Washington — The Senate is set to convene for the impeachment trial of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday afternoon, with the Democratic-led upper chamber obliged to take on the House GOP-backed impeachment effort.
Senators will be sworn in as jurors at 1 p.m. for the proceedings, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. How long the trial will last remains to be seen, but Democrats are hoping to bring it to a swift end.
Schumer, a New York Democrat, announced that the upper chamber would convene in accordance with impeachment rules shortly after House Republican impeachment managers transmitted the articles of impeachment to the Senate on Tuesday. Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat and the president pro tempore of the chamber, will preside over the trial.
The House voted to impeach Mayorkas in February, and the Senate's rules dictate that the upper chamber is compelled to convene as a court of impeachment after the articles have been delivered by the House impeachment managers. Tuesday's transmission came after months of delay and kickstarted the trial process in the Senate.
Once senators are sworn in, the 51-member Democratic majority, which includes three independents, will likely be able to move to quickly dismiss or delay the trial not long after it gets underway — if Democrats can remain united.
Senate Republicans have encouraged Schumer to hold a comprehensive trial. Last week, all but six members of the conference signed on to a letter demanding that the Senate "properly adjudicate" the House's impeachment effort.
Some of those Senate Republicans are expected to employ procedural maneuvers to slow the process down on Wednesday, unless they can reach an agreement with Democratic leadership to allow for limited time for discussion on the Senate floor.
The impeachment charges against Mayorkas
House Republicans unveiled two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas in January, accusing him of a "willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law" and a "breach of public trust." Despite an initial failed attempt, the House narrowly voted in February to impeach the secretary based on these articles, with three Republicans and all Democrats opposing.
The first article alleges that Mayorkas has consistently violated immigration and border security laws enacted by Congress. It claims that he exceeded his authority by releasing numerous asylum seekers into the U.S. and permitting over 1 million individuals to enter under a parole authority.
In the second article, House Republicans accuse Mayorkas of deliberately providing false information to Congress and the American people, as well as evading lawful oversight to conceal the negative impacts of his refusal to comply with the law and fulfill his statutory obligations.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has criticized the impeachment effort, labeling it as "baseless" and asserting that House Republicans are disregarding facts and undermining the Constitution.
A spokesperson for DHS responded by stating, "Congressional Republicans should cease wasting time on groundless attacks and focus on passing bipartisan legislation to adequately fund the Department's crucial national security missions and address the flaws in our immigration system."
According to the Constitution, impeachment is based on "high Crimes and Misdemeanors." However, constitutional experts argue that the accusations against Mayorkas do not meet this standard.
