1
Senate Kills Impeachment Articles Against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
Republican-Controlled House Unanimously Voted to Impeach Mayorkas in February
Senate Unlikely to Spend Much Time on Impeachment Trial
The Senate has voted to kill the second and final article of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, effectively ending the impeachment trial. The vote was largely along party lines, with all 50 Republicans voting to convict and all 50 Democrats voting to acquit.
The Republican-controlled House impeached Mayorkas in February on charges of "dereliction of duty" and "incompetence." The charges stemmed from Mayorkas' handling of the U.S.-Mexico border, which Republicans have criticized as being too lenient.
The Senate was unlikely to spend much time on the impeachment trial. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that the Senate would "move on" from the impeachment trial and focus on other priorities.
The impeachment of Mayorkas was a highly partisan affair. Republicans were unanimous in their support for impeachment, while Democrats were unanimous in their opposition. The impeachment trial was also notable for its brevity. The House impeachment inquiry lasted for months, while the Senate trial lasted for just a few days.
The killing of the impeachment articles against Mayorkas is a victory for the Biden administration. It is also a setback for Republicans, who had hoped to use the impeachment process to damage Mayorkas and the Biden administration.
CNN's Ted Barrett and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report.
1
Comments