Mayorkas Impeachment Trial Postponed to Next Week
TL/DR –
The impeachment trial of the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the first sitting Cabinet member in history to face such charges, has been delayed to Monday by House Speaker Mike Johnson. The charges against Mayorkas, which include “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law” and breach of public trust, are contested by some Republicans and Democrats who believe they reflect policy differences rather than high crimes and misdemeanors. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, who believes the charges are “absurd”, aims to dismiss or table the trial as quickly as possible.
Impeachment Trial for Cabinet Member delayed
The impeachment trial of the first sitting Cabinet member in history, initiated by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), has been postponed to Monday. This move addresses concerns raised by conservative lawmakers apprehensive about a Senate trial commencing on the departure day of the chamber. The impeachment targets Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, with the trial likely to start Tuesday following the transmission of impeachment articles on Monday.
A spokesperson for Johnson stated, “To ensure the Senate has adequate time to perform its constitutional duty, the House will transmit the impeachment articles next week”. The delay was appreciated by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who thanked Johnson for shifting the trial to the start of a legislative week.
Despite the postponement, Democrats, who hold a 51-49 majority, are expected to stick to their original plan. They have the capacity to dismiss or table the trial with a simple majority. The charges against Mayorkas, labelled “absurd” by Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), are expected to be resolved quickly by the Democrats, who believe impeachment should not be used to settle policy disagreements.
Mayorkas Impeachment Controversies
The impeachment charges against Mayorkas, which include willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law and breach of public trust, have sparked controversy. Criticism comes from Democrats, constitutional scholars and several GOP lawmakers who believe the charges, narrowly passed by a single vote, amount to policy differences rather than high crimes and misdemeanors. House Republicans claim Mayorkas has violated provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act, a charge hotly contested by Democrats and legal experts.
The trial delay happened on the same day Mayorkas was scheduled to advocate for greater DHS budget funding. The DHS chief was expected to request more funding than agreed last month by the White House and Congress to avoid a government shutdown. The agreed funding is less than that proposed in the bipartisan border deal, which collapsed in February due to interference from former president Donald Trump.
The Senate’s Stance
While many senators have criticized the impeachment as meritless, most have resolved to vote against a motion to dismiss the trial. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) stated, “There may be attempts to delay it. But we’re hopeful we can resolve those delays and give this impeachment the dismissal it so richly deserves”. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) emphasized the need to observe historical precedent by moving forward with the trial.
Only Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) has stated his intention to vote for the dismissal of the trial. Other senators, including Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), declined to comment due to their role as impartial trial jurors. Republicans are now expected to introduce procedural roadblocks and raise points of order to influence the trial process.
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