1 of 2 | Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY (pictured in March after a weekly Senate caucus luncheon at the U.S Capitol), on Wednesday pressed for senators to dismiss the charges brought versus Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
April 17 (UPI) — The Senate on Wednesday dismissed both charges brought by House Republicans versus Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas simply as his impeachment trial was getting underway in the 100-member body.
The veryfirst vote — which declares Mayorkas had willfully declined to comply with migration law — was voted down 51-49 along celebration lines.
On Wednesday ahead of the trial, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had called the charges “nakedly partisan” as members of the Senate were sworn in after midday as jurors for the impeachment trial.
At the trial and before the veryfirst vote to drop the veryfirst charge, Schumer stated it “does not declare conduct that increases to the level of a high criminaloffense or misdemeanor” and “therefore, is unconstitutional.”
Mayorkas formerly had called both charges “baseless” accusations
The Senate voted to dismiss the 2nd charge lateron in the day, doing so likewise on a 51-49 party-line vote.
“Our coworkers understand that we are obligated to take these procedures seriously,” outbound Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., stated on the veryfirst vote to dismiss.
“This is what our oath recommends. It is what the history and precedent need, and I would desire each of our associates to thinkabout that this is what our infact imagined,” McConnell stated.
The House on Tuesday formally provided the impeachment shortarticles to the Democratic-controlled Senate.
On the CBS Mornings program Wednesday earlymorning, Mayorkas stated, “As they work on impeachment, I’m working on the objective of the Department of Homeland Security.”
In a letter last week to Schumer, 43 GOP senators had required a trial be held by pointing to historic precedent.
“Let’s not kid ourselves about what’s going on today,” Schumer stated. “The impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas has keepinginmind to do with criminaloffenses and misdemeanors and whatever to do with assisting Donald Trump on the project path.”
“To validate this gross abuse by the House would be a grav