Put Principles Above Politics

Floor Speech

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Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, and still I rise because I love my country. And I rise today because we are witnessing clear and convincing evidence of a Presidential coverup. We are witnessing this evidence live and in living color on national TV.

Just yesterday, before the Judiciary Committee, two witnesses did not appear pursuant to the coverup, and the one who did appear brought with him the clear and convincing evidence. He brought with him a letter from the President of the United States, by and through his agents, that indicates that he should not give certain testimony--clear and convincing evidence of a coverup.

The President of the United States is engaged in a continuation of obstruction that is creating the coverup. He obstructed. This is why we are having the Judiciary Committee hearings, in part.

He continues his obstruction, which means he is covering up. We cannot allow this to continue.

The President is making a bet. The President's bet is this: The President is betting that we will put politics above principle, that we will not use Article II, section 4 of the Constitution as the radical Republicans did in 1868 to impeach President Johnson for merely speaking ill of Congress.

He is betting we won't use that. He is betting we won't put the principle above the politics. He believes that we will put winning the next election above the Constitution of the United States of America. He believes that we are going to put the politics above the moral imperative to do that which we know should be done when a President has committed impeachable acts.

I believe that we will not be driven by the polls. We will not. Those who crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge weren't driven by the polls. They were driven by a moral authority that they had to do that which was right, and we must do the right thing, too.

We cannot be driven by polls. We must drive the polls. We must stand on principle. We will not allow the next election to determine what we will do now.

Mr. Speaker, it is a risky thing to make this kind of decision. You don't know what the next election will bring. You have to use this power that the voters have given us, the constituents have given us, the people of this country have given us to do that which is right.

We must impeach this President. If we don't impeac him, Article II, section 4 of the Constitution will become meaningless. There will be no guardrails. There are none now, as he sees it, because he has made a bet.

Well, I am betting that this Congress will do the right thing. I am betting that we are going to put principle above politics and the people of this country above our political parties. I am betting we are not going to try to save a few people at an election at the expense of all the people who are suffering because of the coverup and because of the insidious discrimination this President is perpetrating upon this country and his policies.

I am betting on the American people. I am betting that the American people will stand with us. I am also betting that principle above all is what we must stand with.

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