the hearing, Kennedy directly questioned Mayorkas, stating that the American people have lost trust in him and accusing him of intentionally causing the border crisis. Mayorkas, in response, denied these allegations, just as he has defended himself against the impeachment charges brought against him.
According to Blackburn, Schumer is engaging in political maneuvering by avoiding a vote on the issue. She suggests that Schumer is aware of the potential consequences for his party members who are at risk of losing their seats. Blackburn believes that the lack of border security remains a top concern for the American people.
Schumer’s statements about the importance of conducting Trump impeachment trials were quoted by her. She mentioned that he is fully aware of the constitutional duty to hold a trial, but his focus seems to be solely on the November elections due to his hunger for power.
Marshall stated that Schumer intends to pause the process and prevent an impeachment trial, regardless of when they receive the articles. This is noteworthy because only two Democrats are needed to reject the motion of tabling and proceed with the trial.