>> GENTLEMAN’S TIME HAS EXPIRED.
>> SIMPLY PUT, WE TOLD YOU SO.
>> THE NEXT STEP IN THIS PROCESS
WILL BE A TRIAL IN THE SENATE AS
MANDATED BY THE CONSTITUTION AND
WHEN THAT HAPPENS, ONE OF THE
IMPEACHMENT MANAGERS WILL BE
CONGRESSMAN JOE NEGUSE, DEMOCRAT
OF COLORADO, AND HE JOINS ME
NOW.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE, CONGRESSMAN,
TO BE IN THAT CHAMBER TODAY?
>> WELL, CHRIS, IT WAS A SOLEMN,
HEAVY DAY FOR THE CONGRESS,
SOLEMN HEAVY DAY FOR THE
COUNTRY.
I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, AS I WATCH
SOME OF THE REMARKS THAT YOU
JUST SHOWED FROM SOME OF MY
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES, WHAT WAS
STRIKING WAS, THEY WERE DEVOID
OF ANY SUBSTANTIVE DEFENSES, ANY
ARGUMENTS TO DEFEND THE
PRESIDENT’S CONDUCT.
EVERYONE KNOWS THAT WHAT THE
PRESIDENT DID LAST WEDNESDAY WAS
IMPEACHABLE, THERE WAS NO
QUESTION HE COMMITTED HIGH
CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS.
AND THE FACT THAT YOU HAD THE
NUMBER THREE REPUBLICAN IN THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES LIZ
CHENEY VOTE IN FAVOR OF
IMPEACHMENT SPEAKS TO THAT.
SO TO THOSE WHO QUESTIONED
WHETHER OR NOT THE CONGRESS
WOULD HAVE THE RESOLVE, WHETHER
WE WOULD SHIRK FROM OUR
CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY, THE ANSWER
WAS NO.
THAT WE WOULD STAND TALL AND
FULFILL OUR CONSTITUTIONAL OATH
TO VINDICATE THE CONSTITUTION
AND HOLD THIS PRESIDENT
ACCOUNTABLE WHICH WE DID AND OF
COURSE NOW WE’LL PROCEED TO TRY
THIS CASE IN THE UNITED STATES
SENATE.
>> THERE’S TWO WAYS OF LOOKING
AT THOSE TEN VOTES ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE.
ONE WAY IS THAT THIS IS ONLY THE
FOURTH IMPEACHMENT OF A
PRESIDENT IN HISTORY AND THIS
WAS BY FAR THE MOST BIPARTISAN
VOTE.
THEY HAVE BEEN ROUTINELY QUITE
PARTISAN BECAUSE IMPEACHING A
PRESIDENT TENDS TO BREAK DOWN
ALONG PARTY LINES.
THIS WAS A HISTORICALLY
BIPARTISAN REPUDIATION.
IN ANOTHER WAY, THERE’S 197
REPUBLICANS WHO HAD TO FLEE TO A
SECURE SITE AFTER THE PRESIDENT
UNLEASHED A MOB ON THEM THAT
ENDED UP WITH FIVE PEOPLE DEAD
INCLUDING A POLICE OFFICER WHO
WERE LIKE AH.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT?
>> IT’S DISTURBING, CHRIS.
YOUR FRAMING IS ACCURATE.
HISTORICALLY, THE FACT THAT THIS
IS THE FOURTH TIME IN THE
HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY THAT THE
PRESIDENT HAS BEEN IMPEACHED AND
AS YOU SAID, THIS IS THE MOST
BIPARTISAN VOTE OF THE FOUR
HISTORICALLY, THE PARALLELS, OF
COURSE, MANY OF US HAVE SAID
BEFORE, THE ANDREW JOHNSON
PRESIDENCY ARE TOO GLARING TO
IGNORE.
WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, I THINK
ULTIMATELY COMMEND THE
REPUBLICANS WHO DID IN FACT VOTE
TODAY IN FAVOR OF IMPEACHMENT
WHO CHOSE COUNTRY OVER PARTY.
BUT OBVIOUSLY YOUR LATTER POINT
IS SPOT ON.
IT IS DISTURBING BEYOND WORDS
THAT SO MANY REPUBLICANS
LITERALLY AFTER EXPERIENCING THE
ARMED INSURRECTION THAT WE
EXPERIENCED WEEK AGO, I WAS ON
THE FLOOR DURING THE JANUARY 6th
PROCEEDINGS AND TO THINK THAT
THEY WOULD BE UNWILLING TO SHOW
THE COURAGE NECESSARY TO UPHOLD
THEIR OATH AND VOTE IN FAVOR OF
IMPEACHMENT TODAY, OBVIOUSLY
IT’S DEEPLY DISAPPOINTING TO ME
AND SO MANY OTHERS.
LOOK, I THINK THE MAJORITY OF
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE RECOGNIZE
THE STAKES, THE GRAVITY, THEY
UNDERSTAND WHY THE CONGRESS WAS
COMPELLED TO TAKE THE SOLEMN
STEP WE DID TODAY.
>> WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF
WHAT THE NEXT STEPS FOR YOU AND
YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE?
>> WELL, WE WILL PREPARE TO
ULTIMATELY TRY THIS CASE IN THE
UNITED STATES SENATE AND, OF
COURSE, YOU KNOW FROM HAVING
COVERED THE PREVIOUS TRIAL, NOT
THAT LONG AGO, THE FIRST
IMPEACHMENT OF THIS PARTICULAR
PRESIDENT IN JANUARY OF LAST
YEAR, HOW THAT PROCESS UNFOLDS.
MYSELF AND MY FELLOW MANAGERS,
MANY WITH WHOM I SERVE ON THE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, PEOPLE LIKE
JAMIE RASKIN WHO IS A TREMENDOUS
LEAD MANAGER, I THINK THE
SPEAKER MADE EXCELLENT,
WONDERFUL CHOICES IN THE TEAM
THAT SHE HAS ASSEMBLED, ALL OF
US HAVE EXTENSIVE LITIGATION
EXPERIENCE, LAWYERS PRIOR TO
BEING ELECTED TO THE UNITED
STATES CONGRESS.
WE’RE HOPEFUL THAT THE SENATORS
WILL TAKE AN OBJECTIVE LOOK AT
THE FACTS, AT THE EVIDENCE