Notice of Intention to Offer Resolution Raising A Question of the Privileges of the House

Floor Speech

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Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from South Carolina (Mr. Norman) for yielding, and I thank my colleague Mr. Raskin for the salient points that he has brought to this debate.

Mr. Speaker, I also defended George Santos on this floor and opposed the means by which he was expelled. I think it was beyond the pale. A responsibility that we bear in this body is to determine the means by which our colleagues shall be reprimanded or disciplined.

The Constitution is clear on this. My friend Mr. Raskin knows full well that this body controls the means by which and the rules by which the Members of Congress shall be disciplined.

We have had variances of opinions regarding the exact disciplinary actions that should be embraced or rejected Member by Member. Let me say that, in this case, Ms. Plaskett's receiving text messages--this was so alarming to me. When I saw this and read it, I didn't believe it. I say to my friend, I thought perhaps it was media from a satirical site. It couldn't possibly be true because we all know that a text message, a text exchange, is rather intimate in the realm of communications. To pierce into an actual congressional hearing, for a Member of Congress to receive and respond to a text message during a hearing, that is quite familiar, is it not?

This was shocking to me that a Member of Congress would be exchanging text messages directly with Jeffrey Epstein in 2019, at which time he was being prosecuted, federally, by the first Trump administration. He had received some nature of a sweetheart deal back in 2007 and avoided Federal prosecution by pleading no contest to some level of State prosecution where he was sentenced, Mr. Speaker, to 13 months. My understanding is, he did 11 months and at the easiest time that could be done. He walked every day during the day on the work-release program.

That sweetheart deal, let me say, should be looked at. Now, to my horror, who has come to light that should be looked at, what was their involvement? Was there some involvement then? She is a good lady from the Virgin Islands. Where did Jeffrey Epstein live? In the Virgin Islands. He was a constituent in 2019. Was she a friend in 2007 during her service to the DOJ, which my friend has brought up? Was there any interactions?

These are the questions we have. The good lady from the Virgin Islands has crossed the threshold of reasonable suspicion and, therefore, she should be investigated by Ethics, by DOJ, and I would recommend by the Oversight and Judiciary Committees. Meanwhile, she should absolutely be removed from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. This, Mr. Speaker, is my position. I present it without note for the betterment of the debate of this body.

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