[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 117 (Wednesday, July 16, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RESOLUTION RAISING A QUESTION OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE

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                               speech of

                           HON. EARL POMEROY

                            of north dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 15, 2008

  Mr. POMEROY. Madam Speaker, today I will vote to refer House 
Resolution 1345 to the Judiciary Committee. My vote does not reflect a 
belief that this Resolution deserves continued consideration in the 
House of Representatives, instead it was a vote cast to preclude 
consideration of the Resolution on the floor of the House.
  As you know, the Constitution provides for ``impeachment for, and 
conviction of, treason, bribery or other high crimes and 
misdemeanors.'' Whether we agree or disagree with this President, most 
Americans--including myself--do not feel this high threshold has been 
met. Furthermore, as the lone representative for North Dakota in the 
United States House of Representatives, I take the responsibility of 
representing the beliefs and values of my State seriously, and I 
believe I am reflecting prevailing view among the majority of North 
Dakotans on this issue.
  Again, I do not believe that the House of Representatives should be 
considering the highly partisan issue of impeachment at this time. 
Bringing up this Resolution on the floor of the House would not only 
waste valuable floor time, but would also distract from far more 
pressing national issues and undermine the bipartisan cooperation that 
is necessary to pass effective and timely legislation.

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