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[Page H244]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Green) for 5 minutes.
Mr. GREEN of Texas. And still I rise, Mr. Speaker, because I love my
country. I rise today to address the trial that will start in the
Senate, the trial to impeach the President of the United States of
America.
This trial, Mr. Speaker, will not end until the last person has
testified. In a sense it is like an opera, and, as you know, Mr.
Speaker, the opera isn't over until there is a song that is sung; and
until the last witness sings, the opera isn't over, this political
opera as it were.
There are witnesses who must be heard. I believe that there are 51
Senators who will find agreement with what I have said. I believe that
there are Senators who understand that when they take that oath, they
have to step outside of the normal rhetoric that they may have
espoused. I think they have to stand on the Constitution, and I think
the Constitution requires them to hear all of the relevant and material
evidence.
There are documents that should be heard. There are witnesses that
must be heard. I believe that the Senators will vote such that
documents and witnesses that have not been produced will be produced
and the witnesses will be heard.
I believe that this is one of the seminal moments in time for the
Members of the Senate, and I think they will understand that this is
not just about this time, it is about all time. It is about what
historians will say about this date, about the days that will follow.
It really is about who we are and what we stand for in the eyes of
the world. Because it is not just about the Members of the House
examining what is going on; the people of our country, and, indeed, the
people of the planet Earth are viewing this, and they are doing so with
great anticipation. They fully expect that the United States that has
been a champion for liberty and justice for all, the United States that
has the Statue of Liberty, the United States of America that stands for
freedom around the world, that the United States of America will live
up to its billing, will live up to what we have said, will live up to
what we have done in the past, and will allow all evidence to be
presented. I believe this.
I also believe that if all of the evidence is properly presented, no
one can say that there wasn't a fair trial. The verdict may not be
something that I would agree with, but there will have been a fair
trial. If you don't do this, then it is not a fair trial. It is just a
fake trial.
If you don't do this, there is no need to have the Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court present if all you are going to do is receive reports
from the House, that is just a briefing. You don't need the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court there with all of the majesty of the
court. You don't need it.
I say have a trial, not a briefing. If we only have a briefing, this
will be justice delayed if not denied. There is a court of appeals and
that court of appeals will assemble in November of this year because
the Senate itself is on trial. The court of appeals in November will
make decisions as to whether or not the Senate has governed itself
under the Constitution and has presented itself such that it should
continue with its current makeup. The people of this country will have
the last word.
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