Mayorkas tells senators he never read articles of impeachment against him

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he never read the articles of impeachment seeking to oust him from office — revealing the details a day after the Senate voted to dismiss charges for failing to comply with constitutional requirements.

“I actually haven’t read the articles of impeachment,” Mayorkas said before being interrupted during a conversation with Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah).

“Well, I’d probably like to do that,” Romney retorted, “because it claims you haven’t followed the law of the United States of America, and you or your lawyer should read this to make sure you’re following the law. law.”

The discussion arose over a claim in the articles that asylum seekers were being released into the country en masse, which Mayorkas said was false. Asylum seekers undergo individual screening to determine whether they have a credible fear of persecution, and those who pass this initial assessment are allowed to enter the country to pursue their claim.

Mayorkas also faced some complaints from Republican members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, who were upset that the House’s impeachment request was considered with little discussion of the articles themselves.

That dynamic was secured when Republicans rejected an offer from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) to briefly debate their merits, pushing instead to discuss them more fully.

“The Republican majority of the House voted to impeach him for violating his oath of office. Whether you believe this is right or wrong, this happened,” said Senator Rick Scott (R-Florida).

“Chuck Schumer decided to deny him the ability to defend himself in a trial,” he added.

Scott posited that Schumer was “either acting out of pure political interest” or was “afraid to expose his flaws to such an extent that it would be extremely painful for Democrats to explain to the American public.”

The 20-page articles of impeachment against Mayorkas took an innovative approach, saying he violated immigration law while accusing him of “breach of public trust.”

The case was condemned by Democrats, who said the charges did not meet the standards for high crimes and misdemeanors prescribed by the Constitution, but it also faced conservative criticism. Three House members voted against the measure, saying their colleagues were politicizing political disputes.