WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – A dramatic scene played out in the Senate during the impeachment trial of the nation’s top immigration official.
The effort to remove Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas went haywire and the impeachment trial is about to be over before it really began because senators voted to kill the first article of impeachment. They say it’s unconstitutional and doesn’t meet the bar of high crimes and misdemeanors.
Wednesday was supposed to be the start of the trial to consider two impeachment articles accusing Secretary Mayorkas of violating the law with his handling of immigration but when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer tried to set the ground rules for debate to start the trial Republican senators didn’t agree with the process.
“I will not assist Senator Schumer in setting our constitution ablaze,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.)
“We gave your side a chance for debate in public where you should be and your side objected. We are moving forward,” said Schumer.
The Senate will vote on the second article of impeachment. It’s likely to meet the same fate as the first.
