The US Senate on Wednesday dismissed all impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, ending the House Republican push to remove the Cabinet secretary from office over his handling of the US-Mexico border and ending his trial before arguments even began, The Associated Press reported.
In February, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Mayorkas by a narrow majority of 214-213, making the Homeland Security Secretary the first Cabinet secretary facing charges in nearly 150 years.
Senators, however, voted on Wednesday to dismiss both articles of impeachment and end the trial, with Democrats arguing that the articles were unconstitutional.
The first article charged Mayorkas with “willful and systemic refusal to comply” with immigration law. The second article charged Mayorkas with a “breach of trust” for saying the border was secure. The votes were 51-48 and 51-49, both along party lines.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the House Republicans’ case failed to meet “the high standard of high crimes and misdemeanors” and could set a dangerous precedent.
Senate Republicans had argued for a full impeachment trial after the House narrowly voted in February to impeach Mayorkas for his handling of the border, arguing in the two articles that he “willfully and systematically” refused to enforce immigration laws. The House vote was the first time in nearly 150 years that a Cabinet secretary was impeached.
Schumer had called for the votes to dismiss the trial after Republicans rejected a proposed agreement for Senate debate time and several votes on GOP objections. Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt said Democrats were “bulldozing 200 years of precedent” on impeachments by trying to dismiss the trial.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said “history will not judge this moment well.”
“This process must not be abused,” McConnell said, according to AP. “It must not be short-circuited.”