Johnson to formally hand Mayorkas impeachment articles to Senate
Senate trial looms after Mayorkas impeachment
The Republican-controlled House voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. The vote marks the first time in nearly 150 years that a Cabinet secretary has been impeached.
The Senate is going to receive articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas next month, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Thursday.
Johnson sent a letter to Schumer informing him that House impeachment managers will send the impeachment articles to his chamber on April 10, and urged him to hold a trial "expeditiously."
"As Speaker and impeachment managers of the U.S. House of Representatives, we write to inform you that we will present to you upon the Senate’s return, on April 10, 2024, the duly passed articles of impeachment regarding Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. We urge you to schedule a trial of the matter expeditiously," Johnson wrote alongside the 11 Republicans selected as impeachment managers.
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Speaker Mike Johnson said he's having impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas sent to the Senate on April 10. (Getty Images)
The House impeached Mayorkas last month on two counts, accusing him of failing to comply with and enforce existing law, along with a breach of public trust.
"Throughout his tenure, he has repeatedly lied to Congress and the American people about the scope of the crisis and his role in it. His unlawful actions are responsible for the historic crisis that has devastated communities throughout our country, from the smallest border town in Texas to New York City," Johnson wrote. "The constitutional grounds for Secretary Mayorkas’ conviction and removal from office are well-founded, and the historical record is clear."
Once the articles are formally handed off, the Senate must act on them swiftly.
Schumer has not said what he would do, but his public criticism of the impeachment effort suggests it's very possible that he'll move to dismiss the trial. A simple 51-vote majority would be needed for that to occur.
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His office told Fox News Digital, "As we have said previously, after the House impeachment managers present the articles of impeachment to the Senate, Senators will be sworn in as jurors in the trial the next day. Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray will preside."
Senate Republicans have called for Schumer to go through with the proceedings – though it's highly unlikely it will result in a conviction.
"The Senate should conduct an impeachment trial of Secretary Mayorkas and examine the full extent of this crisis in front of the American people," Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., said publicly earlier this month.
PDF: READ JOHNSON'S FULL LETTER
All but three House Republicans voted to impeach Mayorkas last month over his handling of the U.S. southern border. It was the first time since 1876 that a cabinet secretary had been impeached.
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House GOP leaders delayed sending the articles over to the Senate for several weeks, however, amid intense negotiations over how to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year 2024.
Johnson confronted questions about the delay during the House GOP's annual retreat earlier this month, telling reporters, "The reason for it is because we're in the middle of funding the government in the appropriations process, and the way the procedure works is, once the articles of impeachment are transmitted to the Senate, they have a short window within which to process them. So we didn't want to interrupt the Senate and their floor time and their deliberation on appropriations, because we would risk shutting the government down."
When reached for comment, DHS referred Fox News Digital to an earlier statement reacting to the House impeachment vote.
"House Republicans will be remembered by history for trampling on the Constitution for political gain rather than working to solve the serious challenges at our border," a DHS spokesperson said. "Without a shred of evidence or legitimate Constitutional grounds, and despite bipartisan opposition, House Republicans have falsely smeared a dedicated public servant who has spent more than 20 years enforcing our laws and serving our country."