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[Pages H7909-H7910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SPEAKER'S ACTIONS HAVE EMBARRASSED CONGRESS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Gaetz) for 5 minutes.
Mr. GAETZ. Madam Speaker, the transcript has now been released of the
phone conversation between President Trump and President Zelensky.
The evidence is clear, unfortunately, that the Speaker of the House
of Representatives has been functionally catfished into a politically
fatal impeachment proceeding based on rumors, based on faulty evidence,
and based on a bloodlust for the President, politically, that does not
serve our Nation well.
Let me give you the high points. There is no quid pro quo between
President Trump and President Zelensky for anything, much less military
aid. There is no eight times a reference to Joe Biden. I think The Wall
Street Journal will have a good deal of retracting to do today. In
fact, President Zelensky, himself, identifies the rooting out of
corruption as the reason for his election.
Early on in the conversation between President Trump and President
Zelensky, President Zelensky says: We, here in Ukraine, are trying to
drain the swamp much in the way you are working to drain the swamp in
the United States of America.
This wasn't a call about leverage. This wasn't a call about threats.
This was a mutually appreciative and mutually laudatory call between
two leaders who are trying to clean up some of the garbage in their
respective countries that has polluted politics.
Now, the President does ask for a favor from President Zelensky, but
the favor is on behalf of our Nation. The favor we seek is cooperation
between the Zelensky government and Attorney General Bill Barr as we
work to determine what activities in Ukraine may have been in any way
involved in the 2016--not 2020, but 2016--efforts to interfere with the
United States election.
The President even references CrowdStrike, attempting to get to the
bottom of these improper actions, which, again, may have emanated from
Ukraine. John Solomon with The Hill has a great deal of reporting on
that very question.
Zelensky ran against corruption. Thus, it would be only appropriate
that, in a conversation about that election victory, they would discuss
and reference what are, obviously, mutual goals between the United
States and Ukraine to have the world safer for democracy.
The President also mentions Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Let me be clear
about this: Mayor Giuliani has every right to go to Ukraine to try to
ascertain whether or not activities in that country were harming his
client as a result of the corrupt connections that may have existed
between the DNC and some elements in Ukraine.
I feel like we have been here before. House Democrats told us it was
all about collusion. We had to wait for the Mueller report. Well, when
the Mueller report falls flat on collusion, then it is all about
obstruction of justice. Until Robert Mueller testifies and that falls
flat, then it is all about abuse of power. Until the Democrats go to
court and are unable to make the case in court that there has been an
abuse of power. Now, lo and behold, it is all about Ukraine.
Do you know what? I saw this movie as it related to Russia. I didn't
like it very much, and I doubt I am going to enjoy the cheap Ukrainian
knockoff.
The Speaker has embraced these concerns. I fear that her embrace of
impeachment does great damage to the House of Representatives. There
may be a time where we have to solemnly exercise our impeachment powers
because there is true crime or corruption, and the Speaker's actions
have embarrassed the United States Congress and harm our entire
country.
President Zelensky, in this call, indicates that he will conduct an
investigation into corruption. It is a promise
[[Page H7910]]
not only that he made to President Trump but that he made to his own
citizens. In that promise, President Zelensky says that any
investigation will be both open and candid, open and candid
investigations of corruption of election meddling. I sure would like to
see that level of candidness and openness in our House of
Representatives.
Certainly, my greatest hope is that the Attorney General's
investigation into the corrupt origins of the efforts to smear the
President of the United States will be exposed and those responsible
will go to jail.
That is how we restore honor to this House. That is how we solve and
heal some of the great wounds that were inflicted on this body by the
Speaker yesterday. Maybe next time the radical left will wait for the
facts before engaging in a reflexive, fact-free impeachment.
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