Quick Hit: 

House Speaker Mike Johnson is set to formally hand over the impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate next month. Johnson has urged Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to hold a trial "expeditiously."

Key Details: 

• House Speaker Mike Johnson has informed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that the impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will be sent to the Senate on April 10, 2024.
• The House impeached Mayorkas last month on two counts, accusing him of failing to comply with and enforce existing law, along with a breach of public trust.
• Once the articles are formally handed off, the Senate must act on them swiftly. Senate Republicans have called for Schumer to go through with the proceedings.

Diving Deeper: 

Johnson, in his letter to Schumer, stated that the constitutional grounds for Secretary Mayorkas' conviction and removal from office are well-founded. He accused Mayorkas of repeatedly lying to Congress and the American people about the scope of the crisis and his role in it. Johnson also blamed Mayorkas' unlawful actions for the historic crisis that has devastated communities throughout the country.

Senate Majority Leader Schumer has not yet indicated his course of action, but his public criticism of the impeachment effort suggests he might move to dismiss the trial. A simple 51-vote majority would be needed for that to occur. However, Senate Republicans have urged Schumer to conduct an impeachment trial of Secretary Mayorkas and examine the full extent of this crisis in front of the American people.

The impeachment of Mayorkas last month over his handling of the U.S. southern border marked the first time since 1876 that a cabinet secretary had been impeached. The delay in sending the articles over to the Senate was due to intense negotiations over how to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year 2024.