House impeaches Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for ‘willful, systemic refusal’ to follow fed law, ‘secure’ US-Mexico border:
House Republicans impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday, reversing their failed vote on the extraordinary move a week ago — and setting up a showdown in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
The House voted 214-213 to pass two articles of impeachment against President Biden’s chief border enforcement officer on charges of “willful and systemic refusal to comply” with federal immigration law and lying to Congress about the border being “secure.”
Mayorkas, 64, is only the second Cabinet official to be impeached after Secretary of War William Belknap, who resigned in 1876 from President Ulysses S. Grant’s administration hours before the House formally charged him with corruption.
Belknap was later acquitted by the Senate — an outcome also likely for Mayorkas given that politically vulnerable Senate Democrats such as Jon Tester of Montana have dismissed the House’s impeachment push as “political games.”
But some Republicans in the Senate — which puts individuals on trial if they are impeached, or charged, by the House — are vowing to make the case for removal nonetheless.
“There will absolutely be many who believe his case merits removal from office and will vote accordingly,” a Senate GOP aide told The Post. “Since Democrats control the chamber, however, it’s basically certain that the vote will fail — if [Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer [D-NY] allows it to happen in the first place.”
“There has never in American history been an impeachment where the Senate has refused to vote on the matter,” the aide added. “If Schumer kills it procedurally, without a vote, it would be unprecedented.”
In a statement following the vote, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Mia Ehrenberg responded that “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.” --->READ MORE HERE
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The only cabinet member prior to Mayorkas was Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876
The House has now impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Think of impeachment as an indictment. It’s up to the Senate to act as a "court" and judge whether the accused is guilty of the charges in a trial.
The impeachment of cabinet officials is rare. The House has now impeached multiple Presidents and federal judges. But only one cabinet secretary prior to Mayorkas. That was Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876.
Don’t expect anything to start until late February or early March. The House will send the articles of impeachment plus the House "managers" over to the Senate to formally begin the trial.
"Impeachment managers" are House members who serve as prosecutors. They present the findings of the House before the Senate. Senators sit as jurors.
There is a bit of a ceremony to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate from the House and for the Senate to receive the articles. In this case, Acting Clerk of the House Kevin McCumber and House Sergeant at Arms William McFarland escort the articles of impeachment and House managers across the Capitol Rotunda to the Senate. The Senate gathers, usually with all senators sitting at their desks. Senate Sergeant at Arms Karen Gibson then receives the House entourage at the Senate door and reads the following proclamation to the Senate.
"All persons are commanded to keep silence, on pain of imprisonment, while the House of Representatives is exhibiting to the Senate of the United States articles of impeachment against Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas."
The articles are then presented to the Senate and the managers are introduced. That is all they usually do on the first day of a Senate trial– although FOX was told the Senate might try to squeeze everything into one day.
Under Senate impeachment trial rule III, the body is supposed to wait until the next day to swear-in senators as jurors. But FOX is told that could happen on day one in this instance.
According to Senate rules, the trial must begin the day after the Senate receives the articles at 1 pm in the afternoon. Trials are supposed to run Monday through Saturday. We had Saturday sessions in both impeachment trials of former President Trump in 2020 and 2021. --->READ MORE HERE
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