Schumer plans Mayorkas trial dismissal move while GOP wrestles with debate time offer
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he hopes the Senate will move to dismiss the impeachment trial against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, as Republicans wrestle with whether to sign off on his offer to hold debate and votes Wednesday.
Senate Republicans have not signed off on an agreement to debate the impeachment and hold several key votes, potentially leading to little other than procedural votes and a quick dismissal. One key offer from Schumer: Allowing the GOP to vote on motions to hold a full trial and create a trial committee, key GOP priorities that won't get roll call votes without agreement among all 100 senators.
"There’s still a few objections to that approach. … We’re coming up against the witching hour here. I don’t think we have a clear path forward, I don’t think that proposal’s been signed off on," Senate Minority Whip John Thune said in an interview Wednesday. Without an agreement, "you wouldnt have anything locked in. It would be less structured."
Senators reconvene for the trial at 1 p.m. on Wednesday to be sworn-in as jurors. Whether Republicans accept Schumer's deal at that time is still up in the air, but it is crystal clear Democrats intend to end the impeachment action on Wednesday and move on to keeping a key intelligence authority from expiring Saturday.
“To validate this gross abuse by the House would be a grave mistake and could set a dangerous precedent for the future. For the sake of the Senate’s integrity and to protect impeachment for those rare cases we truly need it, senators should dismiss today’s charges,” Schumer said.