Mayorkas impeachment proceedings pushed to next week
House Speaker Mike Johnson's office said Tuesday that it will delay the transmission of articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Month: April 2024
Republican senator slams ‘unserious’ efforts by Congress to hold Biden, COVID authorities accountable
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., lambasted Congress on Tuesday for "out of control" federal spending and "unserious" efforts to hold the government accountable.
Johnson, the ranking member on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, spoke at the Heritage Foundation's "Weaponization of U.S. Government Symposium" in the morning, where he discussed his investigations into the COVID-19 pandemic response and great difficulty conducting oversight of the Biden administration.
The problem with Congress, Johnson argued, is that members have voted to grow the government without conducting proper oversight of waste, fraud and abuse. He observed that federal spending is on track to be $6.9 trillion this year while the budget for his investigative committee was cut.
GOP SENATORS DEMAND DOJ, FBI PROMISE NOT TO RETALIATE AGAINST BIDEN WHISTLEBLOWERS
"I got my funding cut when I became ranking member, okay. Do you know how many staff members we have to do oversight over millions of government employees? We've got five. That's how unserious Congress is about oversight," Johnson complained.
The Wisconsin Republican has led the charge in the Senate to investigate the origins of COVID. He has also accused the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of coordinating with social media companies to censor COVID vaccine skeptics — although critics have accused Johnson of peddling anti-vaccine misinformation. Johnson is also a leading Senate Republican probing corruption allegations surrounding President Biden's involvement with his son Hunter Biden's business dealings.
BIDEN-APPOINTED JUDGE TORCHES DOJ FOR DEFYING SUBPOENAS AFTER PROSECUTING TRUMP ADVISOR
But on Tuesday, Johnson warned that the federal government has grown "out of control" to the point where Congress cannot perform oversight and accountability.
"Administrations, both Republican, Democrat, give us the middle finger," Johnson said. "They don't respond. Yeah, so they are completely unaccountable to the American public through your elected representatives. And that's been going on for decades. So they are completely immune from oversight investigation."
Republicans involved with the Hunter Biden investigation have claimed the White House is stonewalling investigators by withholding evidence and preventing Justice Department witnesses from testifying. Hardline conservatives have advocated for Congress to use the power of the purse to leverage the Biden administration into cooperation by withholding agency funding — but most lawmakers are opposed to that strategy, which would likely result in a partial government shutdown.
Johnson said that his colleagues are "not really contemplating all this government they're voting for, all this spending."
"Again, to me, the problem is a massive federal government that has gone so far outside the constraints of the Constitution. Government is doing things that our Founding Fathers never contemplated," Johnson said.
House speaker delays doomed-to-fail impeachment trial
House Speaker Mike Johnson had a plan. He had planned to finally—finally—send the articles of impeachment for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate this week, even though the impeachment, as he well knows, is dead on arrival because even Republican senators can’t get it up to convict.
But now, according to The Hill, Johnson has a new plan. And the new plan is to keep waiting.
“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,” a Johnson spokesperson said.
What difference could one week make? Probably none. There is so little enthusiasm for this ridiculous Republican stunt to try to embarrass the Biden administration that Johnson couldn’t even get the impeachment through the House the first time he tried. Despite his efforts, he managed to embarrass only himself.
Johnson tried again a week later and just barely pulled it off, but he and his fellow Republicans have been sitting on their impeachment since February waiting for … well, it isn’t entirely clear what they’ve been waiting for.
Several of their colleagues in the Senate have made it pretty clear that they couldn’t care less about this impeachment. So much so that some have suggested they might even help Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer dismiss the whole thing without a trial.
Because while the Republicans in the House have convinced themselves that Mayorkas did very bad things like supporting President Joe Biden’s policies, Republicans in the Senate are willing to admit that’s not an actual crime.
“If there is a policy difference, it’s with the president,” Mitt Romney said, “not the secretary that reports to him.”
And in case that isn’t clear enough, Romney told Axios he doesn't "think the constitutional standard of high crime and misdemeanor has been met."
Even Romney’s fellow Utahn Mike Lee, who apparently made the request to postpone, doesn’t sound all that jazzed about the impeachment trial.
He said he was “very grateful” that Johnson was willing to delay the impeachment process yet another week, under the theory that if the Senate gets the paperwork earlier in the week, it will somehow change senators’ hearts and minds and make them more eager to carry out this charade.
“It’s much better for us to do this at the beginning of a legislative week rather than toward the end of one and I thank him for doing that,” Lee said.
Okay, sure. Just wait a little bit longer and the Senate will come around. But perhaps, just to be safe, Johnson should give it another week after that. And another week after that. And another week ….
Campaign ActionSpeaker Johnson will delay sending Mayorkas impeachment to Senate as Republicans push to hold trial
Republican senators requested more time Tuesday to build a case for a full trial. The sudden change of plans cast fresh doubts on the proceedings, the historic first impeachment of a Cabinet secretary in roughly 150 years.
Speaker Johnson will delay sending Mayorkas impeachment to Senate as Republicans push to hold trial
GOP senators convince Speaker Johnson to delay Mayorkas impeachment article delivery
Republican senators were able to convince House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to delay the delivery of two impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, citing concerns that Senate Democrats will look to quickly dismiss them once a trial begins in the upper chamber.
"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. There is no reason whatsoever for the Senate to abdicate its responsibility to hold an impeachment trial," a spokesperson for Johnson told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.
At least 10 Republican senators said they were actively pressuring the speaker to delay delivering the articles in order to prevent Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the Democratic caucus from tabling the trial ahead of the weekend and sending senators home shortly after, a source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital.
Schumer told senators in a dear colleague letter last week that proceedings would begin Thursday per procedure once the articles are delivered on Wednesday as expected. Johnson had indicated the delivery date in a letter previously sent to Schumer.
READ MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE FROM FOX NEWS DIGITAL
The GOP senators discussed their attempts to persuade Johnson during a lunch held at the National Republican Senatorial Committee's headquarters on Tuesday, the source said. Two of the senators actively working to convince the speaker to hold off on delivery are Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., their offices confirmed.
The benefit of a delay for the Republicans, according to the source, is allowing the articles of impeachment against Mayorkas more time for debate without the pressure of the approaching weekend.
"We have a chance to talk about the issue," Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., explained the delay's effect.
"Thursday afternoon senators rush to the airport and fly to get out of here. Schumer wants it on a Thursday afternoon because he wants no coverage," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, added at a Tuesday GOP press conference on the status of the impeachment trial.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., the lead impeachment manager, emerged from Johnson’s office moments after the announcement and told reporters, "We were ready to go tomorrow."
Green said he had not heard from Senate Republicans regarding the delay, but that he would support House GOP leaders’ decision.
He would not say if he spoke with Johnson before the delay was made public, telling Fox News Digital, "We had a phone conversation, the contents of which will remain between the speaker and I."
Another impeachment manager, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital he was not surprised by the news because he had been in contact with some of the Senate Republicans pushing for the delay. He said, "I had been talking with some of my Republican friends in the Senate. And so I was not really surprised."
At the Tuesday lunch, GOP senators also discussed their hope to turn up the pressure on their Democratic colleagues, the source added, with numerous senators offering their approval of a plan to halt all legislative business if Democrats tabled the Mayorkas trial. This would include Republicans refusing to provide a quorum or vote, among other measures.
HOUSE TO CLEAR MAJOR ROADBLOCK ON DATA PRIVACY AMID SHOWDOWN OVER FEDERAL SURVEILLANCE POWERS
GOP senators have reiterated that tabling the trial would be "historic" as such an event hadn't occurred without the impeached official having left office first.
ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS SHUT DOWN SENATE CAFETERIA, AROUND 50 ARRESTED
"This is our job," Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., stressed during the press conference Tuesday.
Several Senate Republicans slammed Schumer over their expectation that he would look to quickly off ramp the trial. However, Schumer has not suggested what Democrats will do.
Democratic senators have previously indicated to Fox News Digital that they believe their caucus will seek such a strategic procedural maneuver.
"They are nuking a provision of the Constitution," Lee said during a Republican press conference on Tuesday.
The Utah Republican additionally told reporters, "I’m grateful to Speaker Johnson for his bold willingness to delay this."
"He does not want Senate Democrats, especially those on the ballot in November, to vote guilty or not guilty," Cruz said.
Schumer did not provide comment to Fox News Digital.
House Republicans delay sending Mayorkas impeachment articles to Senate
House Republicans were expected to transmit the impeachment articles against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate Wednesday.
Fox News Politics: Pro-life punt
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail.
What's happening?
- Lone Star Republican urges New York law enforcement to come to Texas
- McConnell brands himself a ‘Reagan Republican’ in pursuing Ukrainian aid
- Child sex predators could face the death penalty under proposed bill
Former President Trump disappointed the strongest pro-life voices on the right with his Monday statement that abortion restrictions should be left up to the states. Trump's former vice president, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, both strongly disagreed with the presumptive GOP nominee's stance.
But despite declining to commit to supporting a 15-week federal abortion ban, pro-life activists still appear to view Trump as their best bet in November.
"The reality of a stark choice between President Biden who supports abortion: any number, any reason, up until birth, all paid for by the taxpayer and President Trump: who gave us three Constitutionalist justices, 220 lower court judges, appointees who support life and the overturn of Roe v. Wade has my endorsement and support in November for President," said Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America (CWA), who said she "favors federal limits on abortion."
Trump told Fox News' Howard Kurtz that the states should decide what limits (if any) to place on abortion — but he also did not deny reports suggesting that he would consider protecting life after 16-weeks of pregnancy.
COURT RULES: Arizona Supreme Court upholds abortion ban …Read more
'BLIND EYE': NPR editor blasts outlet's coverage of Hunter Biden, Russiagate …Read more
REFUSING TO BEND: Special Counsel Jack Smith urges Supreme Court to reject Trump immunity claims …Read more
LEGACY-BUILDING: McConnell brands himself 'Reagan Republican' as he hinges legacy on Ukraine aid …Read more
BLINK AND MISS IT: Why Mayorkas's impeachment may be over in a flash …Read more
'CAN'T REHABILITATE A PREDATOR': Child sex offenders could face death penalty, life in prison under new bill …Read more
MITCH'S MONEY: McConnell-aligned groups shatter election year fundraising record in pursuit of Senate majority …Read more
'ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK': Lone Star rep urges NY's finest to flee anti-cop pols, head to Texas …Read more
TRUMP DENIED: Appeals court judge says no to former president's request to delay hush money trial …Read more
'CENSORSHIP': Major library association worries banning sexually explicit books for children harms LGBTQ people …Read more
'FORGET THE BORDER': Maryland Dem claims border crisis is a GOP 'talking point,' calls for more immigration …Read more
A BRIDGE TOO FAR: Dems mum as group calls for renaming 'racist' river crossing …Read more
LIST OF DEMANDS: Anti-Israel protesters at Hillary Clinton's alma mater called for her to use 'power and influence' …Read more
'DIDN'T CHARGE ENOUGH': Billionaire who helped Trump with $175M bond speaks out: report …Read more
'PRONOUN RITUALS': Conservative groups sue Colorado Democrats for allegedly violating First Amendment …Read more
GREAT COVID COVER-UP: Shocking truth about Wuhan coronavirus research and 15 federal agencies …Read more
APOLITICAL CHURCH: Vatican document shows 'how stupid it is' to think of Christianity as 'left' or 'right': Bishop Barron …Read more
Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Schumer vows to crush Mayorkas impeachment trial
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer on Tuesday promised to quash the impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas "as quickly as possible."
Republicans take to floor to slam Dems for expected dismissal of Mayorkas trial
Several Senate Republicans took to the chamber floor on Monday night to call for an immediate and open trial into the impeachment articles passed against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
"Make no mistake about it: a vote to block the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas is a vote to keep our borders open," Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said in floor remarks. Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., John Kennedy, R-La., John Cornyn, R-Texas, Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Mike Braun, R-Ind., also made speeches on the expected Democratic motion to table the impeachment trial.
READ MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE FROM FOX NEWS DIGITAL
Marshall and Scott are members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
The vote to "block" mentioned by Marshall is in reference to the expectation that Senate Democrats will look to use a procedural maneuver to quickly dismiss the trial after being sworn in as jurors on Thursday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has not made any indication that this will be done, but several Republicans and Democrats in the chamber have said they expect such an exercise to be used to end the trial.
BIDEN'S NEW STUDENT LOAN HANDOUT FACES BIPARTISAN SKEPTICISM IN CONGRESS
"Legally speaking [Mayorkas] has undermined the laws of the United States," alleged Schmitt, justifying the necessity of a full trial.
In his own remarks, Scott said, "I do not understand why my Democratic colleagues don't care."
PENCE WORRIES TIKTOK BILL COULD GET LOST IN 'FOG OF PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS,’ URGES SENATE VOTE
Kennedy pointed out that the House spent months developing the articles that were passed against Mayorkas and "They just want to ignore the House's evidence, summarily sweep it under the rug and move on."
Marshall emphasized the historical nature of such a move, if Democrats choose to employ it. "In our nation's history, the Senate has never tabled an impeachment trial," Marshall said.
GOP SENATOR HIGHLIGHTS SECURITY THREAT IN BORDER PATROL'S WEAKENED DRUG USE STANDARDS
In a dear colleague letter to senators last week, Schumer acknowledged that House impeachment managers are expected to deliver two articles of impeachment for Mayorkas to the leader. He advised senators that attendance is "essential" during the week, as each of them will be sworn in as jurors on Thursday, with Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray, D-Wash., presiding.
The White House counsel sent a memo out on Monday, highlighting comments made by Republican senators about the Mayorkas impeachment effort prior to its passage in the House. Several of the Republican examples pointed to by the White House have since changed their position, voicing support for a trial.