House GOP starts Mayorkas impeachment clock

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced the impeachment articles will be sent to the Senate on April 10

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

What happened

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced Thursday that his caucus will deliver two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate on April 10, following the razor-thin vote to impeach Mayorkas in February.

Who said what

Johnson said House Republicans and the "American people" agree Mayorkas deserves impeachment for the "historic crisis" at the U.S.-Mexico border. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the impeachment effort a "new low" for House Republicans, who "failed to produce any evidence that Secretary Mayorkas has committed any crime."

The commentary

There is "little doubt" the Democrat-controlled Senate will side with Mayorkas, The New York Times said. Johnson demanded a full Senate trial, but Schumer has suggested "Democrats will move to scuttle" the case, ABC News said. Some Senate Republicans have also "expressed doubts that Mayorkas' actions rise to the 'high crimes and misdemeanors' standard" for impeachment, NPR said.

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What next?

Schumer said senators will be sworn in as impeachment jurors April 11.

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.