House Republicans formally kicked off the impeachment proceedings against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday.
Impeachment managers formally took the articles from the House chamber, across the Rotunda and to the Senate floor. The trial will formally begin on Wednesday once the 100 senators are sworn in as jurors.
The procedure was supposed to start on April 10 but Republicans successfully lobbied House Speaker Mike Johnson to delay it and prevent a quick dismissal.
It's still unclear how long the trial will be, with members of both parties at odds over how the procedure should be conducted.
Most Republicans are seeking a full trial, while Democrats plan to finish quickly. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the matter will be dealt with "expeditiously," and some pundits anticipated the trial could be done by the end of the week.
"Impeachment should never be used to settle a policy disagreement; that would set a horrible precedent for the Congress," Schumer said in a floor speech Monday.
If Democrats can muster a simple majority (that is, 51 votes) they can dismiss the trial outright or move to table the two articles (of impeachment) ending the House's effort. To get to that number, all Democrats and the chamber's three independents would have to vote for the motion.
They could also get Republicans to vote for it, which might actually be the case for some. Asked if Republicans would present a unified front, Senate Whip John Thune seemed to hint that wouldn't be the case, saying he thinks "the large majority, for sure, will be very unified."
Mayorkas has been formally accused of mishandling efforts to enforce immigration laws, especially when it comes to the implementation of a series of family reunification parole programs, which allowed some foreign nationals to wait in the U.S. for immigration visas.
The first article of impeachment against the Secretary claims he displayed a "willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law," and the second that he breached public trust by having "knowingly made false statements, and knowingly obstructed lawful oversight of the Department of Homeland Security."
All indicators point at an outright dismissal, but even if Democrats can't do this, they can also "hold a vote to create a trial committee that would investigate the charges."
Precedents show that party leaders can recommend six senators and a chairperson to run that committee, which would then craft a final report and send it to the senate.
A trial is the last potential path the impeachment could take. In that case senators would be have to go through its extensive duration while the House impeachment managers and lawyers representing Mayorkas make their cases."
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