House Republicans Keep the Heat on Senators to Hold an Impeachment Trial

Katie Pavlich reporting for Townhall 

In February, House Republicans voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for failing to uphold the country's immigration laws and enabling of rampant criminality impacting American communities all across the country -- actions they believe qualify as high crimes and misdemeanors. 

The articles of impeachment are expected to be walked over to the Senate next Wednesday, April 10, for consideration. So far Leader Chuck Schumer, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate leadership have expressed little interest in holding a trial for Mayorkas. 

In an op-ed Thursday, Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee Mark Green is again calling on the Senate to do their duty and hold a trial. 

"Prior to this vote, the House Committee on Homeland Security conducted a nearly year-long investigation into the crisis and produced a compelling body of evidence, rendering the House impeachment vote necessary," Green writes in an op-ed for Fox News. "The seriousness of the charges should compel the Senate to perform its constitutional duty, conduct a full impeachment trial, convict Secretary Mayorkas, and ultimately remove him from office."

Republican Senator Mike Lee and a number of other U.S. Senators have also been pressuring Senate leadership to hold a trial, noting it would be unprecedented to simply ignore the articles of impeachment set over by the House. 

“The Senate failed miserably to ensure our southern border was secured before sending Ukraine billions in American tax dollars,” Lee wrote in a letter to McConnell in February. “We cannot fail to uphold our constitutional duty and conduct an impeachment trial for Secretary Mayorkas, who has ignored his duty to protect our country. Chuck Schumer is trying to sweep this travesty under the rug by violating the constitution and foregoing a trial. Republican leadership cannot stand idly by and let him.”