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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke at the Senate Republican leadership press conference in favor of a full Senate trial when the Senate receives the articles of impeachment against U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

On how the Senate should handle the impeachment articles against Secretary Mayorkas:

“Well, the Senate expects very shortly to receive articles of impeachment from the House of Representatives for Alejandro Mayorkas. In my view, the Senate should conduct a trial.

“I think it's clear that this administration, President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas, have presided over the worst border crisis in American history: 7.4 million people apprehended in just three years in office, 1.8 million gotaways, so over 9 million people that have come into the country illegally, and that doesn't include the unknown gotaways. And of course, we know on that list were 351 people who were on the terrorist watchlist.

“This is an absolute debacle at the southern border. It is a national security crisis. There needs to be accountability, and the Senate needs to conduct a trial where senators have an opportunity to examine the evidence, examine the record, and come to a conclusion.

“The American people deserve accountability on this issue. The polls show that the majority of Americans support impeaching Secretary Mayorkas, and I believe it is fundamental to our role as United States senators to conduct a trial, to get the evidence out there, and to come to a conclusion one way or the other.

“And that is our intention as Republican senators, and we look forward to receiving the articles of impeachment from the House of Representatives sometime soon.”