SHE’S GOING TO ENDORSE THE ON GOING WORK OF THE RESPECTIVE AND
RELATIVE COMMITTEE --
>> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
>> LAST 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 WHISTLE BLOWER 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.
ELECTION. THIS IS A BREACH OF HIS
CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES.
CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES. THE FACTS ARE THESE.
THE INTEL AGAINST COMMUNITY
INSPECTOR GENERAL WHO WAS
APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP
DETERMINED THAT THE COMPLAINT IS
BOTH OF URGENT CONCERN AND
CREDIBLE.
CREDIBLE. AND IT’S DISCLOSURE HE WENT ON
TO SAY RELATES TO ONE OF THE
MOST SIGNIFICANT IMPORTANCE OF
THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
INTELLIGENCE’S RESPONSIBILITY TO
THE AMERICAN 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 WHISTLE
BLOWER COMPLAINT.
BLOWER COMPLAINT. THIS IS A VIOLATION OF LAW.
THE LAW IS UNEQUIVOCAL.
IT SAYS THE DNI, DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE SHALL
PROVIDE CONGRESS THE FULL
WHISTLE BLOWER COMPLAINT.
FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS I’VE
SERVED ON THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE AS A MEMBER, AS THE
RANKING MEMBER, AS PART OF THE
GANG OF FOUR, EVEN BEFORE I WAS
IN THE 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 EVEN EARLIER IN THE
’90s WHEN WE WROTE THE WHISTLE
BLOWER LAWS AND CONTINUE TO
WRITE THEM TO IMPROVE THEM TO
ENSURE THE SECURITY OF OUR
INTELLIGENCE AND SAFETY OF OUR
WHISTLE BLOWERS.
WHISTLE BLOWERS. I KNOW WHAT THEIR PURPOSE WAS.
AND WE PROCEEDED WITH BALANCE
AND CAUTION AS WE WROTE THE
LAWS.
LAWS. I CAN SAY WITH AUTHORITY THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S ACTIONS
UNDERMINE BOTH OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY AND OUR INTELLIGENCE
AND OUR PROTECTIONS OF THE
WHISTLE BLOWERS.
WHISTLE BLOWERS. THIS THURSDAY, THE ACTING DNI
WILL APPEAR BEFORE THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, AT THAT
TIME HE MUST TURN OVER THE
WHISTLE BLOWER’S FULL COMPLAINT
TO THE IN THE.
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
1787, WHEN OUR CONSTITUTION WAS
ADOPTED, AMERICANS GATHERED ON
THE STEPS OF INDEPENDENCE HALL
TO AWAIT THE NEWS OF A
GOVERNMENT, OUR FOUNDERS HAD
CRAFTED.
CRAFTED. THEY ASKED BENJAMIN FRANKLIN,
WHAT DO WE HAVE?
A REPUBLIC OR A MONARCHY?
FRANKLIN REPLIED A REPUBLIC, IF
YOU CAN KEEP IT.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO KEEP
IT.
IT. OUR REPUBLIC ENDURES BECAUSE OF
THE WISDOM OF THE CONSTITUTION.
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 OUR
COMMITTEES AND LITIGATING IN THE
COURTS.
COURTS. SO THE HOUSE CAN GATHER ALL THE
RELEVANT FACTS AND CONSIDER
WHETHER TO EXERCISE IT’S FULL
ARTICLE ONE POWERS INCLUDING A
CONSTITUTIONAL POWER OF THE
UTMOST GRAVITY 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 ACTION OF THE TRUMP
PRESIDENCY REVEALED DISHONORABLE
FACTS OF THE PRESIDENT’S
BETRAYAL OF HIS OATH OF OFFICE,
BETRAYAL OF OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY AND BETRAYAL OF
INTEGRITY OF OUR ELECTIONS.
THEREFORE TODAY, I’M ANNOUNCEING
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MOVING FORWARD WITH AN OFFICIAL
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY. I’M DIRECTING OUR SIX COMMITTEES
TO CONTINUE UNDER THAT UMBRELLA
OF THE IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
THE PRESIDENT MUST BE HELD
ACCOUNTABLE.
ACCOUNTABLE. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.
GETTING BACK TO OUR FOUNDERS.
THE DARKEST DAYS OF THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION, THOMAS PAYNE WROTE,
THE TIMES HAVE FOUND US.
THE TIMES FOUND THEM TO FIGHT
FOR OUR DEMOCRACY.
THE TIMES FOUND US TODAY.
TO PLACE US IN THE URGENCY OF
PROTECTING AND DEFENDING OUR
CONSTITUTION FROM ALL ENEMIES,
FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
IN THE WORDS OF BEN FRANKLIN, TO
KEEP OUR REPUBLIC.
I THANK OUR CHAIRMAN, CHAIRMAN
NADLER, CHAIRMAN SCHIFF,
CHAIRMAN ENGLE, CHAIRMAN
CUMMINGS, AND CHAIRMAN CUMMINGS
I’VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH
CONSTANTLY.
CONSTANTLY. HE’S A MASTER OF SO MUCH, BUT
INCLUDING INSPECTORS GENERAL AND
WHISTLE BLOWERS.
WHISTLE BLOWERS. CONGRESSWOMAN RICHIE NEIL OF THE
WEIGHS AND MEANS COMMITTEE.
CONGRESSWOMAN MAXINE WATERS OF
THE FINANCIAL SERVICES
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE. I COMMEND ALL OF OUR MEMBERS,
OUR COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR
THOUGHTFUL, THOUGHTFUL APPROACH
TO ALL OF THIS, FOR THEIR