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[Pages S201-S202]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IMPEACHMENT
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, today it appears that the House
Democrat majority will finally stand behind its decision to impeach the
President of the United States. Last year, the House of Representatives
rushed through the least thorough and most unclear impeachment inquiry
in American history. They took just 12 weeks--12 weeks.
There was more than a year of hearings before the impeachment of
President Nixon. There were multiple years of investigation for
President Clinton. When people are serious about compiling evidence and
proving a case, these things take time.
That is not what happened this time. House Democrats performed a pale
imitation of a real inquiry. They did not pursue their own subpoenas
through the courts. They declined to litigate potential questions of
privilege. They pulled the plug as soon as Speaker Pelosi realized she
had enough Democrat votes to achieve a political outcome.
This isn't really about Ukraine policy or military assistance money.
It can't be because, for one thing, prominent Democrats were promising
to impeach President Trump years--years--before those events even
happened.
The day this President was inaugurated, the Washington Post said:
``The campaign to impeach President Trump has begun.'' That was the day
he was inaugurated, stated in the Washington Post.
More than 2 years ago, Congressman Jerry Nadler was campaigning to be
the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, specifically because
he was an impeachment expert.
Just a few weeks ago, when a reporter asked Speaker Pelosi why the
Democrats were in such a hurry, here is her response:
Speed? It's been going on for 22 months. Two and a half
years, actually.
That is really interesting--really, really interesting. The events
over which the Democrats want to impeach happened just 6 months ago--
just 6 months ago--not 2\1/2\ years ago.
So how has impeachment been underway for 2\1/2\ years? The Speaker
tried to say she was referring to the Mueller investigation, except the
House couldn't impeach on the Mueller investigation because the facts
let them down; remember?
The House impeached over events in Ukraine, events that happened only
6 months ago, but they still admit this was years in the making. It was
not some earnest factfinding mission that brought us to where we are.
This is not about the nuances of foreign assistance to Eastern Europe.
This has been naked partisanship all along--naked partisanship all
along.
[[Page S202]]
If that weren't already obvious, our colleague the Senate Democratic
leader helpfully removed any shred of doubt just this past weekend.
Here is what he said: He told reporters that as long as he can try to
use the trial to hurt some Republican Senators' reelection chances,
then whatever happens, ``it's a win-win.'' That is what the Democratic
leader said. This is a stunning statement.
Presidential impeachment may be the gravest process our Constitution
contemplates. It undoes the people's decision in a national election.
Going about it in this subjective, unfair, and rushed way is corrosive
to our institutions. It hurts national unity, and it virtually
guarantees--guarantees--that future Houses of either party will feel
free--free--to impeach any future President because they don't like
him. If you don't like him, impeach him. That is the message coming out
of this.
But as long as our colleague the Democratic leader can weaponize this
process in the next election, he thinks ``it's a win-win.'' That really
says it all; doesn't it? That really sums it up.
This partisanship led House Democrats to cross a rubicon that every
other House of Representatives had avoided for 230 years. They passed
the first Presidential impeachment that does not even allege an actual
crime under our laws. We had a 230-year tradition of rejecting purely
political impeachments, and it died last month in this House of
Representatives.
So Speaker Pelosi and the House have taken our Nation down a
dangerous road. If the Senate blesses this unprecedented and dangerous
House process by agreeing that an incomplete case and a subjective
basis are enough to impeach a President, we will almost guarantee the
impeachment of every future President of either party when the House
doesn't like that President.
This grave process of last constitutional resort will be watered down
into the kind of anti-democratic recall measure that the Founding
Fathers explicitly--explicitly--did not want.
The Senate was designed to stabilize our institutions, to break
partisan fevers, and to stop short-term passions from destroying our
long-term future. House Democrats may have descended into pure
factionalism, but the U.S. Senate must not.
This is the only body that can consider all factors presented by the
House, decide what has or has not been proven, and choose what outcome
best serves the Nation. This is what we must do.
____________________