COMMITTEE. NOW THE DISTINGUISHED CHAIR OF
THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, MR.
NADLER.
NADLER. THANK YOU, MADAME SPEAKER.
OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS,
THE INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEES OF
THE HOUSE HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN
AN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY INTO
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S EFFORTS
TO SOLICIT FOREIGN INTERFERENCE
IN THE 2020 ELECTIONS.
EFFORTS THAT COMPROMISED OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY AND THREATENED
THE INTEGRITY OF OUR 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.
PUBLIC TRUST. WHEN HE BETRAYS THAT TRUST AND
PUTS HIMSELF BEFORE COUNTRY, HE
ENGAGES THE CONSTITUTION, HE
ENDANGERS OUR DEMOCRACY, AND HE
ENDANGERS OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.
THE FRAMERS OF THE CONSTITUTION
PRESCRIBED A CLEAR REMEDY FOR
PRESIDENTS WHO SO VIOLATE THEIR
OATH OF OFFICE.
THAT IS THE POWER OF
IMPEACHMENT.
IMPEACHMENT. TODAY IN SERVICE OF OUR DUTY TO
THE CONSTITUTION AND TO OUR
COUNTRY, THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON
THE JUDICIARY IS INTRODUCING TWO
ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT CHARGING
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES DONALD J. TRUMP WITH
COMMITTING HIGH CRIMES AND
MISDEMEANORS.
MISDEMEANORS. THE FIRST ARTICLE IS FOR ABUSE
OF POWER.
OF POWER. IT IS AN IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE FOR
THE PRESIDENT TO EXERCISE THE
POWERS OF HIS PUBLIC OFFICE TO
OBTAIN AN IMPROPER PERSONAL
BENEFIT WHILE IGNORING OR
INJURING THE NATIONAL INTEREST.
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP DID WHEN HE SOLICITED AND
PRESSURED UKRAINE TO INTERFERE
IN OUR 2020 PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION, THUS DAMAGING OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY, UNDERMINING
THE INTEGRITY OF THE NEXT
ELECTION, AND VIOLATING HIS OATH
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THESE ACTIONS MOREOVER ARE
CONSISTENT WITH PRESIDENT
TRUMP’S PREVIOUS INVITATIONS OF
FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN OUR 2016
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. AND WHEN HE WAS CAUGHT, WHEN THE
HOUSE INVESTIGATED AND OPENED AN
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY, PRESIDENT
TRUMP ENGAGED IN UNPRECEDENTED
CATEGORICAL AND INDISCRIMINATE
DEFIANCE OF THE IMPEACHMENT
INQUIRY.
INQUIRY. THIS GIVES RISE TO THE SECOND
ARTICLE OF IMPEACHMENT FOR
OBSTRUCTION OF CONGRESS.
HERETO, WE SEE A FAMILIAR
PATTERN IN PRESIDENT TRUMP’S
MISCONDUCT.
MISCONDUCT. A PRESIDENT WHO DECLARES HIMSELF
ABOVE ACCOUNTABILITY, ABOVE THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND ABOVE
CONGRESS’S POWER OF IMPEACHMENT,
WHICH IS MEANT TO PROTECT
AGAINST THREATS TO OUR
DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS IS A
PRESIDENT WHO SEES HIMSELF AS
ABOVE THE LAW.
WE MUST BE CLEAR, NO ONE, NOT
EVEN THE PRESIDENT, IS ABOVE THE
LAW.
LAW. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE GREAT
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE
INVESTIGATIVE CHAIRS,
INVESTIGATIVE CHAIRS, PARTICULARLY INTELLIGENCE
PARTICULARLY INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ADAM SCHIFFS
FOREIGN AFFAIRS ELLIOT ENGEL,
THE LATE ELIJAH CUMMINGS AND NEW
CHAIRMAN CAROLYN MALONEY,
FINANCIAL SERVICES CHAIRWOMAN
MAX
MAX MAX
MAX MAXINE WATERS AND RICHARD NEIL
WHO HELPED LAY THE FOUNDATION
FOR THE ARTICLES WE ARE
INTRODUCING TODAY.
INTRODUCING TODAY. I ALSO WANT TO THANK ANY
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE COLLEAGUES
WHO ARE CRITICAL IN OUR WORK TO
HOLD THE PRESIDENT ACCOUNTABLE
IN THE DRAFTING OF THESE
ARTICLES.
ARTICLES. LATER THIS WEEK, THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE WILL MEET TO CONSIDER
THESE ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT
AND TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO
THE FULL HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES.
REPRESENTATIVES. WE DO NOT TAKE THIS ACTION
LIGHTLY.
LIGHTLY. BUT WE HAVE TAKEN AN OATH TO
DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION.
AND UNLIKE PRESIDENT TRUMP, WE
UNDERSTAND THAT OUR DUTY FIRST
AND FOREMOST IS TO PROTECT THE
CONSTITUTION AND TO PROTECT THE
INTERESTS OF THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. THAT IS WHY WE MUST TAKE THIS
SOLEMN STEP TODAY.
ELECTIONS ARE THE CORNER STONE
OF DEMOCRACY AND FOUNDATIONAL TO
THE RULE OF LAW.
THE INTEGRITY OF OUR NEXT
ELECTION IS AT RISK FROM A
PRESIDENT WHO IS ALREADY SOUGHT
FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN THE 2016