Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas answers a question during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security hearing to discuss the President's F.Y. 2025 budget on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.
A quick recap of the day and what to look forward to tomorrow
Senate tanks Mayorkas impeachment effort without trial
Despite efforts from some prominent Republican Senators, the effort to convict Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was swiftly swept aside in the Democratic-controlled chamber Wednesday — about 24 hours after the House handed over its two impeachment articles.
Wednesday’s move means there won’t be a lengthy Senate trial that Republicans had hoped would draw more attention to border security and the Biden administration’s immigration policy.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) argued a trial wasn’t even necessary because the House had sent over “the least legitimate, least substantive and most politicized impeachment trial ever in the history of the United States.”
“The charges brought against Secretary Mayorkas fail to meet the high standards of high crimes and misdemeanors. To validate this gross abuse by the House would be a grave mistake and could set a dangerous precedent for the future,” he said.
Schumer likened the effort to a “policy dispute” that would be improper for such coarse and rarely-used action.
Some Republicans tried to get around Schumer’s procedural moves to quickly dismiss the issue without a trial.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) accused Democrats of failing to perform their constitutional duty by shoving the impeachment aside. (The Hill)
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Senate Republicans are calling for an investigation into Temu, the oft-maligned, China-based online marketplace, expressing concern about forced labor and intellectual property theft.
A Georgia port set a new monthly record for auto deliveries in March as the crucial Baltimore Port remains closed following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge last month.
President Biden and former President Trump are now neck and neck in the polls, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s (DDHQ) latest analysis released Wednesday.
Speaker Johnson faces backlash over foreign aid package
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is ready to move ahead with a foreign aid package to bolster assistance to Ukraine, Israel and allies in the Indo-Pacific, as well as cover additional humanitarian aid for Gaza and other global hot spots.
After days of teasing the proposal, Johnson released the final outline late Tuesday. A House vote could come as soon as Saturday.
The Hill’s Mychael Schnell and Mike Lillishave the full breakdown of where things stand and where they are starting to splinter.
It has the backing of the White House and could pass muster in the Democratic-controlled Senate, getting the long-delayed legislation out the door. But Johnson continues to face backlash from members in his own caucus who say they aren’t interested if it doesn’t contain money for securing the U.S. Southern border.
“I thought STRIKES were supposed to be ‘unlimited’ when we were picking our jury? I was then told we only had 10, not nearly enough when we were purposely given the 2nd Worst Venue in the Country. Don’t worry, we have the First Worst also, as the Witch Hunt continues! ELECTION INTERFERENCE!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Wednesday morning.
The number of strikes against members of the jury pool is not unlimited, as Trump said he believed they would be. Under state law, the prosecutors and defense each get to strike 10 potential jurors.
The first seven jurors have already been selected. Eleven more, including six alternates, are still needed and could be selected by the end of the week.
Prosecutors and Trump’s attorneys have each used six of their 10 strikes.
Two of Trump’s top rivals made Time’s 100 most influential
Two important figures in former President Trump’s ongoing, and costly, legal matters have been named to Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people.
Special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing both Trump’s case related to efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his case involving mishandled classified documents, made the list. Also on the list is writer E. Jean Carroll, whose legal battles with the former president over her claims that Trump sexually assaulted her resulted in a payout of $83.3 million for defamation.
Both have been frequent targets of Trump’s ire, and he’s lashed out at each multiple times on his Truth Social online platform.
Trump himself didn’t make the list, though he has been on it six times in the past, most recently in 2021. President Biden, who also has made the list six times, missed out this year, as well. He was most recently listed in 2023.
The TIME 100 TV special will air on ABC at 10 p.m. May 12.
Other notable names from the political world:
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D)
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R)
Vice President Harris penned the Time100 piece honoring Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in a Russian custody this year. (The Hill)
Arizona Republicans again block attempt to repeal 1864 abortion ban
Arizona lawmakers have again blocked an attempt to repeal the state’s pre-Civil War era abortion ban that has made national headlines.
After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022, abortion rights issues reverted to the states. In Arizona, that meant that the state Supreme Court was able to revert to a 1864 law that makes it illegal to perform or facilitate an abortion.
Advocates have sought to reinstate a more recent 15-week law, after the stricter ban drew backlash.
But Arizona House Republicans blocked the effort for a second time on Wednesday, even though prominent conservatives including former President Trump and a top Trump ally, Senate hopeful Kari Lake, have called on GOP leaders to overturn the ban.
Only one Republican, state Rep. Matt Gress, crossed party lines to vote in favor of bringing up the repeal bill.
“Democrats have introduced this bill for six years and been ignored every single one of them, including this one. We had the opportunity to hear this in regular committee. We were ignored. We had the opportunity to hear this last week, we were ignored,” House Assistant Minority Leader Rep. Oscar De Los Santos (D) said.
Arizona’s House Republican leaders defended their position.
“The last thing we should be doing today is rushing a bill through the legislative process to repeal a law that has been enacted and we affirmed by the Legislature several times,” House Speaker Ben Toma (R) said.
OP-EDS IN THE HILL
“For American Catholic schools, an encouraging trend in Florida,” write Lauren May and Ron Matus of nonprofit Step Up For Students.
“Why should we be so afraid of Iran?” writes Derek Hunter, host of the Derek Hunter Podcast and a former staffer for the late Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.).
⏲️ COUNTDOWN
88 days until the Republican National Convention.
123 days until the Democratic National Convention.
201 days until the 2024 general election.
🗓 COMING NEXT
Tonight: Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will have an interview on CNN at 10 p.m.
Thursday:
Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm will be on ABC’s “The View.”
Former President Trump’s New York City criminal trial continues.
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