House Speaker Mike Johnson informed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that the House will send the articles of impeachment against Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of Homeland Security, to the Senate on April 10th, according to a Sunday report.
In response to the letter, Schumer’s office stated that senators will take the juror oath on April 11.
“The House impeached Mayorkas on February 13 by an extremely narrow margin, making him the first Cabinet secretary to be impeached in almost 150 years,” CNN reported.
“House Republicans impeached Mayorkas last month after failing to do so on their first try, a stunning loss that came about after GOP defections and absences sank the initial floor vote. Republicans have sought to use the impeachment of Mayorkas’ to spotlight the Biden administration’s handling of the southern border, as the conference has faced building pressure from their base to hold President Joe Biden and his departments and agencies accountable over immigration and border security policies,” the outlet added.
Schumer has yet to announce how the Senate will conduct the trial, but since Democrats control the chamber, it’s unlikely that Mayorkas — who has presided over the worst border crisis in the country’s history — will be convicted. Still, it is a stain on his public service record, becoming the second Cabinet member to be impeached after Secretary of War William Belknap, who served in President Ulysses S. Grant’s administration, was impeached in 1876 on corruption charges. He was not convicted, however.
Regarding Mayorkas’ impeachment, senators may instead move swiftly to drop the impeachment. Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray will preside over the proceedings, according to Schumer’s statement from last month.
Johnson claimed in his letter that Mayorkas has committed serious crimes and misdemeanors related to his management of the southern border.
A representative for the Department of Homeland Security, Mia Ehrenberg, described the attempt as “baseless, unconstitutional impeachment” and claimed it was “without a shred of evidence or legitimate constitutional grounds.”
The Speaker implored Schumer to try Mayorkas in front of the Senate.
“We urge you to schedule a trial of the matter expeditiously,” Johnson wrote, arguing that Schumer must fulfill his “constitutional obligation.”
