>> RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE.
>> THANK THE GENTLEMAN FRR
YIELDING.
MADAME SPEAKER, LET ME BE CLEAR.
LAST WEEK’S VIOLENT ATTACK ON
THE CAPITOL WAS UNDEMOCRATIC,
UN-AMERICAN AND CRIMINAL.
VIOLENCE IS NEVER A LEGITIMATE
FORM OF PROTEST.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND ASSEMBLY
UNDER THE CONSTITUTION IS ROOTED
IN NONVIOLENCE.
YET THE VIE LIGHTNING MOB THAT
DECEMBER ENDED UPON THIS BODY
WAS NEITHER PEACEFUL NOR
DEMOCRATIC.
IT ACTED TO DISRUPT CONGRESS’
CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
IT WAS ALSO AN ATTACK ON THE
PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THIS
INSTITUTION.
MEMBERS, STAFF, AND THE HUNDREDS
WHO WORK BEHIND THE SCENES SO
THAT WE CAN SERVE THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
THE GREATEST STATESMAN IN THE
HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY UNDER
THAT THE MOST DANGEROUS THREAT
TO FREEDOM IS LAWLESSNESS.
A YOUNG LAWYER NAMED ABRAHAM
LINCOLN SAID THERE’S NO
GRIEVANCE THAT’S A FIT OBJECT OF
REDRESS BY MOB LAW.
YET FOR SEVERAL HOURS LAST WEEK
MOB LAW TRIED TO INTERFERE WITH
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW.
SOME SAY THE RIOTS WERE CAUSED
BY ANTIFA.
THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO EVIDENCE
OF THAT.
AND CONSERVATIVES SHOULD BE THE
FIRST TO SAY SO.
CONSERVATIVES ALSO KNOW THAT THE
ONLY THING THAT STOPS MOB
VIOLENCE IS TO MEET IT WITH
FORCE ROOTED IN JUSTICE AND
BACKED BY MORAL COURAGE.
AND LAST WEEK WE SAW MOB
VIOLENCE MET BY COURAGE.
SACRIFICE AND HEROISM FROM THE
BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO PROTECT
THIS INSTITUTION EVERY DAY.
BUT FOR THE BRAVERY OF THE
CAPITOL POLICE, THE DESTRUCTION
AND LOSS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH
GREATER.
WE OWE THEM A TREMENDOUS DEBT OF
GRATITUDE.
THE LOSS OF OFFICER BRIAN
SICKNICK AND OFFICER HOWARD
LIEBENGOOD IS TRAGIC.
WE MOURN THEIR LOSS.
REMEMBER THEIR LIVES AND
CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR OUR
FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES.
THE OFFICERS OF THE CAPITOL
POLICE DESERVE OUR ETERNAL
THANKS.
WE’LL NEVER FORGET THE
DETERMINATION THEY SHOWED OR THE
SACRIFICES THEY MADE.
AND MAKE NO MISTAKE.
THOSE WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
WEDNESDAY’S CHAOS WILL BE
BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.
WHICH BRINGS ME TO TODAY’S
DEBATE.
I BELIEVE IMPEACHING THE
PRESIDENT IN SUCH A SHORT TIME
FRAME WOULD BE A MISTAKE.
NO INVESTIGATIONS HAVE BEEN
COMPLETED.
NO HEARINGS HAVE BEEN HELD.
WHAT’S MORE, THE SENATE HAS
CONFIRMED THAT NO TRIAL WILL
BEGIN UNTIL AFTER
PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN IS SWORN
IN.
BUT HERE IS WHAT A VOTE TO
IMPEACH WOULD DO.
A VOTE TO IMPEACH WOULD FURTHER
DIVIDE THIS NATION.
A VOTE TO IMPEACH WILL FURTHER
FAN THE FLAMES OF PARTISAN
DIVISION.
MOST AMERICANS WANT NEITHER
INACTION NOR RETRIBUTION.
THEY WANT DURABLE, BIPARTISAN
JUSTICE.
THAT PATH IS STILL AVAILABLE.
BUT IS NOT THE PATH WE ARE ON
TODAY.
THAT DOESN’T MEAN THE PRESIDENT
IS FREE FROM FAULT.
THE PRESIDENT BEARS
RESPONSIBILITY FOR WEDNESDAY’S
ATTACK ON CONGRESS BY MOB
RIOTERS.
HE SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY
DENOUNCED THE MOB WHEN HE SAW
WHAT WAS UNFOLDING.
THESE FACTS REQUIRE IMMEDIATE
ACTION BY PRESIDENT TRUMP.
ACCEPT HIS SHARE OF
RESPONSIBILITY.
QUELL THE BREWING UNREST.
AND ENSURE PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN
IS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY BEGIN
HIS TERM.
AND THE PRESIDENT’S IMMEDIATE
ACTION ALSO DESERVES
CONGRESSIONAL ACTION WHICH IS
WHY I THINK A FACT FINDING
COMMISSION AND A CENSURE
RESOLUTION IS PRUDENT.
UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS NOT WHERE
WE ARE TODAY.
TRULY THIS PAST WEEK IS ONE OF
THE MOST DIFFICULT FOR CONGRESS
AND OUR NATION.
OF ALL THE DAYS HERE, LAST
WEDNESDAY WAS THE WORST DAY I
HAVE EVER SEEN IN CONGRESS.
OUR COUNTRY IS DEEPLY HURT.
SO WHERE DO WE DOGO FROM HERE?
AFTER ALL THE VIOLENCE AND CHAOS
OF THE LAST WEEK, IS IT
IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER WE ARE
STILL HERE TO DELIVER A BETTER
FUTURE FOR ALL AMERICANS?
DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU ARE
LIBERAL, MODERATE OR
CONSERVATIVE.
ALL OF US MUST RESIST THE
TEMPTATION OF FURTHER
POLARIZATION.
WE MUST UNITE ONCE AGAIN AS
AMERICANS.
I UNDERSTAND FOR SOME THIS CALL
FOR UNITY THEY RING HOLLOW.
BUT TIMES LIKE THESE ARE WHEN WE
MUST REMEMBER WHO WE ARE AS
AMERICANS AND WHAT WE AS A
NATION STAND FOR.
AND AS HISTORY SHOWS, UNITY IS
NOT AN OPTION.
IT IS A NECESSITY.
IT IS AS NECESSARY TODAY AS IT
WAS AT THE START OF OUR COUNTRY.
I WANT US ALL TO THINK BACK TO
HOW JOHN ADAMS AND THE
FEDERALIST PARTY HANDED POWER
OVER TO JEFFERSON AND HIS PARTY
AFTER THE ELECTION OF 1800.
THAT ELECTION AND INDEED THAT
ERA IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVISIVE
EVER.
PARTISANS USED EVERY DIRTY TRICK
IN THE BOOK.
THEY DEMONIZED EACH OTHER,
DISMISSED REASONABLE DISSENT.
SOUND FAMILIAR?
THE ELECTION OF 1800 COULD HAVE
DESTROYED OUR YOUNG NATION BUT
INSTEAD OF BREAKING US IT HELPED
TO BRING US TOGETHER THEREBY
PRESERVING THE WORLD’S LAST BEST
HOPE OF FREEDOM.
AFTER A HARD FOUGHT BATTLE OVER
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE IN
CONGRESS ADAMS CONCEDED AND A
PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER, THE
FIRST IN AMERICAN HISTORY, TOOK
PLACE.
JEFFERSON FOR HIS PART PUT ASIDE
THE DIVISION OF THE ERA AND
PREACHED FORGIVENESS.
YES, UNITY.
IN HIS FIRST INAUGURAL ADDRESS
HE FAMOUSLY SAID EVERY
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION IS NOT A
DIFFERENCE OF PRINCIPLE.
JEFFERSON AND ADAMS DID NOT END
EVERY DIFFERENCE OF OPINION THAT
EXISTED IN AMERICA, NOR DID THEY
TRY.
IN A FREE COUNTRY AS BIG AND
DIVERSE AS OURS THAT WOULD BE
IMPOSSIBLE.
WHAT THEY DID IS MORE IMPORTANT.
THEY RERKZED THE DEEPER UNITY, A
UNITY ROOTED IN THE FAMOUS
PROPOSITION BOTH MEN HELPED TO
WRITE.
AT A CRITICAL MOMENT IN HISTORY
OUR FOUNDERS CHOSE PEACE,
LIBERTY, PARTNERSHIP OVER
TENSION, DIVISION AND
PARTISANSHIP.
FOR THE SAKE OF OUR COUNTRY WE
MUST MAKE THE EXACT SAME CHOICE.
WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN.
LAST WEEK DESPITE THE LINGERING
SHOCK AND AMID THE WINDOWS STILL
BROKEN WE DID WHAT ALL HEALTHY
DEMOCRACIES DO.
WE DEBATED AND WE VOTED.
IN THIS COUNTRY WE SOLVE OUR
DISPUTES AT THE BALLOT BOX AND
NOT -- THROUGH DEBATES AND VOTES
ON THE FLOOR OF THIS EXACT
CHAMBER.
WE DID OUR DUTY THEN AND WE MUST
DO MORE.
THE EYES OF THE NATION AND THE
WORLD ARE UPON US.
WE MUST SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY
AND HEAL AND GROW STRONGER.
AS LEADERS, OUR PLACE IN HISTORY
DEPENDS ON WHETHER WE CALL ON
OUR BETTER ANGELS AND REFOCUS
OUR EFFORTS TO WORK DIRECTLY FOR
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
UNITED WE CAN DELIVER PEACE,
STRENGTH AND PROSPERITY OUR
COUNTRY DESPERATELY NEEDS.
DIVIDED WE WILL FAIL.
WHAT WE SAW LAST WEEK WAS NOT
THE AMERICAN WAY.
NEITHER IS THE CONTINUED
RHETORIC THAT JOE BIDEN IS NOT
THE LEGITIMATE PRESIDENT.
LET’S BE CLEAR.
JOE BIDEN WILL BE SWORN IN AS
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
IN ONE WEEK BECAUSE HE WON THE
ELECTION.
AND THE PRESIDENCY AND THIS
CONGRESS WILL FACE IMMEDIATE
CHALLENGES THAT MUST BE
ADDRESSED.
I STAND READY TO ASSIST IN THAT
EFFORT.
WITH GOOD FAITH, GOODWILL AND AN
OPEN HAND.
THE UNITED STATES REMAINS
EXCEPTIONAL.
WE REMAIN EXTRAORDINARY.
IN THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS
WE MUST WORK TOGETHER, ALL OF
US, TO RECHARGE THE LIGHT OF OUR
SHINING CITY ON THE HILL.
HISTORY HAS SHOWN THERE’S A WAY.
HISTORY HAS GIVEN US A PATH.
JUST AS ADAMS AND JEFFERSON HAS
SHOWN, NOW IS THE MOMENT THAT WE
SHOULD DO THE EXACT SAME.
IN THESE TRYING TIMES MAY GOD
CONTINUE TO BLESS AMERICA.
AND LET’S CHART A COURSE THAT