Lafayette Reporter

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) and more than 40 Republican colleagues are urging Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to ensure a thorough and impartial impeachment trial regarding Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The call for a fair trial comes after Senate Democrats blocked a resolution introduced by Kennedy to provide the necessary procedural tools for the trial.

"Encounters in fiscal year 2023 increased a startling 440% over fiscal year 2020. The border crisis under Secretary Mayorkas has become a nightmare for the American people," Kennedy stated, highlighting the urgency of addressing the situation at the southern border.

The senators emphasized the importance of upholding constitutional duties, stating, "The House of Representatives has considered this evidence and impeached Secretary Mayorkas. Our constitutional duty requires the Senate to hold a trial. In every previous congressional impeachment of the past 227 years, Congress has been faithful to the process set out by the framers . . . Never before has the Senate abandoned this duty, even when certain members believed the basis for impeachment was tenuous at best."

Furthermore, the senators expressed that given the ongoing challenges at the southern border and in communities across the nation, it is imperative for the Senate to conduct a trial to address the accusations against Mayorkas. "In the face of the disaster that mounts daily at our southern border, and in communities across America, the House of Representatives has formally accused Alejandro Mayorkas of demeaning his office. The American people deserve to hear the evidence through a Senate trial in the Court of Impeachment," they concluded.

The full text of the letter can be accessed for further details.