U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito wants a full impeachment trial for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Capito, R-W.Va., has taken that position this week in a newspaper op-ed, a Senate floor speech and then in a briefing with West Virginia reporters.
“My position is that we should have a full trial. The House voted to impeach him on grounds that were developed in committee and vetted, and the House voted to move forward with the impeachment of a presidential officer of the cabinet,” Capito said at the news briefing. “It’s not unprecedented because it has happened before. What would be unprecedented is if we didn’t hear the case.”
She continued, “We think that Senator Schumer is going to try to short-circuit this, and I think the Democrats are probably going to follow where they just table the motion and we no longer get to hear a full trial.”
Capito was among the Republicans signing a letter urging Schumer, D-N.Y., to have the trial.
The Republican majority in the House of Representatives is preparing to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate next week.
The House majority voted two months ago by a one vote margin, 214-213, to impeach Mayorkas — the first time in nearly 150 years that a Cabinet secretary has been impeached.
The two articles charge that Mayorkas has “willfully and systematically” refused to enforce existing immigration laws and breached the public trust by lying to Congress and saying the border was secure.
Two-thirds of the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, would have to vote to convict him.
Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has suggested the charges are flimsy and that his colleagues should dispatch the impeachment process quickly.
“That’s ridiculous,” Manchin said this week on MetroNews’ “Talkline. “If you’re unhappy and you want to get rid of Mayorkas then you’re going to vote against Joe Biden.” Saying Biden, the president, is the ultimate authority on border policy, Manchin said “Mayorkas has done his job.”