November 1, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 174 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1395]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 DIRECTING CERTAIN COMMITTEES TO CONTINUE ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS INTO 
  WHETHER SUFFICIENT GROUNDS EXIST FOR THE IMPEACHMENT OF DONALD JOHN 
                 TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 31, 2019

  Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 660.
  This is only the fourth time in its 230-year history, the House of 
Representatives is voting to authorize a public inquiry into whether to 
exercise one of the most solemn responsibilities of Congress: 
impeachment of the President of the United States.
  Under the Constitution, the criteria for impeachment and removal from 
office are ``treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.'' 
While the Constitution does not define the scope of ``high crime and 
misdemeanors,'' Alexander Hamilton wrote in the Federalist Papers that 
impeachable offenses are those that arise ``from the abuse or violation 
of some public trust'' and ``relate chiefly to injuries done 
immediately to the society itself.'' The House determined in 1988 that 
high crimes and misdemeanors are not necessarily criminal acts but 
rather ``misconduct that damages the state and the operation of 
government institutions.''
  Last month, a whistle blower alleged that the President had used the 
power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in 
the 2020 election by withholding congressionally approved security 
assistance for Ukraine to coerce them to investigate a political 
opponent. If true, these allegations are impeachable offenses that 
threaten the very core of our system of government.
  What we have learned since our inquiry began on September 24th is 
deeply troubling. Numerous government officials, both political 
appointees and career diplomats, have testified under oath how the 
President's personal lawyer ran a shadow foreign policy to benefit the 
President's reelection at the expense of legitimate foreign policy 
objectives.
  With today's resolution, the House will move into the public phase of 
the inquiry. The Resolution ensures a fair and transparent process that 
allows the Majority and the Minority equal time to question witnesses 
and permits the President's attorneys to present their case, question 
witnesses, and make requests for additional evidence or testimony. 
These protections are the same or greater than the ones provided to 
Presidents Nixon and Clinton during the inquiries into their behavior.
  I don't take today's vote lightly because I served in Congress during 
the impeachment of President Clinton. I know firsthand how divisive 
impeachment can be. However, our democracy cannot function under these 
circumstances, and my oath to defend the Constitution calls me to 
support this inquiry.
  When Benjamin Franklin was asked whether the newly drafted 
Constitution established a monarchy or a republic, he replied ``a 
Republic, if you can keep it.'' Each generation of Americans is called 
to uphold the principles of self-governance, and when those we elect to 
public office violate our laws and our Constitution, faith in our 
democracy erodes.
  I urge my colleagues to vote for this resolution so the American 
people can hear firsthand how the President abused the power of his 
office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 
election. My oath of office is to preserve, protect, and defend the 
Constitution of the United States, and I will continue to do everything 
I can to live up to this sacred pledge and keep the republic the 
Founding Fathers built for us.