Mayorkas Impeachment Trial

After one more Republican showed up, the House managed to barely impeach -- for the first time (the last time the guy resigned first) -- a sitting cabinet secretary. 

The House referred the impeachment to the Senate for trial. So, it was time for a trial. The president is not involved, so the vice president or president pro tempore (as here) presides. 

Sen. Schumer offered to allow the Republicans time for debate over procedures, allowing them to talk some. Republicans wanted more. Schumer immediately brought a vote for a point of order that the impeachment counts were unconstitutional. I think that is iffy but maybe. [One vote for each count.]

Republicans tried to delay. There was a series of strictly party-line votes though a few Republicans had already said they opposed a full trial. They all went the way of the Democrats. 

Murkowski voted "present" for the first count, “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law," and with the Republicans for the "breach of public trust" count. 

Romney -- who said beforehand he didn't think the two counts met constitutional muster -- released a statement he voted with the Republicans since he wanted some debate. Schumer offered that. The Republicans wanted more. The Democrats already made their argument on the point. It was not some big secret. 

That's it. Trial over. About as much as it deserved though I can be convinced the Constitution suggests a real trial of some sort was appropriate. Still, again, Democrats did offer Republicans more debate, and they played politics about the whole thing. The whole thing is a sham, so the dismissive approach to provide a precedent when blatantly political "no confidence" impeachment votes are involved was acceptable.

The fear is that later on Republicans will try to do that tit-for-tat even when it is not justified. We will take that when it comes.