By Joe Chatham
FAIR
Last Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced the House will send the two articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Mayorkas to the Senate on April 10. While the House adopted the articles of impeachment in February, House Leadership decided to hold them from being transferred as Congress grappled with passing full-year appropriations bills.
Johnson made the announcement in a public letter signed by all eleven House impeachment managers. The impeachment managers are tasked with formally presenting the case to remove Mayorkas in the Senate. In the letter, they demand that the Senate hold a full trial to consider the impeachment articles, writing that, “The evidence on both charges is clear, comprehensive, and compelling, and the House’s solemn act to impeach the first sitting Cabinet official in American history demands timely action by the Senate.”
The Senate, however, is expected to quickly move to dismiss the impeachment articles or create a special committee to consider the charges. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is rumored to be in favor of a motion to table the articles on arrival. That motion only requires a simple majority to pass and could effectively end the trial before it starts. The move to table the articles has never been done in the 20 impeachment hearings conducted by the Senate to-date and would require every member of the Democratic caucus to vote in favor. If sent to a special committee, the impeachment articles could be buried indefinitely.
The House of Representatives voted in February to impeach Mayorkas by a vote of 214-213. Throughout the House Homeland Security Committee’s investigation of Mayorkas, and subsequent impeachment proceedings, the Biden Administration and congressional Democrats have attempted to frame Republicans’ efforts as politically motivated and solely due to policy differences. The impeachment articles, however, clearly detail seven provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) that Mayorkas has violated and lay out the numerous times that Mayorkas has knowingly lied to Congress and the American people. Together, the two articles show that the Secretary has systemically refused to comply with the law and fulfill his statutory duty to control our borders and guard against illegal entries.
The eleven impeachment managers who will act as prosecutors when the Senate hears the case are Reps. Mark Green (Tenn.) Michael McCaul (Texas), Andy Biggs (Ariz.) Clay Higgins (La.), Ben Cline (Va.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Michael Guest (Miss.), Andrew Garbarino (N.Y.) August Pfluger (Texas), Harriet Hageman (Wyo.), and Laurel Lee (Fla.).
After three years of ignoring the law, jeopardizing public safety, and undermining our national security, Secretary Mayorkas must be removed from office. This impeachment goes far beyond policy differences—the Secretary has knowingly and willfully violated our immigration laws and made Americans across the country less safe. FAIR calls on the Senate to carry out its constitutional duty to hold a full trial and remove Secretary Mayorkas for violating his oath of office and ushering in an historic crisis at our borders. The American people deserve nothing less.
To learn more about the case against Secretary Mayorkas, click here. To read the articles of impeachment, click here.
Last Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced the House will send the two articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Mayorkas to the Senate on April 10. While the House adopted the articles of impeachment in February, House Leadership decided to hold them from being transferred as Congress grappled with passing full-year appropriations bills.
Johnson made the announcement in a public letter signed by all eleven House impeachment managers. The impeachment managers are tasked with formally presenting the case to remove Mayorkas in the Senate. In the letter, they demand that the Senate hold a full trial to consider the impeachment articles, writing that, “The evidence on both charges is clear, comprehensive, and compelling, and the House’s solemn act to impeach the first sitting Cabinet official in American history demands timely action by the Senate.”
The Senate, however, is expected to quickly move to dismiss the impeachment articles or create a special committee to consider the charges. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is rumored to be in favor of a motion to table the articles on arrival. That motion only requires a simple majority to pass and could effectively end the trial before it starts. The move to table the articles has never been done in the 20 impeachment hearings conducted by the Senate to-date and would require every member of the Democratic caucus to vote in favor. If sent to a special committee, the impeachment articles could be buried indefinitely.
The House of Representatives voted in February to impeach Mayorkas by a vote of 214-213. Throughout the House Homeland Security Committee’s investigation of Mayorkas, and subsequent impeachment proceedings, the Biden Administration and congressional Democrats have attempted to frame Republicans’ efforts as politically motivated and solely due to policy differences. The impeachment articles, however, clearly detail seven provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) that Mayorkas has violated and lay out the numerous times that Mayorkas has knowingly lied to Congress and the American people. Together, the two articles show that the Secretary has systemically refused to comply with the law and fulfill his statutory duty to control our borders and guard against illegal entries.
The eleven impeachment managers who will act as prosecutors when the Senate hears the case are Reps. Mark Green (Tenn.) Michael McCaul (Texas), Andy Biggs (Ariz.) Clay Higgins (La.), Ben Cline (Va.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Michael Guest (Miss.), Andrew Garbarino (N.Y.) August Pfluger (Texas), Harriet Hageman (Wyo.), and Laurel Lee (Fla.).
After three years of ignoring the law, jeopardizing public safety, and undermining our national security, Secretary Mayorkas must be removed from office. This impeachment goes far beyond policy differences—the Secretary has knowingly and willfully violated our immigration laws and made Americans across the country less safe. FAIR calls on the Senate to carry out its constitutional duty to hold a full trial and remove Secretary Mayorkas for violating his oath of office and ushering in an historic crisis at our borders. The American people deserve nothing less.
To learn more about the case against Secretary Mayorkas, click here. To read the articles of impeachment, click here.
