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[Pages H7757-H7758]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PUT PRINCIPLES ABOVE POLITICS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Green) for 5 minutes.
Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, and still I rise because I love my
country. And I rise today because we are witnessing clear and
convincing evidence of a Presidential coverup. We are witnessing this
evidence live and in living color on national TV.
Just yesterday, before the Judiciary Committee, two witnesses did not
appear pursuant to the coverup, and the one who did appear brought with
him the clear and convincing evidence. He brought with him a letter
from the President of the United States, by and through his agents,
that indicates that he should not give certain testimony--clear and
convincing evidence of a coverup.
The President of the United States is engaged in a continuation of
obstruction that is creating the coverup. He obstructed. This is why we
are having the Judiciary Committee hearings, in part.
He continues his obstruction, which means he is covering up. We
cannot allow this to continue.
The President is making a bet. The President's bet is this: The
President is betting that we will put politics above principle, that we
will not use Article II, section 4 of the Constitution as the radical
Republicans did in 1868 to impeach President Johnson for merely
speaking ill of Congress.
He is betting we won't use that. He is betting we won't put the
principle above the politics. He believes that we will put winning the
next election above the Constitution of the United States of America.
He believes that we are going to put the politics above the moral
imperative to do that which we know should be done when a President has
committed impeachable acts.
I believe that we will not be driven by the polls. We will not. Those
who
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crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge weren't driven by the polls. They were
driven by a moral authority that they had to do that which was right,
and we must do the right thing, too.
We cannot be driven by polls. We must drive the polls. We must stand
on principle. We will not allow the next election to determine what we
will do now.
Mr. Speaker, it is a risky thing to make this kind of decision. You
don't know what the next election will bring. You have to use this
power that the voters have given us, the constituents have given us,
the people of this country have given us to do that which is right.
We must impeach this President. If we don't impeac him, Article II,
section 4 of the Constitution will become meaningless. There will be no
guardrails. There are none now, as he sees it, because he has made a
bet.
Well, I am betting that this Congress will do the right thing. I am
betting that we are going to put principle above politics and the
people of this country above our political parties. I am betting we are
not going to try to save a few people at an election at the expense of
all the people who are suffering because of the coverup and because of
the insidious discrimination this President is perpetrating upon this
country and his policies.
I am betting on the American people. I am betting that the American
people will stand with us. I am also betting that principle above all
is what we must stand with.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from
engaging in personalities toward the President.
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