The impeachment trial of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is
set to begin on Tuesday,
two months after he was impeached.
The question is, will there be a full trial with
a presentation of evidence?
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not tipped his hand
as to what he'll do.
He's only said he wants it done quickly.
We want to address this issue as expeditiously as possible.
And as I said yesterday,
impeachment should never be used to settle policy disagreements.
That sets an awful precedent.
Sources say Senator Schumer is likely to make a motion
to table the articles and trial that would bring it
to a swift end.
It would also prevent the House impeachment managers from presenting
their evidence.
43 Republican senators wrote a letter to Schumer demanding a
full trial take place.
They wrote. In every previous congressional impeachment of the past
227 years, Congress has been faithful to the process set
out by the framers.
Never before has the Senate abandoned this duty,
even when certain members believe the basis for impeachment was
tenuous at best.
He does not want to allow the House managers to
present the evidence
of Alejandro Mayorkas and this
Administration's willful decision to aid and abet this criminal invasion
of this country.
The Constitution and these 26 rules that date back to
1868 layout exactly how Senate trials are to be run
step by step.
The trial begins at precisely 1:00 the day after the
articles are delivered,
and each senator is required to take a special oath.
There's a lot of pomp and circumstance.
As an example, the Senate Sergeant at Arms will begin
by stating all persons are commanded to keep silence on
pain of imprisonment,
while the House of Representatives is exhibiting to the Senate
of the United States articles of impeachment against Alejandro Mayorkas.
The document lays out how evidence should be presented and
provides rights for the accused.
It also states in part that the Senate proceed to
the consideration of such articles and shall continue in session
from day-to-day after the trial shall commence,
unless otherwise ordered by the Senate,
until final judgement shall be rendered.
Those 6 words, unless otherwise ordered by the Senate,
are what would allow for the articles to be tabled
with a simple majority vote.
Every Democrat is expected to support a motion to table.
Some Republicans could join them.
Republican Senators Romney, Collins, Murkowski,
Cassidy, Tuberville and Paul declined to sign on to the
letter to Schumer calling for a full trial.
Senator Tuberville has previously called the impeachment a quote waste
of time,
and Senator Romney said of
Mayorkas's border enforcement. It's the wrong policy.
It has a huge damaging effect on the country,
but it's not a high crime or misdemeanor
straight from DC. I'm Ray Bogan.