ACT WITH SUCH URGENCY TODAY. >> THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK
YOU MADAME SPEAKER AND TO MY
COLLEAGUES, GOOD MORNING, THE
FRAMERS OF THE CONSTITUTION
RECOGNIZED THAT SOME DAY A
PRESIDENT MIGHT COME TO OFFICE
WHO WOULD ABUSE THAT OFFICE,
BETRAY THE PUBLIC TRUST, AND
UNDERMINE NATIONAL SECURITY TO
SECURE FOREIGN HELP IN HIS
REELECTION.
REELECTION. AND WHO WOULD SEEK TO ABROGATE
THE POWER OF CONGRESS TO HOLD
HIM ACCOUNTABLE.
HIM ACCOUNTABLE. THEY RECOGNIZED THIS DANGER AND
THEY PRESCRIBED A REMEDY, AND
THAT REMEDY IS IMPEACHMENT.
IT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY REMEDY,
AND ONE THAT I HAVE BEEN
RELUCTANT TO RECOMMEND UNTIL THE
ACTIONS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP GAVE
CONGRESS NO ALTERNATIVE.
WE STAND HERE TODAY BECAUSE THE
PRESIDENT’S CONTINUING ABUSE OF
HIS POWER HAS LEFT US NO CHOICE.
TO DO NOTHING WOULD MAKE
OURSELVES COMPLICIT IN THE
PRESIDENT’S ABUSE OF HIS HIGH
OFFICE, THE PUBLIC TRUST AND OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY.
NATIONAL SECURITY. THE PRESIDENT’S MISCONDUCT IS AS
SIMPLE AND AS TERRIBLE AS THIS,
PRESIDENT TRUMP SOLICITED A
FOREIGN NATION, UKRAINE, TO
PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE INVESTIGATIONS
INTO HIS OPPONENT AND A BASELESS
CONSPIRACY THEORY PROMOTED BY
RUSSIA TO HELP HIS REELECTION
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. PRESIDENT TRUMP ABUSED THE POWER
OF HIS OFFICE BY CONDITIONING
TWO OFFICIAL ACTS TO GET UKRAINE
TO HELP HIS REELECTION.
THE RELEASE OF HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN MILITARY
AID THAT NATION DESPERATELY
NEEDED AND A WHITE HOUSE MEETING
WITH AN ALLY TRYING TO FEND OFF
RUSSIAN AGGRESSION.
RUSSIAN AGGRESSION. IN SO DOING, HE UNDERMINED OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY AND
JEOPARDIZED THE INTEGRITY OF OUR
NEXT ELECTION, AND HE DOES SO
STILL.
STILL. THE EVIDENCE OF THE PRESIDENT’S
MISCONDUCT IS OVERWHELMING AND
UNCONTESTED, AND HOW COULD IT
NOT BE WHEN THE PRESIDENT’S OWN
WORDS ON JULY 25th, I WOULD LIKE
YOU TO DO US A FAVOR, THOUGH,
LAY SO BEAR HIS INTENTIONS HIS
WILLNESS TO SACRIFICE THE
NATIONAL SECURITY FOR HIS OWN
PERSONAL INTERESTS.
PERSONAL INTERESTS. AND WHEN THE PRESIDENT GOT
CAUGHT, HE COMMITTED HIS SECOND
IMPEACHABLE ACT, OBSTRUCTION OF
CONGRESS OF THE VERY ABILITY TO
MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE IS ABOVE
THE LAW, NOT EVEN THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.
THE EVIDENCE IS EVERY BIT AS
STRONG THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
OBSTRUCTED CONGRESS FULLY,
WITHOUT PRECEDENT, AND WITHOUT
BASIS IN LAW.
IF ALLOWED TO STAND, IT WOULD
DECIMATE CONGRESS’S ABILITY TO
CONDUCT OVERSIGHT OF THIS
PRESIDENT OR ANY OTHER IN THE
FUTURE LEAVING THIS PRESIDENT
AND THOSE WHO FOLLOW TO BE FREE