Senate Dismisses Impeachment Charges Against Alejandro Mayorkas
A 51-member Democratic majority voted to dismiss the two charges against Alejandro Mayorkas in the Senate and rejected Republican members’ objections.
Background
The US Senate on Wednesday quickly dismissed two articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, calling them “unconstitutional.” The trial brought to an end a months-long plan to take action against the secretary for the way he is handling the southern border.
Impeachment Trial
The trial against the top border security official Mayorkas, who has been a target of Republican criticism, over the way he is handling southern border and immigration policy, continued for only three hours after senators were sworn in as jurors. In the Senate, a 51-member Democratic majority voted to dismiss the two charges as unconstitutional, rejecting Republican members’ objections.
Senate Decision
The Senate passed a motion declaring the first impeachment article, which accused Mayorkas of not being able to enforce immigration laws, as unconstitutional. 51 people voted to reject the impeachment charges, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski voting “present.” The Senate then voted to end the trial “sine die,” less than 3 1/2 hours after it started.
Reaction
“Once and for all, the Senate has rightly voted down this baseless impeachment that even conservative legal scholars said was unconstitutional,” said Ian Sams, a White House spokesperson. President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas will continue doing their jobs to keep America safe and pursue actual solutions at the border.
Historical Context
Mayorkas became the second Cabinet secretary to face impeachment in US history when he was charged with “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law” and a “breach of public trust” by the House in February. The impeachment effort was strongly opposed by Democrats who called it a political stunt.
Senate Majority Leader’s Statement
“We felt very strongly that we had to set a precedent that impeachment should never be used to settle policy disagreements,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. “If we allowed that to happen, it would set a disastrous precedent for Congress — could throw our system of checks and balances into cycles of chaos,” he added.
Conclusion
The Senate, under the Constitution, is responsible for conducting a trial to determine if impeached officials are guilty and need to be removed from office.
