Twenty-four hours after receiving two impeachment charges from the House of Representatives against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the Senate decided Reject them And without a proper trial, which is the step that follows indictment in normal impeachment proceedings.
The Democratic majority in the Senate justified this quick maneuver by asserting that the charges do not meet the constitutional requirement of being a serious crime or misdemeanor, an opinion shared by most jurists of all stripes. Mayorkas has been criticized by Republicans for his handling of the southern border, and has been accused of failing to enforce immigration laws and abusing the public trust.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “Approving this egregious violation by the House of Representatives would be a grave mistake and could set a dangerous precedent for the future.”
The Senate rejected the first charge by a vote of 51-49, with one abstention (Republican Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski) and the second by a vote of 51-49.
Republican senators, including Ted Cruz and Mitch McConnell, were—or seemed to be—angry. foot Objections after Schumer's offer to hold a time-limited debate on impeachment or create a committee on the topic was rejected. Democrats overturned their objections.
“Ignoring the articles of impeachment would be unprecedented in the history of the Senate – it's that simple,” Senator McConnell said before the impeachment vote. The Minority Leader seemed to forget that he himself participated in an attempt to prevent a trial after Donald Trump was impeached for the second time in the House of Representatives.
Thus the Senate had the first indictment against a member of the presidential cabinet since 1876.
(AP photo)
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