Congress Rejects Impeachment Articles Against Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas
Senate Dismisses First Article, Trial Ends Abruptly
White House Denounces "Baseless Political Attack"
In a significant blow to congressional Republicans, the Senate on Wednesday dismissed the first article of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, effectively ending the trial that has been a major focus of the GOP's opposition to the Biden administration.
The vote was largely along party lines, with all but one Republican voting in favor of the article. The second article of impeachment was subsequently withdrawn by the House, and the trial was formally adjourned.
The impeachment effort, which was launched by the House of Representatives in January, stemmed from allegations that Mayorkas had "willfully abdicated" his responsibilities as Homeland Security chief and shown "gross dereliction of duty" in overseeing the southern border.
Mayorkas has vehemently denied these accusations, calling them "baseless political attacks" aimed at undermining his department's efforts to secure the border and protect the nation.
The White House has also denounced the impeachment effort, with Press Secretary Jen Psaki calling it "a partisan attack that lacks any merit" and a "waste of taxpayer resources."
For months, Republicans have been calling for Mayorkas's impeachment, accusing him of mishandling the surge in illegal crossings at the southern border. However, the Senate trial failed to produce any evidence to support these claims, and several Republican senators expressed doubts about the validity of the charges.
The dismissal of the impeachment articles is a victory for the Biden administration and a setback for the Republicans, who had hoped to use the trial as a political weapon against the president and his top officials.
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