Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Need To Avoid A Lapse In FISA Authorities And On The Transmission Of Articles Of Impeachment For Secretary Mayorkas
Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the Senate agenda, the FISA 702 reauthorization deadline on Friday, and the House transmitting the articles of impeachment for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas tomorrow. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:
The Senate has a very busy few days in store this week. Before April 19th, the Senate must finish approving legislation to extend FISA’s 702 authorities. The House is expected to send us an extension sometime this evening after they address a few minor procedural delays.
Once the House sends us the FISA reauthorization, I plan as early as tonight to take the first procedural step for the Senate to begin consideration.
With less than a week to go before FISA authorities expire, time is a luxury the Senate does not have. Republicans need to work with us in a bipartisan way to ensure this program with important implications for our national security does not lapse.
Now, as the Senate works on FISA authorities, we will also have to deal with the House vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. For now, we still expect the articles of impeachment to arrive in the Senate sometime tomorrow afternoon. Should that happen, the Senate will swear in members as jurors the day after the articles are presented.
As I’ve said repeatedly, impeachment should never be used to settle a policy disagreement. That would set a horrible precedent for the Congress.
Nevertheless, the Senate’s plan has not changed since last week: we are ready to go whenever the House sends us the articles. We want to address this issue as expeditiously as possible.
###
