House Republicans are facing a dilemma after approving impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, knowing that the charges are doomed in the Senate. The question they are grappling with is how to take a political loss in the least embarrassing way.
It has been nearly a month since House Republicans impeached Mr. Mayorkas by a single vote, only to see their majority support wiped away by a special election in Long Island. Instead of sending the articles to the Senate immediately, Republicans have held onto them, knowing that the case will collapse swiftly in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Senate Democrats view the impeachment as a fact-free partisan attack on a Biden administration official and plan to dismiss it quickly. Even Senate Republicans are not enthusiastic about the strength of the House’s case.
House Republicans are now strategizing to push for a full trial, using the next few weeks to build public pressure on the Senate to hold one. They hope to gain media coverage for their accusations against Mr. Mayorkas, even if he is ultimately acquitted.
The current plan is to wait until spending bills are negotiated and passed before moving forward with the impeachment trial. However, the delay has led to a sense on Capitol Hill that the charges lack urgency and that impeachment has become devalued.
This situation is reminiscent of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s delay in sending impeachment articles to the Senate during President Trump’s trial. Republicans criticized her for holding back the articles, but the delay did not ultimately help Democrats’ case, as Mr. Trump was acquitted.
House Republicans now find themselves in a similar position, trying to navigate a political loss in the least embarrassing way possible. The outcome of this impeachment saga remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the political maneuvering and strategic calculations continue on both sides of the aisle.
