The longstanding traditions of the upper chamber of Congress may be disregarded by New York’s senior congressional lawmaker, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who is expected to block the impeachment trial of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. This move is speculated to be driven by fears that it could harm President Joe Biden’s chances of re-election and lead to Democrats losing control of the Senate. Republican lawmakers expressed their concerns during a fiery news conference, highlighting the potential consequences of tabling the impeachment articles and the need to uphold Senate customs and rules. Additionally, they criticized Sen. Schumer for playing politics and prioritizing political expediency over the duty to hold a fair trial. The Republicans also pointed out the importance of standing up against such actions to protect Senate traditions and constitutional provisions. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) agreed to delay informing the Senate of the impeachment articles against Mr. Mayorkas to allow for further deliberation on the matter. If a simple majority of senators present for the trial approves at least one of the points of order, the process will proceed.
According to Senate rules, once the counts are received by the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms and read aloud in the Senate chamber, senators must convene to be sworn in as jurors. They must also agree on procedural matters before beginning to hear evidence from the 11 House impeachment managers and an equal number of Mayorkas defenders.
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