The House of Representatives is preparing to transfer articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate on Tuesday afternoon. This move comes right after Mayorkas is scheduled to testify at a GOP-led hearing on Capitol Hill.
House Speaker Mike Johnson's office has confirmed that House impeachment managers will walk the two House-passed articles to the Senate around 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Earlier that same day, Mayorkas is expected to appear before the House Homeland Security Committee to discuss President Biden's fiscal year 2024 request for the Department of Homeland Security.
Eight of the 11 impeachment managers appointed by Johnson are members of the House Homeland Security Committee, including Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn.
The ceremonial trip to transfer the articles was initially planned for last Wednesday but was delayed at the request of GOP senators who wanted more time to build their case. In February, the House passed two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas in a narrow 214-213 vote. These articles were related to GOP concerns over the handling of the border crisis by Mayorkas and President Biden.
One article accused Mayorkas of refusing to comply with federal immigration laws, while the other accused him of violating public trust. Reports indicate that approximately 7.2 million people have crossed the border illegally since Biden assumed office, a number larger than the populations of 36 individual states.
The last time a Cabinet secretary was impeached by the U.S. Congress was in 1876. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has criticized the House GOP's impeachment efforts but has pledged to move forward promptly. Despite concerns from Republicans in both the House and Senate that Schumer may seek to dismiss the case quickly without a trial, Schumer has reiterated his commitment to handling the matter expeditiously.
