By STEPHEN GROVES and LISA MASCARO (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Mike Johnson will postpone sending the House’s articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate this week as previously planned, because Republican senators asked for more time on Tuesday to gather support for a full trial.
The sudden change of plans raised new doubts about the proceedings, the first impeachment of a Cabinet secretary in about 150 years. House Republicans impeached Mayorkas in February for his handling of the southern border, but delayed sending the articles while they finished work on government funding legislation.
Johnson had intended to send the impeachment charges to the Senate on Wednesday evening. But when it became clear that Democrats, who control the chamber, had the votes to quickly dismiss them, Senate Republicans asked Johnson to delay until next week, hoping to prolong the process.
While Republicans argued Tuesday that skipping a full Senate trial would break precedent, most Senate Republicans voted to do just that when Donald Trump was impeached a second time on charges he incited an insurrection in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. Their effort to halt the proceedings failed. Trump was ultimately acquitted in the Senate trial.
“Our members want to have an opportunity not only to debate but also to have some votes on issues they want to raise,” said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the second-ranking Republican Senate leader. Under procedural rules, senators are required to convene as jurors the day after the articles of impeachment are transmitted for a trial.
“There is no reason whatsoever for the Senate to abdicate its responsibility to hold an impeachment trial,” Johnson’s spokesman, Taylor Haulsee, said in a statement announcing the delay.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. D-N.Y., who has decried the impeachment push as a “sham,” suggested Democrats still plan to deal with the charges quickly.
“We’re ready to go whenever they are. We are sticking with our plan. We’re going to move this as expeditiously as possible,” Schumer said.
“Impeachment should never be used to settle policy disagreements,” he told reporters earlier Tuesday.
House Republicans accused Mayorkas of not