[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 177 (Thursday, November 15, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2453]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   ON THE PRIVILEGED RESOLUTION TO IMPEACH VICE PRESIDENT RICHARD B. 
                                 CHENEY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 15, 2007

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Madam Speaker, last week, the House considered a 
privileged resolution, offered by the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. 
Kucinich, to impeach the Vice President. I supported an effort to refer 
that measure to committee where it can get the attention it deserves.
  Having served on the House Armed Services Committee and the House 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I have repeatedly condemned 
how the administration presented evidence to Congress and the American 
public to justify military action against Iraq. In October 2002, I 
voted against the resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq 
in part because of concerns about the intelligence we were given. It is 
Congress's responsibility to investigate the administration's claims 
and actions, not only to understand to what extent the White House 
cherry-picked evidence to support a course of action, but also to 
prevent intelligence from being manipulated by policymakers in the 
future. Congress has held numerous hearings into these complex 
questions, and we will continue to be aggressive in fulfilling our 
oversight duties.
  Frustration with the administration among the American public has 
become palpable, with some calling for the impeachment of senior 
elected officials. While I share the deep dissatisfaction that people 
have with the way our Nation is being led, we must be extremely 
cautious about how best to chart a new course. Impeachment is one of 
the strongest constitutional powers granted to Congress, and its 
exercise must be governed by the laws of this Nation and the rules of 
this House. While I respect the intentions of the gentleman from Ohio 
in offering his resolution, I believe that it would be premature for 
the Members of the House to vote on a matter of such gravity without 
the benefit of hearings and with imperfect information. For that 
reason, I supported its referral to committee.
  When the American people elected a Democratic majority last November, 
we promised to lead the country in a new direction. We saw how the 
Nation's priorities had been ignored for 12 years under Republican rule 
in Congress, and we vowed to promote change. In the last 11 months, we 
have made tremendous progress--increasing the minimum wage, 
implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, restoring 
fiscal accountability to the federal budget, expanding access to higher 
education, investing in clean and renewable energy, and much, much 
more. We built on those successes just last week, when we passed a 
middle-class tax relief package that would prevent 23 million Americans 
from being harmed by the alternative minimum tax, as well as an 
appropriations bill that would make long overdue investments in health 
care, medical research, education programs and veterans health care. 
Also, for the first time, the Bush administration is not getting a free 
pass from a rubber stamp Congress. We have aggressively investigated 
the activities of the executive branch, and through our oversight 
efforts, we have held the administration accountable for a number of 
its failures.
  The will of the American people had been ignored for far too long, 
but this Congress has promised to address our Nation's most urgent 
needs. I will keep working to ensure that we pursue policies that 
reflect the priorities of all Americans so that we can put our country 
on the right path once again.

                          ____________________