Why the House delayed sending Mayorkas impeachment articles to the Senate to begin trial

Only successful Congress tin you beryllium precocious and early astatine nan aforesaid time. 

First, location was disapproval that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., didn’t push sending nan articles of impeachment for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas aft nan House voted to impeach him successful February.

The statement was that nan Senate wasn’t fresh yet. Plus some chambers wanted to make judge they waded done 2 sets of spending bills to debar partial authorities shutdowns. 

Then, a conjugation of Senate conservatives began haranguing Johnson to hold sending nan articles complete to nan Senate. This came astir 2 weeks aft Johnson announced nan House would nonstop nan articles to nan Senate by April 10.

Here’s nan connection from Johnson’s agency sent connected March 8: "On April 10th, nan House will nonstop nan Senate our duly passed articles of impeachment against Secretary Mayorkas. If he cares astir nan Constitution and ending nan devastation caused by Biden’s separator catastrophe, Senator Schumer will quickly schedule a afloat nationalist proceedings and perceive nan arguments put distant by our impeachment managers."

Speaker Mike Johnson said he's having impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas sent to nan Senate connected April 10 (Getty Images)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., past announced that nan enclosure would swear-in senators arsenic jurors connected Thursday, April 11. It was intimated that Schumer would past move to disregard nan articles — if he had nan votes. Thus, if Schumer teed up a ballot to disregard aliases array nan articles, nan Democrats could short-circuit nan proceedings by precocious Thursday afternoon. There would beryllium nary general position of nan articles of impeachment by nan House "managers" (prosecutors). And nan Senate would ne'er beforehand to an existent up/down vote, rendering judgement for Mayorkas

But arsenic FOX News' Aishah Hasnie scooped connected Tuesday, Senate Republicans were demanding that Johnson propulsion connected nan brakes — moreover though nan scheme was group successful chromatic days ago. 

Fox contacted aggregate House impeachment managers arsenic to if they knew what was happening. All 3 had not heard of a delay. In fact, connected 1 matter message, 1 head mistakenly responded to yours truly, asking personification successful activity if what Fox was reporting was true.

Even though Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is 1 of nan impeachment managers, she learned of nan hold from FOX's reporting.

"The past point I heard, and I’m an impeachment manager, and those articles of impeachment person my sanction connected them. I person not been told that we whitethorn beryllium holding them now. You’re nan 1 that told maine that. So apparently you’re getting nan news quicker than I am," Greene said Tuesday afternoon.

THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO MAYORKAS' IMPEACHMENT TRIAL

Aides to Johnson appeared to beryllium trying to get clarity arsenic well. At first, 1 adjutant said they had not heard that. Later, nan adjutant told FOX location were conversations. Then FOX was told nan aides wouldn’t push backmost connected reporting that they were holding nan articles until adjacent week. Then a connection came from Johnson’s office. 

"To guarantee nan Senate has capable clip to execute its law duty, nan House will transmit nan articles of impeachment to nan Senate adjacent week. There is nary logic whatsoever for nan Senate to abdicate its work to clasp an impeachment trial," said Johnson a spokesman.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell pressured Johnson connected Ukraine astatine nan White House, Schumer said

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., besides didn’t look to beryllium dialed-in erstwhile asked astir a imaginable hold successful initiating nan impeachment trial.

You’ll find much whiplash connected Capitol Hill than astatine a chiropractic clinic. But what governmental intent does nan backmost and distant serve? Who benefits? The result will apt beryllium nan aforesaid successful nan end.

And Johnson bowing astatine a moment’s announcement to Senate conservatives who asked for a hold — apparently going complete nan caput of McConnell — demonstrates 3 things. First, Senate conservatives were precocious to nan array to push this. They knew nan commencement of nan proceedings since precocious March. This was apt an thought they only engineered successful nan past fewer days. Secondly, this reflects McConnell losing crushed to conservatives successful his conference. That inclination has been ongoing for immoderate clip now. It’s why McConnell moreover declared he could publication nan room politically erstwhile he announced complete nan wintertime he would measurement speech arsenic Republican Leader astatine nan extremity of nan Congress. Finally, this section besides underscores concerns immoderate Republicans person astir Johnson. They uncertainty that he’s genuinely successful complaint — moreover if they work together pinch nan eventual decision. 

"That is simply a nonaccomplishment of leadership. Real leaders do not lead their members wherever they’re blind," said Greene. "Any smart personification watching this broadcast correct now knows that successful person a scheme and they’re capable to execute it. Leaders person a scheme and they lead their members. This is simply a complete nonaccomplishment of Mike Johnson." 

Thus, Republicans people a fewer much days to talk astir nan impeachment of Mayorkas and really nan Senate is apt to short circuit nan trial. This earns a fewer much news cycles and immoderate conversations connected nan Sunday shows — particularly if nan articles caput complete connected Monday.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks connected Capitol Hill, connected Wednesday, April 10. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

Republicans are besides capable to propound their talking points that Schumer would group "a unspeakable precedent" by ending nan proceedings quickly and curating nan communicative that Democrats "aren’t serious" astir separator information aliases are giving a tacit endorsement to Mayorkas. The GOP besides thought location mightiness beryllium immoderate attendance problems for nan ballot to dismiss. By rule, nan proceedings cannot statesman until 1 p.m. So if nan Senate was going to formally commencement nan proceedings portion of nan accumulation connected Thursday afternoon, nan Senate whitethorn person quickly dismissed nan articles and senators would person near nan Capitol for nan weekend. This retooled script maximizes attraction connected nan impeachment articles by buying much time.

That said, location is different rumor afoot: FISA Section 702 and assistance to Ukraine. We’ll commencement by noting that galore arch-conservatives reason renewing FISA and location are disagreements astir reforms. Moreover, immoderate connected nan correct are besides opposed to assisting Ukraine.

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE'S RED LINE ON SPEAKER JOHNSON

It’s imaginable that efforts to renew nan overseas surveillance programme (known arsenic FISA Section 702) could rustle up connected nan House floor. That would compel nan Senate to pivot to a short-term reauthorization of nan program. The Senate would past walk nan scheme on to nan House.

But here’s nan different issue: There is still nary actual strategy to tackle assistance to Ukraine successful nan House. Floor clip is astatine a premium. Dragging retired impeachment takes attraction disconnected nan House arsenic it struggles to woody pinch Ukraine. The first gameplan was for nan House to do a Ukraine assistance measure adjacent week — 1 which differs from nan Senate passed bill. It’s still unclear if nan House tin moreover walk a Ukraine bill. But nan Senate will apt judge immoderate nan House tin negociate connected Ukraine. Therefore, punting nan impeachment proceedings into adjacent week alternatively than clearing nan decks this week puts a compression connected nan Senate. Especially if nan House is capable to o.k. a DIFFERENT Ukraine bill. That could make it challenging for nan Senate to align pinch a imaginable House bill. 

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Thus, delaying nan impeachment proceedings until adjacent week serves respective goals of conservatives. And stretching it retired maintains nan spotlight connected Mayorkas and nan border: a cardinal tenet of nan GOP’s governmental schedule for fall.