WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Mike Johnson will delay the planned sending of the House’s impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate this week. This is because Republican senators asked for more time to prepare for a full trial.
The unexpected change raises new concerns about the process, which is the first impeachment of a Cabinet secretary in about 150 years. House Republicans impeached Mayorkas over the Biden administration’s handling of security and immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Senators were expected to quickly dismiss the House-passed charges against Mayorkas. Democrats, who control the chamber, argue that the charges don't meet the constitutional standard for high crimes and misdemeanors.
Johnson had planned to have the House impeachment managers deliver the articles against Mayorkas on Wednesday evening. This would require senators to meet the next day to act as jurors for a trial deciding whether to convict or acquit the secretary of charges.
The trial on Thursday was expected to be brief after some procedural votes to table or dismiss the charges.
However, Republicans who want a full trial to hold Mayorkas accountable for border security are pushing for a delay. Republican senators discussed during a private GOP lunch on Tuesday using the delay to build their case.
“To make sure that the Senate has enough time to fulfill its constitutional duty, the House will send the articles of impeachment to the Senate next week,” said Johnson’s spokesman, Taylor Haulsee. “There is no reason at all for the Senate to avoid its responsibility to conduct an impeachment trial.”
