United States – A House spokesperson told the press today that the U.S. House of Representatives, controlled by the Republicans, will postpone for one week the sending of the impeachment charges against President Joe Biden’s top border security official to the Democrats-controlled Senate until next week.
Impeachment Over Alleged Border Security Failures
For Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security the House impeached him for the first time in February, the second attempt being successful on a 214-213 vote. One of the key campaign issues for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has been the Biden administration’s border security performance when the number of arrivals have surged at the southern border of the U.S. with Mexico, as reported by Reuters.
In the House, Mayorkas has been accused of not enforcing U.S. immigration laws, and she contradicted herself before Congress, charges he rejects.
“To ensure the Senate has adequate time to perform its constitutional duty, the House will transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate next week,” said Taylor Haulsee, a spokesperson for House Speaker Mike Johnson, in a statement.
Impeachment Proceedings
Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer told reporters: “We’re ready to go whenever they (Republicans) are. We are sticking with our plan. We’re going to move this as expeditiously as possible.”
Several senators and aides felt that they would see Schumer weave either way a quick overruling or other procedural moves.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz flatly noted to the reporters that the swift release would considerably mean that “Schumer is deciding that the Senate no longer has to try impeachments but instead can hide behind procedural games.”
In 2021, Cruz and the other 44 Republicans in the Senate were allowed to vote on the cancelation of Trump’s second impeachment, as reported by Reuters.
Political Divide Over Impeachment
The impeachment of Mayorkas is an attempt by a House to revisit the non-concrete impeachment of Biden. Most Democrats that I know interpret it as the president’s getting even for Trump’s two impeachments, which were conducted by the then Democratic very controlled House. The Senate indicted Trump during his two proceedings.