U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Lindsey Graham, Republican Colleagues Demand Schumer Hold Mayorkas Impeachment Trial

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 12, 2024 — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and 41 of their Republican Senate colleagues yesterday sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) calling on the Senate to fulfill its constitutional duty by holding a trial to consider the impeachment of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

The Senators wrote, “Our brave men and women at Customs and Border Protection have worked tirelessly to make our nation safer, yet with 7.5 million encounters since President Biden took office, our southern border is a national security disaster. 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.”

They continued, “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.”

“Amid an unprecedented national security and humanitarian crisis at the border, it’s imperative that we get answers and accountability for the American people. The Senate should fulfill its constitutional charge and hold a proper trial in full view of the public,” said Senator Britt. “The Biden Administration cannot sweep the devastating consequences of its mass migration agenda under the rug.”

In addition to Senators Britt and Graham, the letter was also signed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.Dak.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Nebr.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.Dak.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kans.), Jerry Moran (R-Kans.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebr.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.Dak.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Thune (R-S.Dak.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.). 

The full text of the letter can be found here. 

This letter comes after Senator Britt this week questioned Secretary Mayorkas at a Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the Biden Administration’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget request for DHS. In her remarks, Senator Britt highlighted the Administration’s proposed 2% cut to DHS’ base budget as compared to FY24 levels, and its failure to make the strategic investments to secure the border and keep Americans safe, despite record-setting numbers of illegal migrants continuing to cross the open southern border.

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