Democrats are planning to dispense with the charges against the homeland security secretary with a fast dismissal vote or an accelerated trial in which he would almost certainly be acquitted.
Senator Chuck Schumer was wary of tying immigration policy to emergency aid for Ukraine, but he saw an opening to address border turmoil that was becoming a political liability — and to call Republicans’ bluff.
The first impeachment of a sitting cabinet member sets off a series of choreographed rituals that dates back to the impeachment of former President Andrew Johnson in 1868.