For that, Senator Steve Daines, Montana Senator,
National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair,
joins US Chairman, Senator, very good to see you.
The White House is responding to all these developments,
Senators saying that if Republicans actually believe this impeachment was
so urgent for the security of the border,
then they wouldn't have delayed sending it to the Senate
for two months or now delayed it again for another
week lays bare how basis and devoid of substance this
whole PR stunt is. What do you think of that?
Well, it's, I'm not surprised,
first of all, that Chuck Schumer was hoping
those artists will come to the Senate this week on
a Thursday afternoon so they could get buried for the
weekend.
The Democrats don't want to talk about this.
Look, the House has spoken.
It was a year long process of hearings,
a lot of investigation. They voted to push two articles
of impeachment over the United States Senate.
We have a constitutional responsibility.
We are a count of the American people to have
a trial.
We now sit as jurors.
Mayorkas has been impeached. The question is should be removed
from office or not.
That is what the will of the Senate will determine.
So we need to have full accountability.
Take it into full daylight here in front of the
American people.
It's the number one issue,
Neal, for voters across the country.
It's not just a Republican issue.
It's Republicans. Independents and Democrats are seeing this invasion of
the southern border is illegal migrants coming across.
And this is not a immigration debate.
This is a national security debate as we're looking at
the terror threat right now to this country because of
Joe Biden's chaos and open border policies.
But you're quite right to say the immigration issue is
the overarching issue it was in caucuses and primaries one
after the other.
But I don't believe this specific issue of impeaching Mayorkas
was.
Having said that, I do want to get your thoughts
on delaying this delivery of these Mayorkas articles until next
week.
Are you for that? Are you OK with that?
You know, I think it's the right thing to do.
I mean, whether it gets shipped over to us on
Wednesday for a the beginning of the impeachment on Thursday,
literally we'll be sat down in the Senate.
Chamber will be sworn in,
we'll sign a book as jurors.
We sit as a jury for these articles,
impeachment sent to us by the House.
I think it's a good thing.
It's going to come over on Monday.
That way we have the week in front of the
American people to have this deliberation be a very important
vote.
Because Schumer wants to bury this.
He doesn't want to talk about this anymore.
The American people want accountability.
They're exasperated. We see what's going on.
This is a solvable problem,
but Mayorkas should be held accountable for what's happened.
The Senate will will be the the jurors next week.
It'll be in front of the American people,
as it should be. You know,
you touched on the idea that maybe Chuck Schumer doesn't
want to deal with this.
But a lot of your colleague,
Senator, on the Republican side don't seem all too eager
to deal with this.
Do you think they're even,
you know more than, you know,
a couple of dozen of your colleagues who would want
to take this route,
go this route and impeach Mayorkas?
Well, let's be clear, Neil.
He has been impeached. The House has impeached Mayorkas.
Now the question is the trial.
We sit as jurors. So if one of my colleagues
decides that they don't want to convict Mayorkas,
that'll be their choice as AUS Senator.
But I'm sorry, you have to try.
You're quite right, Sir, and I apologize.
But do you feel there are enough votes for conviction
just among your colleagues?
And of course, it's a Democratic run Senate by the
tiniest of margins.
I grant you, but that a lot of those colleagues
don't want to take that extra step
and that a conviction is not in the offing,
even among a good many of your own fellow Republicans.
Well, look, I mean, if if as a jury,
you need to look at the look at the evidence,
as any thoughtful juror would,
it's all I'll. I'll trust the judgement of my colleagues.
But look, the reality is the Democrats control the majority
of the United States Senate.
It's highly likely Schumer will try to dismiss this outright
upfront and never have a trial.
He realizes that this is a political crisis for the
White House and for every single Senate Democrat who supported
President Biden.
These open border policies, these policies that President Trump had
put in place,
that we're working, that Joe Biden reversed and stopped,
this is a solvable problem again.
In a look at the for me as a father
of four now,
a grandfather of six, I'm very concerned about the national
security threat that's presented by this open border.
We have a serious terrorism threat that's occurring as a
result of now nearly 10 million illegals who have come
across the border,
many on the FBI terror watch list.
This is a national security issue.
The American people are exasperated.
They want something done. This is a chance for us
to put this out in full display with a trial
in the United States Senate to show the evidence of
what's been going on with the administration of why we're
at this point in our history.
Senator Danes, thank you for taking the time.
We do appreciate that, Sir.