Republican lawmakers are criticizing their Democratic counterparts for the expected dismissal of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' impeachment trial.
Several right-wing Senate officials took to the chamber floor on Monday night to call for an immediate and open trial into the impeachment articles against Mayorkas. Sen. Roger Marshall said that a vote to block the impeachment is a vote to keep the borders of the United States open.
Republicans Push for Mayorkas Impeachment Trial
He and Sen. Rick Scott, who also gave a speech, are both Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs members.
The aforementioned vote to block refers to the expected decision of Senate Democrats to use a procedural maneuver to dismiss the trial quickly after being sworn in as jurors on Thursday.
On the other hand, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not yet indicated what Democrats will do. However, several Republicans and Democrats in the chamber have already said that they expect such an exercise to be used to end the trial, according to Fox News.
Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt said that legally speaking, Mayorkas has undermined the laws of the United States, which was his justification for a full trial. Scott also said he does not understand why his Democratic colleagues do not care about the situation.
Read Also: Chicago Mayor Under Fire for Lack of Transparency on Homeless Shelter Spending Amid Migrant Crisis
Sen. John Kennedy, on the other hand, pointed out that the House already spent months developing the articles that were passed against the DHS secretary.
He added that Democrats simply want to ignore the evidence that has been put forward, summarily sweep it under the rug, and just move on.
Marshall also emphasized the historical nature of such a move if Democratic lawmakers choose to use it. He said that in the history of the country, the Senate has never tabled an impeachment trial.
Controversy Around the Migrant Crisis
There is also a group of conservatives who are being led by Sen. Mike Lee, who plans to throw up procedural roadblocks to make it painful for Democrats to get what they want.
They will try to delay the issue and put the spotlight on the left's refusal to conduct a trial against Mayorkas and hold the DHS secretary accountable for what they called his failure to secure the southern border, as per NBC News.
Lee, who is a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, said that Schumer is simply trying to ignore articles of impeachment from the House.
He argued that the U.S. Constitution requires lawmakers to begin trial proceedings, adding that he will be fighting on the Senate floor to ensure that both Mayorkas and the entire Congress are accountable for the migrant crisis.
Republicans are arguing that Mayorkas willfully refused to fully enforce U.S. immigration laws and that he should not have reversed restrictive policies that were put in place by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Additionally, conservatives have contended that the DHS secretary exceeded his authority when he allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter the U.S. through emergency "parole" programs, said Reuters.
Related Article: US Southern Border Sees Boost In Manpower
