Other important things that are going undone. Within this committees own jurisdiction we should be addressed in the opioid epidemic. We could be working together to find a solution to our immigration and asylum challenges on our southern border. We could be protecting americans for having their intellectual property and jobs stolen by Chinese Companies and we could be enhancing Election Security just to name a few things. Congress as a whole could be working on rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure. Providing additional tax relief to the nations middle class families and providing additional security to our people here at home and abroad. Instead, here we are spinning our wheels once again on impeachment. What a waste. The American People deserve so much better. I yield back. The Gentleman Yield back. Thank you, mr. Chair. I take no pleasure in the fact that we are here today. As a patriot who loves america,
it pains me that the circumstances forced us to undertake this grave and sol
there are five key meetings between president zelensky and senior officials in our government. five key meetings. the call on july 25. the next day we had ambassador volker, taylor, sondland made with president zelensky. ambassador bolton made with president zelensky in august. the vice president met with president zelensky on september 1 and we had two senators republican and democrat meet with president zelensky on september 5. none of those meetings, none of those five meetings was aid ever discussed in exchange for an announcement of an investigation of anybody. you would think that the last two after the ukrainians knew that the aid is being withheld, you would think it would come up then. particulate with senator murphy they re talking about it. it never came up. the facts are on the president side but we have an unfair
are they not stepping up or syria or whatever it is. seemed mutual in sense he was not seeking anything from anyone this was a view point. later youh a phone call with president august 31. i had a trip to visit president zelensky on september 5, a couple days before, i heard president was considering withholding the he has already provided this in was past, but now reconsidering, fiscal year end, first called up gordon sondland the day before, asking, what was happening, had was then. mark: the ambassador. ambassador son land, during that conversation. i can t tell you how gordon described it. but there was something in the works, trying to do something you know. president zelensky to do
we were the delegation. we felt it was important coming back, we were impressed with zelensky, he thought it was important to meet with the president, get him supportive of ukraine. we had a meeting in oal office may 23, this year, making a cup points. and appoint a ambassador that could get strong bipartisan support, we were encouraging president to show strong support for the people of ukraine. i was surprised at the president s reaction. which has been consistent throughout, he talked about level of corruption in ukraine. there is all kinds of spoke about milwauke mill hillary clin campaign. president zelensky got a mandated from ukrainian people to end corruption in ukraine. it is obvious, ukraine is a
the activities with ukraine. and the united states among other positions you hold in the united states senate. we have this document that came out, president s phone call, a transcript of it. with the president of ukraine. back in july. people are trying to democrats in media in particular, say that president was seeking a quid pro quo. i don t read this in here, you have some back ground on this. you had a meeting with president and others in may this year. in just that transcript, i read, that i think it is a gracious phone call on part of the president. i went to ukraine in may 20. to attend the inauguration of president zelensky, i went with secretary perry, gordon sondland and kirk volcker.