Democrat argues Senate should hold quick trial on Mayorkas

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) argued the Senate should hold a quick trial for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who was impeached by the House on Tuesday evening.

In an interview on NewsNation’s “The Hill” before the vote was taken, Cuellar said the Senate should have the trial “as soon as possible” if Mayorkas was impeached, adding that he would not be convicted there. Mayorkas was impeached by a 214-213 vote Tuesday night, becoming the first Cabinet official to be impeached since the 1870s.

“But nevertheless, I find it very interesting that our Republicans don’t want to do a bargain deal that they were talking about it for so many months, but they still want to impeach the secretary for not doing his job. But again, Congress is not doing its job by passing a border deal,” Cuellar told NewsNation’s Blake Burman.

House Republicans have made impeaching Mayorkas a top priority as they continue to focus on issues at the border. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) doubled down on the vote, saying Mayorkas “deserved to be impeached.”

The articles of impeachment are not expected to advance in the Democratic-led Senate.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the vote moved forward “without a shred of evidence or legitimate Constitutional grounds.” President Biden also slammed the Republicans who voted to impeach Mayorkas.

“History will not look kindly on House Republicans for their blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship that has targeted an honorable public servant in order to play petty political games,” Biden said in a statement after the vote.

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