I WANT TO BRING IN BARRETT, WHAT IS YOUR SENSE OF HOW POLITICS
PLAYED -- OH, NANCY PELOSI ADD
THE PODIUM, LET’S GO RIGHT TO
HER.
HER. >> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
ON THIS SOLEMN DAY I RECALL THAT
THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IS THE
SOLEMN ACT TO PROTECT AND DEFEND
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. AND WITH GREAT RESPECT AND
ACCURATE TUESDAY THAT I THANK
THE PEOPLE IN THE SIX COMMITTEES
THAT HELPED US HONOR OUR OATH OF
OFFICE.
OFFICE. I WANT TO THANK THE STAFF AND
THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR ALL OF
THEIR WORK OVER THIS PERIOD OF
TIME.
TIME. I WANT TO THANK THE CHAIRMAN OF
THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, MR.
NADLER, THE CHAIR OF THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, MR.
SCHIFF, CHAIR OF THE WAYS AND
MEANS COMMITTEE, ALL OF THESE
CHAIRMAN, CHAIRMAN NEIL, ELLIOTT
ENGEL OF NEW YORK, THE CHAIR OF
THE FINANCIAL SERVICES
COMMITTEE, MAXINE WATERS OF
CALIFORNIA, THE CHAIR OF THE
COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM
AND OVERSIGHT CONGRESSWOMAN
CAROLINE MALONEY.
CAROLINE MALONEY. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE
WORK OF THE DEAR AND DEPARTED
ELIJAH CUMMINGS.
ELIJAH CUMMINGS. AND I’M PLEASED TO YIELD TO MR.
NADLER.
NADLER. >> THANK YOU, MADAME SPEAKER.
IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THE
INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEES IN THE
HOUSE HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN AN
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY FOR DONALD
TRUMP’S EFFORTS TO SOLICIT
FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN OUR
ELECTIONS.
ELECTIONS. THROUGHOUT THIS INQUIRY HE HAS
ATTEMPTED TO CONCEAL THE
EVIDENCE FROM CONGRESS AND FROM
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
OUR PRESIDENT HOLDS THE ULTIMATE
PUBLIC TRUST, WHEN HE BETRAYS
THAT TRUST AND PUTS HIMSELF
BEFORE COUNTRY, HE ENDANGERS THE
CONSTITUTION, HE ENDANGERS OUR
DEMOCRACY, AND OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY.
SECURITY. THE FRAMERS OF THE CONSTITUTION
PRESCRIBED A CLEAR REMEDY FOR
PRESIDENTS THAT SO VIOLATE THEIR
OATH OF OFFICE.
THAT IS THE POWER OF
IMPEACHMENT.
IMPEACHMENT. TODAY IN SERVICE TO OUR DUTY TO
THE CONSTITUTION AND TO THE
COUNTRY, THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON
THE JUDICIARY IS INTRODUCING TWO
ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT CHARGES
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES DONK J. TRURP WITH
COMPETING HIGH CRIES AND
MISDEMEANORS
MISDEMEANORS MISDEMEANORS.
MISDEMEANORS. THE FIRST IS FOR ABUSE OF
OFFICE.
OFFICE. OBTAINING A PROFIT WHILE
IGNORING OR INJURING THE
NATIONAL INTEREST.
NATIONAL INTEREST. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP CAN DID WHEN HE SOPLICITED
AND PRESSURED UKRAINE.
THUS DAMMING OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY AND UNDERMINING THE
INTEGRITY OF THE NEXT ELECTION,
AND VIOLATING HIS OES TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AMERICAN PEOPLE. THESE ACTIONS MORE OVER ARE
COUNTY WITH THESE, AND WHEN HE
WAS CAUGHT, WHEN THE THOUSANDS
INVESTIGATED AND OPENED AN
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY HE ENGAGED
IN UNPRECEDENTED, INDISCRIMINANT
COMPLIANT.
COMPLIANT. HERE, TOO, WE SEE A FAMILIAR
PATTERN IN PRESIDENT TRUMP’S
MISCONDUCT.
MISCONDUCT. HE DECLARES HIMSELF ABOVE
ACCOUNTABILITY, ABOVE THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND IT IS MEANT
TO PROTECT THREATS TO OUR
DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS, A
PRESIDENT THAT SEES HIMSELF AS
ABOVE THE LAW, WE MUST BE CLEAR
THAT NO ONE, NOT EVEN THE
PRESIDENT, IS ABOVE THE LAW.
I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE GREAT
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE
INVESTIGATIVE CHAIRS,
INVESTIGATIVE CHAIRS, PARTICULARLY ADAM SCHIFF,
ELLIOTT ENGLE, THE LATE ELIJAH
CUMMINGS, THE NEW CHAIRWOMAN
CAROLINE MALONEY.
CAROLINE MALONEY. FINANCIAL SERVICES CHAIRWOMAN
MAXINE WATERS, AND RICHARD NEIL
WHO HELPED LAY THE FOUNDATION.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE COLLEGES
CRITICAL IN HOLDING THE
PRESIDENT ACCOUNTABLE IN THE
DRAFTING OF THESE ARTICLES.
LATER THIS WEEK, THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE WILL MEET TO CONSIDER
THESE ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT
AND TO MAKE A REMIT TO THE FULL
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
WE DO NOT TAKE THIS ACTION
LIGHTLY, BUT WE HAVE TAKEN AN
OATH TO DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR DUTY,
FIRST AND FOR MOST, IS TO
PROTECT THE CONSTITUTION AND
PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AMERICAN PEOPLE. THAT IS WHY WE MUST TAKE THIS
SOLEMN STEP TODAY.
ELECTIONS ARE THE CORNER STONE
OF IT DEMOCRACY AND FOUNDATIONAL
TO THE RULE OF LAW, BUT THE NEXT
ELECTION IS AT RISK FROM A
PRESIDENT THAT ALREADY SOUGHT
INTERFERENCE.
INTERFERENCE. AND WHO CONSISTENTLY PUTS
HIMSELF ABOVE THE COUNTRY.
THAT IS WHY WE MUST ACT NOW.
I WANT TO TURN NOW TO CHAIRMAN
SCHIFF WHO EXPLAINED THE
EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS THESE
ARTICLES AND THE NEED TO ACT
WITH SUCH URGENCY TODAY.
>> THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN.
THE FRAMERS OF THE CONSTITUTION
RECOGNIZED THAT SOME DAY A
PRESIDENT MIGHT COME TO OFFICE
THAT WOULD ABUSE THAT OFFICE,
BETRAY THE PUBLIC TRUST, AND
UNDERMINE NATIONAL SECURITY.
AND WOULD SEEK DENIAL OF THE
POWER OF CONGRESS.
IT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY REMEDY
AND ONE THAT I HAVE BEEN
RELUCTANT TO RECOMMEND UNTIL HE
LEFT US NO ALTERNATIVE.
WE STAND HERE TODAY BECAUSE THE
PRESIDENT’S CONTINUING ABUSE OF
POWER LEFT US NO CHOICE.
TO DO NOTHING WOULD MAKE US COME
POLICE SIS IN THE PRESIDENT’S
ABUSE OF HIS HIGH OFFICE, THE
PUBLIC TRUST, AND OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY.
SECURITY. SOLICITING A FOREIGN NATION,
UKRAINE, TO ANNOUNCE
INVESTIGATIONS INTO HIS OPPONENT
AND A BASELESS THEORY PROMOTED
BY RUSSIA TO HELP HIS CAMPAIGN.
HE ABUSED HIS OFFICE BY HOLDING
AID THAT A COUNTRY NEEDED, AND
HE UNDER MINED OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY AND JEOPARDIZED THE
INTEGRITY OF OUR NEXT ELECTION
AND HE DOES SO STILL.
THE EVIDENCE OF THE PRESIDENT’S
MISCONDUCT IS OVERWHELMING AND
UNCONTESTED.
UNCONTESTED. IT COULD NOT BE IGNORED WHEN HE
SAID "I WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO US
A FAVOR, THOUGH."
AND WHEN THE PRESIDENT GOT
CAUGHT, HE COMMITTED HIS SECOND
IMPEACHABLE ACT.
IMPEACHABLE ACT. OBSTRUCTION OF CONGRESS, THE
ABILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE
IS ABOVE THE LAW, NOT EVEN THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
THE EVIDENCE IS EVERY BIT AS
STRONG THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
OBSTRUCTED CONGRESS FULLY,
WITHOUT PRESS SENTCEDENT, BASIS,
LAW.
LAW. LEAVING THIS PRESIDENT AND THOSE
WHO FOLLOWED TO BE FREE TO BE AS
CORRUPT, MALL -- MALFEASANT.
SOME SAY WHY DON’T YOU JUST
WAIT.
WAIT. WHY DON’T YOU JUST WAIT UNTIL
YOU GET THE WITNESSES THAT THE
WHITE HOUSE REFUSES TO PRODUCE.
WHY NOT JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU GET
THE DOCUMENTS THAT THE WHITE
HOUSE REFUSES TO TURN OVER, AND
PEOPLE SHOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT
THAT ARGUMENT REALLY MEANS.
IT ISHAS TAKEN US EIGHT MONTHS T
GET A LOWER COURT RULING THAT
DON McGANN HAS NO RIGHT TO DEFY
CONGRESS IF IT TAKES ANOTHER
EIGHT MONTHS TO GET A SECOND
COURT OR SUPREME COURT DECISION,
THAT IS NOT THE END OF THE
PROCESS.
PROCESS. IT COMES BACK TO US, AND WE ASK
QUESTIONS BECAUSE HE NO LONGER
HAS IMMUNITY AND HE CLAIMS
SOMETHING ELSE THAT HIS ANSWERS
ARE PRIVILEGED AND WE HAVE TO GO
TO COURT FOR ANOTHER EIGHT OR 16
MONTHS.
MONTHS. THE ARGUMENT WHY DON’T YOU JUST
WAIT AMOUNTS TO THIS.
WHY DON’T YOU JUST LET HIM CHEAT
IN ONE MORE ELECTION.
WHY NOT LATE HIM CHEAT JUST ONE
MORE TIME.
MORE TIME. WHY NOT LET HIM HAVE FOREIGN
HELP JUST ONE MORE TIME.
THAT IS WHAT THAT ARGUMENT
AMOUNTS TO.
AMOUNTS TO. THE PRESIDENT’S MISCONDUCT GOES
TO THE HEART OF WHETHER OR NOT
WE CAN CONDUCT A FREE AND FAIR
ELECTION IN 2020.
IT IS BAD ENOUGH FOR A CANDIDATE
TO INVITE FOREIGN INTERFERENCE
IN THE ELECTION, AND TO ABUSE
HIS POWER TO MAKE IT SO.
HE CONTINUES UNAPOLOGETICALLY
NOW.
NOW. HE SAID IT WAS SIMPLE, HE WANTS
RUSSIA TO INTERFERE.
HIS LAWYER WASBACK IN UKRAINE
SEEKING MORE INFORMATION ON THE
SAME CONSPIRACY THEORY.
WHICH BRINGS US TO THE LATEST.
THE PRESIDENT THINKS HE CAN DO
WHATEVER HE WANTS UNDER ARTICLE
TWO, INCLUDING GET FOREIGNERS
INVOLVED IN OUR POLITICS, AND
ACCORDING TO HIS CHIEF OF STAFF
"WE SHOULD JUST GET OVER IT."
THE PRESIDENT AND HIS MEN SAY
YOU CAN’T KEEP IT AND AMERICANS
SHOULD JUST GET OVER IT.
AMERICANS DON’T GET TO DECIDE
AMERICAN ELECTIONS ANY MORE, NOT
BY THEMSELVES, NOT WITHOUT
FOREIGN HELP.
FOREIGN HELP. FOR THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS,
THIS IS NOT A QUESTION OF FACT
BECAUSE THE FACTS ARE NOT
SERIOUSLY CONTESTED.
SERIOUSLY CONTESTED. IT IS RATHER A QUESTION OF DUTY.
THE PRESIDENT’S OATH OF OFFICE
APPEARS TO MEAN VERY LITTLE TO
HIM BUT THE ARTICLES TODAY SHOW