Senate aides anticipate that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will promptly dismiss the impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas following their presentation by the House impeachment managers next week.
Schumer will likely schedule a vote on a motion to dismiss or table the charges, possibly referring the matter to a special evidentiary committee. However, Senate Democrats are concerned that this could inadvertently validate the charges, which Schumer has criticized as baseless.
Given the lack of substantial evidence and the perceived charges as weak, Mayorkas’s impeachment proceedings are not expected to occupy much time on the Senate floor. A motion to dismiss or table the charges would require only a simple majority to pass, with Democrats currently holding a slight advantage.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (Credits: The Hill)
Several Republican senators, including Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Mitt Romney, have doubts about the case’s strength against Mayorkas. They have suggested that any policy differences lie with the president rather than Mayorkas, who simply implements administration policies.
Schumer has echoed these sentiments, asserting that there is no evidence of impeachable conduct by Mayorkas. Some Democratic senators, such as Laphonza Butler and Joe Manchin, have called for the swift dismissal of the charges to focus on more pressing matters.
Schumer’s office has indicated that the impeachment proceedings are expected to last at least two days, with senators being sworn in as jurors the day after the House managers present the articles of impeachment.
Chuck Schumer (Credits: New York Daily News)
While Speaker Mike Johnson and the House impeachment managers have urged Schumer to conduct a full trial, removing Mayorkas from office would require a two-thirds vote of the Senate.
Senate Republican Whip John Thune has urged Schumer to allow ample time for House GOP prosecutors to present their arguments. However, Schumer may dismiss the charges or refer the matter to a special committee for further review.
In reference to past impeachment cases, such as Judge Thomas Porteous’s in 2010, where there was substantial evidence, the charges against Mayorkas are perceived as weak, leading to expectations of a swift resolution.
