European union. What does President Trump ask sondland the day after this call . What does the president want to know . Did he ask about ukraines efforts to battle corruption . Of course not. Did he ask how the war with russia was going . Not a chance. On the phone his voice loud enough for others to hear, President Trump asked sondland, so hes going to do the investigation . And the answer was clear, sondland assured trump that the ukrainian president was going to do it. And that he would do anything you asked him to. If that wasnt telling enough, my colleagues, in a conversation that followed, an american Diplomat Dining with sondland asked if it was true that President Trump didnt give a blank about ukraine . Sondland agreed saying president cared only about big stuff. The diplomat noted that there was big stuff in ukraine like a war with russia. And sondland replied that the president cared only about big stuff that benefits him personally like the Biden Investigation that mr. Giuliani was pushing. In that short conversation, we learned everything we need to know about the 45th president of the United States. He doesnt care about ukraine or the impact on our National Security caused by withholding military aid to that country fighting for its democratic life. All that matters to this president is what affects him personally, an investigation into his political rival and a chance to cheat in the next election. As Professor Gerhardt testified
two weeks ago, if what we are talking about is not impeachable, then nothing is impeachable. Even as this body uncovered the facts of this ukraine scheme, even as we opened an Impeachment Inquiry, even as we gathered evidence, President Trump continued his efforts to seek foreign help in the next election. Well, i would think, he said from the white house lawn on october 3rd, that if theyre being honest about it, theyd start a Major Investigation into the bidens. Its a very simple answer, he said. And he made it clear its an open invitation to other nations as well saying china should start an investigation into the bidens, too. President trump sent his Chief Of Staff to the white house podium and he told the world that of course they had linked aid to investigations. And that we should just get over
it. And even as these articles have made their way to this house floor, the president s personal attorney has continued pursuing these sham investigations on behalf of his client, the president. The president and his men plot on, the danger persists, the risk is real, our democracy is at peril. But we are not without a remedy prescribed by the founders for just these circumstances. Impeachment. The only question is will we use it . Or have we fallen pray to another evil that the founders forewarned, the elevation of party over country. Many of my colleagues appeared to have made their choice to protect the president , to enable
him to be above the law, to empower this president to cheat again as long as it is in the service of their party and their power. Theyve made their choice. Despite this president and the white house stonewalling every subpoena, every request for witnesses, and testimony from this coequal branch of government, they have made their choice knowing that to allow this president to obstruct congress will impower him and any other president that follows to be as corrupt, as negligent, or as abusive of the power of the presidency as they choose. They have made their choice, and i believe they will root the day that they did. When donald j. Trump was sworn in on january 20th, 2017, he repeated these words. I do solemnly swear that i will faithfully execute the office of the president of the United States and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States. Has he lived up to that sacred obligation . Has he honored his Oath Of Office . Has he preserved, protected, and defended the constitution of the United States, the uncontested evidence provides the simple yet tragic answer, he has not. In america, no one is above the law. Donald j. Trump sacrificed our National Security in an effort to cheat in the next election. And for that and his continued efforts to seek foreign interference in our elections, he must be impeached. I reserve the balance of my
time. Gentleman from north dakota. Madam chair, its nice to see you here, chairman schiff. It wouldve been nice to have either you or the whistleblower present in either the judiciary or the oversight hearings. And i think we are continuing to neglect the four key facts of this. The transcript is out, everybody can read it. The American People can read it. There is no conditionality or aid discussed on that call. Yes, maam . Go ahead. The two principles on that call, President Trump and president zelensky said there was no pressure. President zelensky has basically screamed from the rooftops on numerous occasions that there was no pressure, no bribery, no quid pro quo. The Ukrainian Government got the money and didnt know the aid was being paused, and no investigation was announced that a meeting with the president took place and it was released. With that i would yield reminded to address the remarks to the chair. And with that i would yield a minute and a half of my time for
my friend from missouri, mr. Smith. Thank you, madam speaker. Madam speaker, i come from a state that raises corn and cotton, and democrats. Your frothy el consequence neither convinces. Im from the show me state. You have to show me. The only thing that you all have shown so far is that youre about to impeach a duly elected president who has done nothing wrong. Democrats are not impeaching the president because they are scared of our republic or that he has committed a crime. They are impeaching him because they fear the president s policies. And how well they are working for the American People. Most of all they fear the election because they know they cant beat them. In fact, one of my democrat colleagues is quoted stating im
concerned if we dont impeach him he will get reelected. This kind of rhetoric is disgusting. Impeachment is not a political weapon. And any member who votes for impeachment should be ashamed today. You cannot undo the results of the 2016 election simply because your flawed candidate did not win. And thank god she didnt. Over the last three years, unemployment has dropped to the lowest point in generations. We are seeing better Trade Agreements with our Trading Partners and record numbers of taxes and regulations that stifle Economic Growth have been rolled back all thanks to President Trumps leadership and commitment. But we shouldnt be surprised. Democrats have introduced articles of impeachment can i have one 30 seconds . Well yield him 15 seconds. This is very important. We shouldnt be surprised,
democrats have introduced articles of impeachment in five out of our last six republican president s. They are the party of impeachment. The democrats are the party of impeachment. The gentleman yields back. And once men members are admonished to address their remarks to the chair. Gentleman from california. Thank you, madam speaker. It is my pleasure to yield two minutes to the gentleman from california, mr. Swalwell. Mr. Swalwell is recognized for two minutes. Donald trump is using the presidency to put his own personal gain above our National Interests. He is using our Taxpayer Dollars and foreign interference to cheat the next election, and it jeopardizes our National Security and integrity at the ballot box. And not a single fact in this case is seriously in dispute. I asked my colleagues, who sent his personal lawyer to ukraine to investigate his political rival . Who fired an ambassador who
stood in his way . Who conditioned a white house meeting on investigations that only personally benefitted him and not the National Interest . Who cut off military aid to an ally that desperately needed it . Who pressured president zelensky to conduct those investigations . Who stood on the white house lawn and asked not only ukraine to investigate his rival but also china. Who has buried evidence and blocked witnesses from testifying . And who is still today sending his personal lawyer to ukraine to dig up dirt and rig an election . The answer to all of these questions is president donald trump. This is a crime spree in progress, but we know how to stop it. Courage. Yes, this investigation has shown us how corrupt President Trump is. But its also shown us the courage of some of our fellow patriotic Civil Servants who
have used their courage to not only stand up Around The World to extinguish corruption but also to extinguish it at the white house. How . Well, my colleagues argue no harm, no foul, ukraine got the aid. Wrong. Trump cheated. Patriots caught him. Then ukraine got the aid. Standing up, turns out, works. Now is the time to summon the courage of those patriots and to summon the courage that they showed against donald trump. If they can risk their careers, even their lives, to do the right thing, can my colleagues also do the same . After all, more is on the line than just military aid to an ally. Our National Security is at stake. Stand up for that. Our Election Integrity is at stake. Stand up for that. And our constitutions at stake. Stand up for that. I yield back. The gentleman from north dakota. Madam speaker, may i inquire as to the time remaining on each
side . The gentleman has one hour and 23 and a fourths minutes remaining and the gentleman from california has one hour and 18 minutes remaining. I appreciate the detail. With that i yield one and a half minutes to the gentleman from ohio, mr. Johnston. The gentleman is recognized for one and a half minutes. Madam speaker, this is a sad day for america. This partisan impeachment sham seeks to disenfranchise 63 million American Voters. So i want to use my time to call on this chamber, for members to rise and observe a moment of silent reflection. To give every member here the chance to pause for a moment and remember the voices of the 63
million American Voters the democrats today are wanting to silence. Madam speaker, disenfranchising 63 million voters gives me 63 million reasons to vote no. And i urge my colleagues to do the same. Gentleman yields back. Gentleman from california. Madam speaker, Its My Pleasure to yield 2 minutes to
the gentlelady from alabama. Madam speaker, it is with a heavy heart and a profound sense of the graft of this moment that i rise today in support of the impeachment of president donald j. Trump. To be clear, i did not run for congress to impeach a president. I came to work every day on behalf of the hardworking people of alabamas seventh congressional district. But the facts are uncontested. The truth is clear. And i have been left no other choice. As a member of the Intelligence Committee, i sat in shock, in awe, as witness after witness came forward. Their stories painting a clear picture of the president s abuse of power. They testified that the president had direct orders to withhold vital military aid for ukraine and a white house visit in exchange for investigation into the bidens. To date, all the military aid
has not been released. And there still has been no white house meeting. The bottom line is clear. President trump endangered our National Security and the very essence of our democracy for his own personal, political gain. Then, President Trump sought to cover it up by subverting the overnight authority of congress. If president ial abuse of power is left unchecked, we all become accomplices when he does it again. This cannot become the new normal, not on our watch. While President Trumps indefensible actions set in motion this event, my vote for impeachment today is not about the president. It is about my oath to defend and protect the constitution of this United States of america and to make sure that i uphold and honor the sacred trust that my constituents gave me. President trump has betrayed his Oath Of Office. Let us not betray ours. I yield back the balance of my time. Gentleman from north dakota. Im from oh, youre back. From georgia. Thank you, madam speaker. Im back. Also noticed some changes around here since we left. And i notice i have a new manager on The Other Side who, as i came back in from getting a quick bite, noticed gave an eloquent defense of this story were telling. I just wish i could have had that same eloquence where he could have been asked questions instead of just giving one side. The gentleman is recognized for a minute and a half. Thank you. Madam speaker, today will forever be remembered as a stain on our republic. These Impeachment Proceedings are not based upon facts, evidence, reason, or any inappropriate or impeachable actions by our president. Instead, the actions being taken by those favoring impeachment
are a product of their disdain for President Trump, his americafirst agenda, and particularly a disdain by the other party for the 63 million americans that elected him as president. Again, these articles of impeachment are not based on any facts but rather on hearsay, presumptions, innuendo, and feelings. Feelings by democrats and Career Bureaucrats who have wanted President Trump removed from office since the day he was elected. In defense of the constitution, i urge all members to oppose both articles of impeachment. It is unclear who will judge those voting for impeachment today more harshly. History or voters . So, i want democrats voting for impeachment today to know that ill be praying for them from the gospel of luke, the 23rd chapter, verse 34. And jesus said, father, forgive
them for they know not what they do. Thank you and i yield back. The gentleman from california. Madam speaker, my colleagues have referred to Patriotic Americans who testified before the Intelligence Committee as Career Bureaucrats. I want to remind people just who those Career Bureaucrats are. Theyre people like ambassador bill taylor who has served this country for decades, graduated top in his class at west point, served during vietnam in combat, earned a bronze star. Theyre people like Colonel Vindman served in iraq, earned a purple heart. Theyre people like ambassador marie yovanovitch, served in dangerous places all over the world, one of the most respected of all of our Foreign Service officers. These are the people that my colleagues would perjoratively label as Career Bureaucrats. And why . Because they have the courage to answer a subpoena to come and testify. And for this theyre called Career Bureaucrats. Well, we should have more Career Bureaucrats of that caliber. Im pleased toyearold one minute to the gentleman from california, mr. Costa. Madam speaker, i rise with a heavy heart. The two most difficult votes any member of congress ever asked to cast is to vote to go to war or to impeach. Today i will vote for the articles of impeachment. Over the last few minutes i have listened carefully to my constituents. I have weighed all of the available information to determine whether or not the president committed any wrongdoing. There are disturbing facts from this administration that informed my decision including the president s own words. His ambassador to the European Union testified there was a quid pro quo to withhold aid to ukraine for an investigation into former Vice President biden and that everyone was in the
loop. His own National Security adviser john bolton said he wanted nothing to do with this drug deal as he called it. And the president only acknowledged that china and ukraine should investigate mr. Biden. Theres much more evidence pointing to the president violating his own Oath Of Office. I have not made this decision lightly. But i must uphold my Oath Of Office because i believe the president has failed to uphold his Oath Of Office. The weight of history and my belief in the constitution of the United States and our own National Security interests have led me to this vote. And i yield back the balance of my time. Gentleman from georgia. Thank you, madam speaker. It is interesting to say, and i appreciate anybody who would come and give testimony. But it is interesting to see that the same chairman who just spoke eloquently about those who testified would have to dismiss completely almost anything completely by mr. Volker or mr. Morrison. But at least they had the ability and willingness to come and testify, unlike the chairman who wrote a report. Gentle ladys recognized for a minute and a half. Madam speaker, i rise today in strong opposition to the politically driven articles of impeachment that have been brought before the House Of Representatives today. For the past three years democrats have been unable to accept the voters choice to elect President Trump. They have used any and all undemocratic and unfair means necessary to try and remove him from office. My vote today is not only against illegitimate impeachment of our president which began not with facts but with a foregone conclusion. It is against House Democrats making a mockery of due process and the rule of law. This will not go anywhere in the senate. So all democrats have accomplished is postponing the important work of the American People sent their elected officials to washington to do. This endless crusade to remove the president has put partisan politics above the issues that america has faced today. Its time democrats stop playing
partisan games that hurt hardworking taxpayers. Its time for the American People to be congresspriority again. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting no and i yield back the balance of my time. Gentleman from california. Thank you, madam speaker. I am more than delighted to refer to the testimony Ambassador Volker and mr. Morrison. Ambassador volker who acknowledged that in retrospect he shouldve recognized that when they were calling for investigations of burisma, it really meant the bidens and that to ask a foreign leader to investigate a political rival was wrong. Happy to refer to his testimony as well as mr. Morrison who went to the National Security council lawyer immediately after he listened to that telephone call, and who also testified that he was informed by ambassador sondland that the president Wanted Zelensky in a public box, that he wanted him to be forced to go to the mic and announce
these sham investigations, happy to refer to their testimony as well, and now happy to recognize the gentlewoman from california for two minutes, representative spear. Gentlelady is recognized for two minutes. My father fled nazi germany for america because he saw what happened when a despot became untethered. He fled because he believed in democracy and the rule of law and the right to vote. Before he died he asked to be buried in a simple pine box with an American Flag to symbolize his love of this country. Today we are called upon to do our duty out of love of country. The president stands accused. We must judge him as we judge any of our fellow citizens on the facts and on the law. The facts show that the president s north star is russia, not the constitution. There is no question that
President Trump delayed military aid to ukraine, our ally, as they were under attack by russia, our adversary. There is no question the president withheld a meeting with president zelensky at the white house giving russia the upper hand in these negotiations with ukraine. There is no question that President Trump promoted the russian hoax that ukraine attacked our election in 2016. A canard that has been proven to be a lie, a russian lie. The only question is his motive. The fact is his conduct and crimes are reprehensible and unquestionably impeachable. When i vote today, my fathers legacy is deep, very deep within me. My father loved america, and i love america. And that is why i will vote to impeach the president of the United States. I yield back. Gentleman from georgia. Thank you, madam speaker. I see how this is playing out. Instead of coming to testify for
seven or eight hours, we are going to do it in pot shots. But lets talk about mr. Volker. He never testified that anyone wanted to investigate Vice President biden. What he did testify to, which was left out was that if the ukrainians are doing bad things place hunter biden on the board of burisma to avoid anything, that needed to be investigated and found out. Lets at least tell the story. Again, had plenty of time to do this in an actual hearing, not here. This is what they want, this is what theyve been wanting, the majority has played this the whole time. So we will play this out as long as they want to. It wouldve been better though if they actually had a case to admit it in a proper setting instead of not coming and not testifying. With that i yield a minute and a half to the gentleman from texas, mr. Weber. Thank you, madam speaker. You know, its very interesting to hear the socialistic Left Democrats that have a newfound appreciation for the founders principles. Life, liberty, And The Pursuit Of Happiness as well. Madam speaker, history tells us
the first three impeachments in this country crimes were involved. Johnson violated a law that congress had just passed over his veto. Nixon was involved in a coverup from watergate. Crimes, all instances of crimes now comes a Socialistic Leaning Ostensibly reading the president s minds knowing what his intent was and dictating to us and the witnesses that were in the hearings was his mindset was and that quite frankly they didnt believe he had the right to be in charge of Foreign Policy. We heard ambassadors, and, yes, we heard Career Bureaucrats, career diplomats, whatever you want to call them, they get to ride the bus, they dont get to drive the bus. The president is in charge of Foreign Policy. They said the president had the audacity to use his judgment on Foreign Policy instead of theirs. Opinions, opinions, suppositions
indeed. The very swamp he is draining is objecting. Who knew . Who knew . Today now during the earlier rule debate comes a foreign manager from The Other Side, siding not facts witnesses, but newspaper articles, cnn, usa opinions, editorials, unbelievable, madam speaker. Americans are watching. That these are delusional and in deep yogurt. I yield back. Gentleman from california. I would just remind my colleagues that Ambassador Volker said that the attacks on joe biden were meritless and he tried to persuade mr. Giuliani that there was no factual support for them. Proud to recognize the gentleman from georgia, mr. Lewis, for two minutes. The gentlemans recognized for two minutes. Madam speaker, i want to thank the gentleman for
yielding. Madam speaker, i rise with a heavy heart to support this resolution. We came to washington in 1961 to go on a freedom rise. We chose that day. We came here on august 28, 1963 for the march on washington, it was joyceful. We met with a young president , president john kennedy. We came here on august 6, 1965 for the signing for the Voting Rights act. We were excited, hopeful we met president lyndon johnson. But today we didnt ask for this. This is a sad day. It is not a day of joy. Our nation is founded on the principle that we do not have
kings, we have president s. And the constitution is our compass. When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something. Our children and their children will ask us what did you do . What did you say . For some this vote may be hard. But we have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history. I yield back the balance of my time. Gentleman from georgia. Thank you, madam speaker. I always like to be polite and i do appreciate the gentleman of california confirming everything i said in my statement a few minutes ago. With that i yield. Since 20 it 16 americas seen a pattern of failed and disproven attacks and
allegations against President Trump. Today is the fourth impeachment related vote since President Trump took office. Its yet another attempt to reach their predetermined conclusion of impeachment, a conclusion built on political bias, accusations, and innuendo. These repetitive and false allegations reveal a political obsession disguised as some kind of righteous oversight. When they didnt win at the ballot box they pursued a russian collusion. When the russian collusion malicious conception didnt work, democrats sought a new path forward to impeach President Trump. They created hearings complete with witness auditions held in the basement of the capitol. Despite all their efforts, the charges the house considers today lack evidence to support them. There wasnt one witness that said a crime or impeachable
offense was committed. Madam speaker, i remind my colleagues no crime, no Impeachable Offense. Thats a pretty good defense if you ask me. I will work diligently to further reveal the truths and further reveal the abuses of power, madam speaker, that democrats paid for and enacted during the last three years. Abuses of power from The Other Side of the aisle within this body and within our fbi. Americans deserve the truth. All in all, the political impeachment that set the president for president s to be impeached every time there is a divided government. I oppose the articles before us today. And i yield back to The Other Side and their superior imaginations. Gentleman from california. I am proud to recognize the gentleman friday. Will, mr. Quigley, for two
minutes. Indeed, we are here today because the president of the United States abused his power and betrayed his Oath Of Office. He said siege to the foundation of our democracy, the electoral process. These agencies opposed a direct threat to the freedom and fairness of the upcoming 2020 election. The very day after Robert Mueller testified that russia had systematically and relentlessly attacked the 2016 election, the president picked up the phone and made his now infamous July 25th Call to ukrainian president zelensky, asking the president zelensky to, quote, do us a favor though and announced investigations into his political rival joe biden. We have since learned from u. S. National Security Council and state Department Officials the president did not even expect ukraine to open these investigations. Rather, he just wanted them announced so he could smear his rival. Rather than trusting who should hold the white house, he again
sought the aid of a foreign country to tip the scales in favor again. After russias unprecedented interference, a dark cloud hung over the 2016 election. And instead of leading the American People out from under the cloud, the president instead emboldened by perceived lack of consequence, attempted to Pressure Zelensky to interfere in the 2020 election. After a courageous whistleblower came forward and warned congress and the public about the president s scheme, the president stood on the white house lawn in front of tv cameras broadcasting Around The World and called for china to interfere too. Some of my colleagues have asked why not wait, why are we proceeding . Thats very simple. Because nothing could be more urgent. We are on the precipice of the 2020 election and congress has the responsibility to protect our right to vote, to defend the integrity of our elections, and to fulfill our duty to the constitution. I will be voting in favor of
impeachment today, and i yield back. Gentleman from georgia. Thank you, madam speaker. At this point i yield one minute to the gentleman from colorado. The gentleman is recognized for one minute. Madam speaker, anyone watching this Impeachment Cig should look out for three misrepresentations the democrats are making. One, trump endangered National Security. No, the 55day delay did not stop the ukrainians from defending themselves. Trump actually gave them lethal aid which obama never did. During obamas negligence, democrats said nothing. Two, trump is not above the law. No one is, but why Dont The Democrats tell us what law he broke. They cant because he didnt break any. So democrats have reverted to abuse of power and obstruction of justice. The evidence is very much in dispute. In fact for every statement, democrats cherrypick to indict trump, many more statements back up the president. In reality, this is nothing but a partisan ploy by democrats to overturn an election. But this charade will fail, and the senate will exonerate trump, and everyone knows it. Gentleman yields back. Gentleman from california. I am proud to recognize the gentleman from texas, mr. Castro, for two minutes. As my colleagues have said, the evidence of the president s abuse of power and obstruction of congress is uncontested. But lets outline a few key events involving the nearly 400 million in military aid that was held ul by President Trump and for President Trump despite congressional mandate. The summer of 2019 was a summer of shame at the white house. On july 3rd, the white house first blocks Security Assistance money for ukraine with no explanation. On july 10th, Gordon Sondland states during a white house meeting with ukrainian officials that they will get a white house
meeting only after announcing an investigation into President Trumps political rival. On july 1th, a white house staffer announces the freeze on aid per president ial order. And one day before Robert Muellers testify before congress, President Trump makes the now infamous phone call with zelensky asking him to investigate the bidens. Then things start to fall apart. See, the white house learns that a whistleblower has reported President Trumps phone call with president zelensky in a complaint. And on september 9th, Congress Starts to investigate the president s actions. And then the jig is up. On september 11th, the aid is suddenly released without explanation over two months later. When you read the call transcript and follow the timeline i have laid out, guilty is guilty. Nothing changed during that time regarding the president s supposed concerns over
corruption. So lets be clear. The military aid was released because the president got caught. But getting caught doesnt get you off the hook. And i ask my colleagues, is attempted murder a crime . Is it attempted robbery a crime . Is attempted extortion and bribery by a president a crime . Yes, it is. And the only question now is whether we will find the moral courage to stand up for our country and impeach the president of the United States. I yield back. Gentleman from georgia. Thank you, madam speaker. At this time i yield a minute and a half to the gentleman from alabama, mr. Paul. Madam speaker, i rise in opposition to the impeachment of President Trump. Today is the day that diminishes the reputation and stature of the United States House Of Representatives, a day i never dreamed id see. Today my democratic colleagues seek to overturn an election by forcing a vote that will forever be a stain on this congress. They are not just voting to impeach President Trump, my colleagues are voting to impeach the judgment of every person who voted for him and the process by which we elect a president and by which we will govern our nation. My democrat colleagues claim the russians influenced the outcome of the 2016 election. But it appears my colleagues have been influenced by how russia conducts political trials, no real evidence, no due process and no justice. The democrats have failed to show any legitimate justification for the impeachment of President Trump. When they could not find real evidence they made it up and called it a parody. They conducted most of the hearings in secret. They constructed witnesses not to answer republican members questions and they denied republicans right to call witnesses making it absolutely clear their objective was from the beginning pathetically political. We all understand that elections have consequences. To all my colleagues, democrat and republicans alike, this day will surely have consequences as
well, as we descend into more disrespect, distrust, and even contempt that will eventually be destructive of this chamber. And i fear eventually our republic. I urge all members to vote no on impeachment. I yield back. Gentleman from california. I thank the speaker. Very quickly my colleagues have made repeated references to some secret proceedings in some secret chamber. This is apparently what they call depositions. I remind my colleagues that when they were in the majority they conducted depositions, but they were different in this respect. In the depositions we conducted in the Intelligence Committee, over 100 members were able to participate. Thats how secret they were. We revealed all of the transcripts of those depositions. The repetition of this falsehood does not make it true. It only makes the falsehood that much more deliberate. With that i am pleased to recognize the gentleman from michigan for two minutes. The gentleman is recognized for two minutes. Thank you, madam speaker. I rise today in support of these articles of impeachment. I come to this floor not as a democrat, not as a republican, but as an american, who cares deeply about the constitution, the rule of law, and the rights of the people. Under our system of government, impeachment is not about Policy Disagreements or ineffective governance. Nor is it about criminality based on statutes that did not exist at the time our constitution was written. Impeachment is about maintaining the integrity of the office of the presidency and ensuring that Executive Power is directed toward proper ends in accordance with the law. The constitution grants the house the sole power of impeachment, and the senate the sole power to try all impeachments. We in the house Are Empowered to charge impeachable conduct. The constitution describes such conduct as High Crimes And Misdemeanors because it pertains
to high office and relates to the misuse of that office. We need not rely on any other branch or body to endorse our determinations. We have the sole power of impeachment. In federalist number 65, Alexander Hamilton wrote that High Crimes And Misdemeanors, quote, are those offenses which proceed for the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust. They are of a nature which may, with peculiar proprietary, be political as they relate chiefly to injuries done immediately to the society itself, end quote. President donald j. Trump has abused and violated the public trust by using his high office to solicit the aid of a foreign power, not for the benefit of the United States of america but instead for his personal and political gain. His actions reflect precisely the type of conduct the framers
of the constitution intended to remedy through the power of impeachment, and it is our duty to impeach him. I yield back. Gentleman from georgia. Thank you, madam speaker. Undoubtedly the House Resolution 660 does not matter to the majority, and particularly the manager because his transcript has not been released. There has not been documents transferred that were supposed to be transferred to the white house. We are still not sure we got everything we are supposed to get in judiciary committee. I guess when you want to be trance parent and open, you hold it in a skiff and do whatever you want. With that i yield to mr. Steube. Thank you, madam speaker. This Impeachment Charade did not start with a whistleblower complaint. The campaign to impeach a duly elected president and overturn the will of 63 million americans started 19 minutes after the president took the Oath Of Office, 19 minutes after the Washington Post published a story headlined the campaign to impeach President Trump has begun. The first day of this congress on day one, democratic member of my class called for the impeachment of the president
long before the call to the ukraine. Then it was the russia collusion hoax, then obstruction of justice, then bribery, then quid pro quo, none of which are included in these articles before us today. The first article of impeachment is not an enumerated basis in the constitution for impeachment. The democratic majority would have you believe that abuse of power is a high crime or misdemeanor. It is not. It is an opinion. It is not even a crime than can be charged in a court of law unlike nixon and clinton who were tried for actual laws. The second Article Obstruction Of Congress Again Doesnt Exist In The Constitution as a basis for impeachment, and is attempting to impeach a duly elected president for asserting constitutionallybased privileges that have been asserted on a bipartisan basis by administrations of both Political Parties throughout our nations history. This house is impeaching a president over a phone call to another world leader. A few lines in a Phone Transcript that have been completely and utterly misrepresented by the majority. The process that ensued was
anything but open, bipartisan, or equitable, abandoning all Paths To Historical Due Process afforded the minority and the president. The democrats ran a partisan investigation refusing the rights and minority, refusing the ability for the president s counsel to call witnesses, to crossexamine fact witnesses and refusing a minority hearing day just to name a few. The majority waves around a report drafted that the democratic staff concocted as a matter of fact. They paraded out liberal professors with animus against the president. House democrats are making themselves kings in a manner far worse and more obvious than what they are accusing the president of doing. The only abuse of power here is the democraticled congress. I yield back. Gentleman from california. Speaker, i am proud to yield one minute to the gentleman from california. When i was 18 years old, i joined the United States navy
and took the oath to support and defend the constitution for the first time. I took that oath again earlier this year as a member of congress. And every day i work hard to live by that oath and give the 39th district the representation it deserves. I have always maintained that impeachment is a serious undertaking and must be done with incredible care. When the allegations against the president and his interactions with ukraine were first reported, i thought it was congresss duty to investigate and find out the truth. And now the facts are before congress and the American People. The president betrayed his oath to support and defend the constitution by attempting to undermine the integrity of our election for his own personal benefit. He asked a Foreign Government to investigate a political rival and endanger on our National Security by withholding military aid to an ally. For me its not about personal politics or party affiliation. Its about upholding my oath to put our country and our constitution first and protect our National Security. This is why i will vote to move forward with the impeachment of the president. I hope all my colleagues will
join me in recognizing this grave threat and stand up to this administration in defense of our country and our constitution. With that i yield back the balance of the time. I yield a minute and a half to the gentleman from tennessee. Going back almost three years to when the president was sworn into office, we seen some members on The Other Side of the aisle pledging and promising to impeach President Trump. Prior to the start of this inquiry, Speaker Pelosi claimed that the impeachment must be compelling, overwhelming, and bipartisan. The Impeachment Inquiry was announced less than three months ago. And what we know is that the process has been fast, faulty, and flawed. What weve witnessed since September 24th when the inquiry was announced is that the evidence weve seen is not compelling. Its not overwhelming. And the process is undoubtedly and unquestionably not bipartisan. Im viewing this through the
lens of a former United States attorney. And as we take this vote, here is the bottom line for the American People. There was no bribery. There was no extortion. There was no quid pro quo. There were no High Crimes And Misdemeanors committed by the president. And i yield back. Gentleman from california. I now recognize the gentlewoman from california for one minute. The gentleladys recognized for one minute. Madam speaker, we know that President Trump withheld needed military aid to ukraine. We know that he used it to demand ukraine interfere in the 2020 election for his own benefit. And we know that ukraine knew. None of these facts have been disputed. Instead the white house has tried to hide the truth. But the president is not above the law. Nobody is. Corruption and obstruction, the
president is guilty of both. The blatant abuse of power was made clear from over 100 hours of testimony before three committees and was clear in the call summary released by the white house. The obstruction has been made clear by the president s refusal to cooperate at every turn, even when ordered by a court. Setting a precedent that any president can abuse their power to interfere in our elections is an existential threat to our democracy. Its also a betrayal of the Oath Of Office and the constitution. Theyre in fulfillment of my oath Oath Of Office, its with solemn purpose today that i vote to impeach president donald trump. At this time i yield a minute and a half to the gentleman from
ohio. Madam speaker, democrats started with quid pro quo, that didnt work so well. Then it was bribery, extortion. Then they brought their witnesses in, and not one could answer if they saw any evidence of bribery, extortion, or any crime when questioned. It was just silence. Then the witnesses they always testified i heard this and heard this, and so and so. When the democrats brought their star witness in, ambassador sondland, when asked he said i presume the aid was held up. I presumed . The testimony was all hearsay, conjecture, and assumptions. So now its abuse of power with no underlying crime, which is opinion. Abuse of power to the democrats is they dont like his policies or he treated a reporter harshly. Obstruction of congress, you know, there are three coequal branches of government. When the Executive Branch and the legislative branch have an impasse, thats when the Judicial Branch intervenes. They didnt do that. The democrats didnt sought out that route. Every president including george
washington couldve been impeached based on these factless articles. There is no crime, there is no victim, as ukraine received their aid before September 30th deadline, and no witnesses that witnessed anything. This isnt about the law. Its politics. And its worse. Its disgraceful. Its time to end this charade and scam on the American People. I urge everybody to vote no on these articles of impeachment. I yield back. Gentleman from california. Madam speaker, happy to remind my colleagues of ambassador sondlands testimony. He posed the question, was there a quid pro quo . The answer is, yes. When he was asked about a quid pro quo involving the military aid, he said it was as clear as two plus two equals four. I am pleased to yield one minute to the gentle woman from illinois. Gentle ladys recognized for one minute. It is my adult son, ian, whom i will always credit for my decision last june to support an Impeachment Inquiry. It had never been my goal to impeach a president. But ian made such a compelling case. He reminded me of the oath i have taken 11 times now. To support and defend the constitution of the United States. He said, mom, this is not about politics. This is not about party. And pushing back against my arguments, he said, this has nothing to do with the final outcome. Its about doing the right thing. Even if others dont. He made me see that it was about my legacy, my modest place in history. I want to thank you, my son, for helping me do the right thing today. To vote to impeach the president of the United States, donald trump, because no american is above the law. And i yield back. Gentleman from georgia. Thank you, madam speaker. I also would like to remind the gentleman from california, mr. Sondland also said he had no direct evidence. He presumed that that was going on. I guess were back to presumption again. Minute and a half to the gentleman from texas. Gentlemans recognized for a minute and a half. Madam speaker, On March 11th of this year, the Speaker Of The House said the following in an interview with the Washington Post. Quote, impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there is something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, i dont think that we should go down that path because it divides the country, unquote. I think most americans would agree with that statement because it sounds thoughtful and reasonable. So here we are today to vote on the articles of impeachment. How did the Majority Party do it meeting the objectives set forth by the speaker . Here are the answers. First, the only compelling attribute about this sham is the lengths the majority has gone to appease the radical socialist wing of the party. Second, the only overwhelming feature about this sham is the abuse of power by the majority and the Reckless Disregard for
fairness by the majority throughout this entire circus. And finally, the only bipartisan activity related to this sham will be the votes against these flimsy articles of impeachment. I ask my colleagues to to join me in opposing this deplorable articles of impeachment and to demand that the house get back to working on the priorities athat hardworkig families care about the most. I yield back. Gentleman from california. Madam speaker, proud to recognize the gentleman from maryland. Gentlemans recognized for one minute. Yes. Madam speaker, i spent 12 years on the house Intelligence Committee. Including four as ranking member. My bipartisan cooperation with republican chairman was widely recognized. When it comes to National Security, there is no room for bipartisan politics. All 17 witnesses, mostly trump appointees, told the same story during the Intelligence Committee hearings. Each testifying that our Commander In Chief jeopardized american National Security for the sake of his reelection. The president held Hostage Military Aid for the fight against a common enemy, russia. He willfully obstructed congresss constitutionallyprescribed impeachment powers. Over the last two years, i resisted calls to begin Impeachment Proceedings. And i resent those who say this is about reversing the election. This Isnt About Whether or not you like trump. Its about upholding our constitution. Allowing this contact to go unquestioned, such a dangerous precedent and permanent damages our system of checks and balances. No one is above the law. President trumps actions are a clear threat to our National Security and democracy. We must uphold our Oath Of Office and support these articles. I yield back the balance of my time. Gentleman from georgia. Thank you, madam speaker. I yield a minute and a half to the gentleman from michigan. Gentlemans recognized for a minute and a half. Thank you, madam speaker. I rise today in strong opposition to these baseless articles of impeachment. Our Founding Fathers never
intended impeachment to be a onesided, political weapon. Sadly, the majority has reduced this serious constitutional action to a purely partisan tactic to take down President Trump. History will not be kind to the vote today. It will be remembered as a rushed process that lacks credibility or transparency with a predetermined outcome that puts a premium on political theater instead of facts. By any objective standard, the democrats impeachment case is the thinnest imaginable. Theres no Impeachable Offense before us today. Its a complete and total sham. I close not by quoting a president from the past. But rather, from the dulyelected president donald trump. To my democrat colleagues, through you, madam speaker, you are the ones interfering in
americas election. You are the ones subverting americas democracy. You are the ones obstructing justice. You are the ones bringing pain and suffering to our republic for your own selfish personal, political, and partisan gain. These are hard words, i know. But that is the sad reality of this entire process. I will proudly vote no today. A vote that upholds our constitution, defends our president , and preserves the pillars of our nations democracy. And now, i yield back. Gentleman from california. Madam speaker, i recognize the gentleman from arizona for one minute. Gentlemans recognized for one minute. I will vote in favor of impeachment today. The facts are irrefutable. And the ongoing obstruction and coverup is shameful. You know, my parents came here as immigrants and im proud to live in a nation that rewarded their hard work by providing a
better future for my sisters and i. And as a firstgeneration american, and now a member of congress, a story like mine is only made possible by a nation that upholds the rule of law. And truly lives out the values enshrined in our constitution. Mona and i are blessed with three wonderful daughters and five grandkids. Because of this living legacy and the legacy i intend to pass on to my grandchildren, my vote today is rooted in protecting their future. The underpinnings for impeachment are real and historic. Trump abused his power and engaged in a coverup. No amount of misdirection, lies, disinformation, tantrums, and cries of victimization by trump and others can undo the abuse of power and obstruction of congress that remain clear and present. The president leaves us no choice but to vote to impeach. So that we can protect our democracy and correct the damage thats already done. I will vote in favor of impeachment of donald j. Trump. Not as a partisan act but as a serious, urgent, and necessary one. And i yield back. Gentleman from georgia. Thank you, madam speaker. I yield one minute to the gentleman from texas. Gentleman is recognized for one minute. 21 years ago, this week, i spoke here on impeachment. In this, sadly, history will not treat democrats well. Theyll be forever remembered as the senator Joe Mccarthys of our time. So blinded by their hatred of President Trump, they abandoned american rights of due process and fairness. And just decency. Reminiscent of joe mccarthy, they assaulted the constitution, took glee in secret hearings, blocked evidence, and switched charges like rogue prosecutors. Ultimately, they chose abuse of power because they practice it so well. President trump committed no crime or Impeachable Offense. None. His legacy wont be stained. Democrats will. Well look back at these days in
shame because trump haters in congress, like red haters of the past, are willing to plunge america into darkness for raw political gain. This impeachment betrays the nation, the constitution, and the American People. I vote no. Gentleman yields back. Gentleman from california. Madam speaker, i recognize the gentleman from texas. Gentleman is recognized for one minute. Tyranny rarely appears full barn. It arises. It encroaches as freedom ebbs. Our nations great founders south to protect
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