Last week, the U.S Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, dropped impeachment charges against U.S Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorka. In February the U.S House, which is controlled by Republicans voted for Articles of Impeachment against Mayorkas.
In an interview with Arkies in the Beltway, a podcast by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, U.S Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, said he disagrees with the move by the Senate to drop the charges.
“The House of Representatives sent articles of impeachment, the Constitution along with our customs say that we should have a trial. Sen. Chuck Schumer didn’t want to have to subject vulnerable Democratic senators running for re-election to the embarrassment of sitting through a trial,” Cotton said.
Cotton, along with U.S Sen. John Boozman, R-Arkansas, voted against the measure that dismissed the impeachment for Mayorkas, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
In February, all four of Arkansas’ representatives in the House voted in favor of impeaching Mayorkas. In a press release at the time, U.S Rep. Steve Womach, R-Rogers, cited his handling of the border as the reason for supporting the impeachment.
“Secretary Mayorkas is at the root of the dangerous border crisis. Our national security is in jeopardy because of his deliberate failure to do his core job of protecting the homeland. I voted to impeach him because he’s completely refused to comply with the law and breached the sacred public trust conferred on leaders of our Republic, putting American lives at risk,” Womack said in a statement.
Mayorkas continues to serve in the role, as both chambers of Congress are needed to impeach a cabinet official.
Copyright 2024 Little Rock Public Radio. To see more, visit Little Rock Public Radio. 9(MDA4MDYxNjY4MDEzMTQ2OTkxMzkyOWU2NQ004))