WITH UKRAINE. >> IT SNAPPED EVERYONE SQUARE IN
THE FACE.
THE FACE. >> THERE’S NANCY PELOSI.
>> TUESDAY WE OBSERVED THE
ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADOPTION OF
THE CONSTITUTION ON SEPTEMBER
17th.
17th. SADLY, ON THAT DAY, THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY INSPECTOR
GENERAL FORMALLY NOTIFIED THE
CONGRESS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION
WAS FORBIDDING HIM FROM TURNING
OVER A WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT.
ON CONSTITUTION DAY.
THIS IS A VIOLATION OF LAW.
SHORTLY THEREAFTER, PRESS
REPORTS BEGAN TO BREAK OF A
PHONE CALL BY THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES CALLING UPON A
FOREIGN POWER TO INTERVENE IN
HIS ELECTION.
HIS ELECTION. THIS IS A BREACH OF HIS
CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES.
CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES. THE FACTS ARE THESE.
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
INSPECTOR GENERAL, WHO WAS
APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP,
DETERMINED THAT THE COMPLAINT IS
BOTH OF URGENT CONCERN AND
CREDIBLE.
CREDIBLE. ITS DISCLOSURE, HE WANT ON TO
SAY, RELATES TO THE DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE’S
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE’S RESPONSIBILITY TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. ON THURSDAY, THE INSPECTOR
GENERAL TESTIFIED BEFORE THE
HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE,
STATING THAT THE ACTING DIRECTOR
OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE BARRED
HIM FROM DISCLOSING THE
WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT.
WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT. THIS IS A VIOLATION OF LAW.
THE LAW IS UNEQUIVOCAL.
IT SAYS THE DNI, DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, SHALL
PROVIDE CONGRESS THE FULL
WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT.
WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT. FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS I’VE
SERVED ON THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE AS A MEMBER, A RANKING
MEMBER, AS PART OF THE GAININGNG
FOUR, WHEN I WAS IN THE
LEADERSHIP.
LEADERSHIP. I WAS THERE WHEN WE CREATED THE
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. THAT DID NOT EXIST BEFORE 2004.
I WAS THERE EARLIER IN THE ’90s
WHEN WE WROTE THE WHISTLEBLOWER
LAWS AND CONTINUED TO WRITE THEM
AND IMPROVE THEM TO SECURE THE
SECURITY OF OUR INTELLIGENCE AND
THE SAFETY OF OUR
WHISTLEBLOWERS.
WHISTLEBLOWERS. I KNOW WHAT THEIR PURPOSE WAS.
AND WE PROCEEDED WITH BALANCE
AND CAUTION AS WE WROTE THE
LAWS.
LAWS. I CAN SAY WITH AUTHORITY THAT
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S
ACTIONS UNDERMINE BOTH OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY AND OUR
INTELLIGENCE AND OUR PROTECTIONS
OF WHISTLEBLOWERS, MORE THAN
BOTH.
BOTH. THIS THURSDAY, THE ACTING DNI
WILL APPEAR BEFORE THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE. AT THAT TIME HE MUST TURN OVER
THE WHISTLEBLOWER’S FULL
COMPLAINT TO THE COMMITTEE.
HE WILL HAVE TO CHOOSE WHETHER
TO BREAK THE LAW OR HONOR HIS
RESPONSIBILITY TO THE
CONSTITUTION.
CONSTITUTION. ON THE FINAL DAY OF THE
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION IN 19
1787, WHEN OUR CONSTITUTION WAS
ADOPTED, AMERICANS GATHERED ON
THE STEPS OF THE INDEPENDENCE
HALL TO AWAIT THE NEWS OF THE
GOVERNMENT OUR FOUNDERS HAD
CRAFTED.
CRAFTED. THEY ASKED BENJAMIN FRANKLIN,
WHAT DO WE HAVE, A REPUBLIC OR A
MONARCHY?
MONARCHY? FRANKLIN REPLIED, A REPUBLIC, IF
WE CAN KEEP IT.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO KEEP
IT.
IT. OUR
OUR BECAUSE OF THE WISDOM OF THE
CONSTITUTION ENSHRINED IN THREE
CO-EQUAL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT
SERVING AS CHECKS AND BALANCES
ON EACH OTHER.
THE ACTIONS TAKEN TO DATE BY THE
PRESIDENT HAVE SERIOUSLY
VIOLATED THE CONSTITUTION
ESPECIALLY WHEN THE PRESIDENT
SAYS ARTICLE II SAYS I CAN DO
WHATEVER I WANT.
FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS WE
HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATING IN THE
COMMITTEES AND LITIGATING IN THE
COURTS WHETHER CONGRESS CAN
EXERCISE ITS FULL ARTICLE I
POWERS INCLUDING THE
CONSTITUTIONAL POWER OF APPROVAL
OF ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT.
AND THIS WEEK THE PRESIDENT HAS
ADMITTED TO ASKING THE PRESIDENT
OF UKRAINE TO TAKE ACTIONS WHICH
WOULD BENEFIT HIM POLITICALLY,
THE ACTIONS OF THE TRUMP
PRESIDENCY REVEALED THE
DISHONORABLE FACT OF THE
PRESIDENT’S BETRAYAL OF HIS OATH
OF OFFICE, BETRAYAL OF OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY, AND BETRAYAL
OF THE INTEGRITY OF OUR
ELECTIONS.
ELECTIONS. THEREFORE, TODAY I’M ANNOUNCING
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IS
MOVING FORWARD WITH AN OFFICIAL
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY. I’M DIRECTING OUR SIX COMMITTEES
TO PROCEED WITH THEIR
INVESTIGATIONS UNDER THAT
UMBRELLA OF IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
THE PRESIDENT MUST BE HELD
ACCOUNTABLE.
ACCOUNTABLE. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.
GETTING BACK TO OUR FOUNDERS, IN
THE DARKEST DAYS OF THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION, THOMAS PAYNE WROTE
THE TIMES HAVE FOUND US.
THE TIMES FOUND THEM TO FIGHT
FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OUR
DEMOCRACY.
DEMOCRACY. THE TIMES HAVE FOUND US TODAY,
NOT TO PLACE OURSELVES IN THE
SAME CATEGORY OF GREATNESS AS
OUR FOUNDERS BUT TO PLACE US IN
THE URGENCY OF PROTECTING OUR
CONSTITUTION FROM ALL ENEMIES,
FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
IN THE WORDS OF BEN FRANKLIN, TO
KEEP OUR REPUBLIC.
I THANK OUR CHAIRMEN, CHAIRMAN
NADLER, CHAIRMAN SCHIFF,
CHAIRMAN NADLER OF JUDICIARY,
CHAIRMAN SCHIFF OF INTELLIGENCE,
CHAIRMAN ENGEL OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS, CHAIRMAN CUMMINGS OF
OVERSIGHT.
OVERSIGHT. CHAIRMAN CUMMINGS IS A MASTER OF
SO MUCH BUT INCLUDING INSPECTORS
GENERAL AND WHISTLEBLOWERS.
CONGRESSWOMAN RICHIE NEAL OF THE
WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE.
CONGRESSWOMAN MAXINE WATERS OF
THE FINANCIAL SERVICES
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE. AND I COMMEND ALL OF OUR
MEMBERS, OUR COLLEAGUES, FOR
THEIR THOUGHTFUL, THOUGHTFUL