Cruz: Schumer plans to table Mayorkas impeachment to hide testimony from public
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, tells ‘Hannity’ the Senate leader is trying to protect vulnerable Democrats like Jon Tester and Sherrod Brown.
FIRST ON FOX: Dozens of Republican senators are calling on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. D-N.Y., to make sure a full impeachment trial is held for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
In a letter exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, 43 GOP senators led by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., demanded "that the Senate uphold its constitutional responsibility to properly adjudicate the House of Representatives’ impeachment."
READ MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE FROM FOX NEWS DIGITAL
Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; Roger Marshall, R-Kan.; Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; John Kennedy, R-La.; Mike Lee, R-Utah; and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, expressed concern over Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Democrats potentially tabling the Mayorkas impeachment trial. (Getty Images)
The correspondence comes as Republicans have accused their Democratic colleagues of planning to initiate a motion to table the impeachment trial when it reaches the Senate, effectively killing it.
Schumer’s office did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital.
HANDFUL OF VULNERABLE DEMS WILL DECIDE FATE OF MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
The letter was led by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
The letter was also signed by nearly the entire Republican conference.
The signers included Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky; Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota; Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming; Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee; Ted Budd and Thom Tillis of North Carolina; Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia; Tom Cotton and John Boozman of Arkansas; Mike Crapo and James Risch of Idaho; Steve Daines of Montana; Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska; Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker of Mississippi; Mike Lee of Utah; Mike Rounds of South Dakota; Eric Schmitt and Josh Hawley of Missouri; Dan Sullivan of Alaska; John Kennedy of Louisiana; John Cornyn and Ted Cruz of Texas; Tim Scott of South Carolina; Chuck Grassley of Iowa; Ron Johnson of Wisconsin; Marco Rubio and Rick Scott of Florida; Markwayne Mullin and James Lankford of Oklahoma; Katie Britt of Alabama; Joni Ernst of Iowa; J. Vance of Ohio; Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall of Kansas; John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota; and Todd Young and Mike Braun of Indiana.
GOP PLANS TO GRIND SENATE TO A HALT IF DEMOCRATS TABLE MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
Notable non-signers are Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Susan Collins, R-Maine; and Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who have each criticized the House's effort to impeach Mayorkas. Romney reiterated this week that he didn't see any high crimes or misdemeanors that would warrant the impeachment trial.
GOP SENATORS CONVINCE SPEAKER JOHNSON TO DELAY MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT ARTICLE DELIVERY
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., agreed to deliver the articles of impeachment against Mayorkas to Schumer next week, rather than Wednesday as initially planned. He was convinced to delay the delivery by several GOP senators, who did not want a trial initiated at the end of the week, when senators would be looking to quickly get on flights back to their respective states.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will send the articles to Schumer next week. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
When the articles are brought to the Senate, they will set a certain procedure into motion and all senators will be sworn in by jurors. The concern among Republicans is that Schumer and Senate Democrats will seek to use a procedural maneuver to quickly off-ramp the trial. A motion to table, which could pass with a simple majority of 51-49, would kill hopes of a full trial.
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A group of Senate Republicans are planning to potentially hold up all legislative business in the upper chamber if Schumer doesn't allow a full trial to play out. Given the Senate relies on unanimous consent among members for much of the business conducted, such a protest would make it virtually impossible for anything to get through the body.
While Republicans have made clear they expect Democrats to seek a quick dismissal of the impeachment trial proceedings, Schumer has not indicated the caucus's plans.
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