The first time in 225 years…
The Senate has dismissed both articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, eliminating any possibility of a trial.
The Hill reports:
It marked the first time in 225 years the Senate voted to immediately dismiss impeachment charges approved by the House instead of holding a floor trial or referring the matter to a special committee to review it.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) argued a trial wasn't necessary because the House had sent over “the least legitimate, least substantive and most politicized impeachment trial ever in the history of the United States.”
“The charges brought against Secretary Mayorkas fail to meet the high standards of high crimes and misdemeanors. To validate this gross abuse by the House would be a grave mistake and could set a dangerous precedent for the future,” he warned.
The Senate voted to dismiss the charges by sustaining two points of order raised by Schumer asserting that they did not rise “to the level of a high crime or misdemeanor” as required by the Constitution.
Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski voted present on the first article of impeachment and implicitly with Democrats who declared the charge unconstitutional.
However, she voted with the rest of the Republican caucus to reject Schumer's same argument against the second article that accused Mayorkas of lying to Congress.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
