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[Page H7890]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZE CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY
(Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to address the House
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I was speaking to one of our
colleagues who indicated that he held a town hall meeting where he was
explaining, as a civics matter, the Constitution of the United States
and the role of the United States Congress in holding the executive
accountable. He said his constituents relished the opportunity to
understand the process.
I am going to remind our colleagues that any time we move toward a
process that is constitutionally based, it is somber and respectful,
detailed and efficient.
So I want to read from Article I, Section 2, Clause 5, which
indicates that the House of Representatives ``shall have the sole power
of impeachment.'' Article II states that the President ``shall be
removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason,
bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.'' Article II also
requires that the President ``take care that the laws be faithfully
executed.''
With that in mind, I believe it is important that this Congress
recognizes its duty to work in an efficient manner; that all committees
work and investigate, and all committees do their work in a somber
manner; and that we continue to educate our constituents about the
value of the Constitution, the beauty of this Nation, and the rule of
law. That would mean that we are doing our job as Members of the United
States Congress.
The Constitution governs the order of our nation and it dictates the
work of the Congress. Article I details the powers of the House and the
exercising of these powers as they relate to the coordinate, coequal
branches of government, codified in Articles II and Articles III: three
equal branches of government coexisting and cohesively working to
provide oversight to the respective actions of the Congress, the
Executive and Judiciary. This has worked, with challenges of course,
since 1789, and the situation which we are now currently facing is
directed by three provisions of the Constitution.
Article I, Section 2, Clause 5 indicates that the ``House
of Representatives . . . shall have the sole power of
impeachment.'' Article II states that the ``The President . .
. shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and
Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and
Misdemeanors.; Article II also requires that the ``President
take care that the laws are faithfully executed.''
That language is stark and clear--and throughout our history it has
been used in varying periods where the assessment was that the law has
been breached. Sometimes Congresses are concerned that the weight and
view of the American people should be considered. Sometimes they are
moved by the urgency of the matter. We now have an urgent matter: that
matter involves the President of the United States speaking to a
sovereign foreign nation and conspicuously and overtly asking for an
investigation of his opponent in a presidential election, forthcoming
in 2020. In addition to this request for an overt investigation of an
American citizen, within close proximity to this, the president
directed a staff member to deny the directives of the United States
Congress to provide foreign aid to this sovereign nation--Ukraine--an
act that is without comparison in our knowledge in the history of the
United States, and an act that falls within the language of the law of
the Constitution, abuse of power and certainly one that violates
Article II's dictate that the President ensure that the laws are
faithfully executed.
Let us be very clear: monies were stalled, denied and delayed to a
sovereign nation in the backdrop of a directive of Congress to issue
funds to a sovereign nation as leverage in order to investigate a
private citizen of the United States. Further, the series of acts of
obstruction involving Congress has been bold and continuous. The House
Judiciary Committee effectively has brought forth witnesses, and sought
witnesses that were then directed by the President to not appear, in
violation of the three equal branches of government. In spite of that,
the committee has meticulously continued its work in building a case
for impeachment.
Last week, we prepared extensively for the testimony of Corey
Lewandowsky, who is not and has never been a federal employee, was not
employed by the White House at any time, and not employed by the
federal government at any time and also who was directed by the
President to rebuff, stall and thwart; and who also was, in essence,
directed to stain the constitutional process, by his responses, and the
authority of the Congress.
Article I gives the Congress, and the House of Representatives in
particular, its authority to proceed to hold the President of the
United States accountable. There is no room for any other process.
There is no other action. There is no other time. With a heavy heart,
it is imperative that the impeachment inquiry begin and that the
Articles of Impeachment are filed expeditiously; and that the
Constitution works with the full authority of the United States
Congress. That the Article I works with Article III courts to ensure an
orderly response and respectful approach to this somber, sacred and
high calling of the Congress and the Nation.
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