UPDATE - Homeland Security chief's impeachment to be resolved 'as soon as possible': US Senate majority leader

ADDS US HOUSE DELAY TO SEND IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES AGAINST MAYORKAS TO SENATE

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US Senate majority leader said Tuesday the articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas are "absurd" and that he would "resolve this as quickly as possible."

"Impeachment should never be used to settle policy disagreements," Chuck Schumer told reporters. "As I’ve said in the past, it’s absurd, and there are no charges in the House complaint that rise to the level of impeachment.”

His remarks came a day before House Speaker Mike Johnson was expected to deliver two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas to the Senate.

According to media reports, however, Johnson will delay sending the Senate the impeachment charges until next week.

"To ensure the Senate has adequate time to perform its constitutional duty, the House will transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate next week.

"There is no reason whatsoever for the Senate to abdicate its responsibility to hold an impeachment trial," Johnson’s spokesperson Taylor Haulsee was quoted as saying in the reports.

The House of Representatives voted 214-213 to impeach Mayorkas on Feb. 13 for "high crimes and misdemeanors, including his willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law and his breach of the public trust," making him the first Cabinet secretary to be impeached in almost 150 years.