[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 18, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H6467-H6468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez) for 5 minutes.

[[Page H6468]]

  

  Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the world witnessed the single 
worst performance by an American President on the world stage in world 
history. It was a culmination of the worst week an American President 
has ever had. As a citizen, I am shocked and embarrassed for our 
Nation.
  Given evidence, indictments, and facts, the President was given the 
choice of taking America's side or taking President Putin's side. The 
President chose Putin. I believe the American people, our Armed Forces, 
our allies, our lawmakers, and the President's own Cabinet deserve an 
immediate apology from the President for his actions.
  Having insulted and demeaned our closest military allies and trading 
partners, the President doubled down by insulting world leaders 
individually and in public, especially those who are most friendly to 
the United States. It was disgraceful.
  The President even went as far as to say that Germany is totally 
controlled by Russia, a comment that makes the President quite 
literally the laughing stock of the world. To then go on and take 
President Putin's side in defending the Kremlin's attack on the United 
States--an attack which this Congress, our intelligence and law 
enforcement agencies, our allies, and the American people know in fact 
took place--was nothing short of treasonous.
  The President has proven himself unable to separate his own personal 
interests from his current job as leader of the free world and has 
consistently, repeatedly, and now, in full view of the world, 
definitively put his own interests above those of the United States and 
the free world by siding with the petty, antidemocratic dictator of our 
international rival.
  The campaign of repression and the straight-up murder of political 
and business rivals by President Putin is well established. It is not 
something any American leader can or should debate. Using foreign 
agents to murder people overseas is the Kremlin's MO, and the President 
seems to feel that is okay.
  Let us not forget that Russia, on more than one occasion, has allowed 
paranoia, fear, and impunity to escalate to such a level that they have 
literally shot passenger airliners out of the sky, killing all on 
board.
  Invading other countries and using the pretext of national security 
to expand the Russian empire is not only condoned by this President, 
apparently, in some ways, he is seeking to emulate Putin's behavior by 
using national security as a pretext for trade wars with our closest 
allies and for policies to take babies, toddlers, and other children 
from people lawfully seeking asylum in the United States.
  Russia is not a government to be condoned; it is a government to be 
contained. Yet our President was unable to be critical of the dictator 
of our greatest rival in public--and God knows what he did in private.
  Mr. Speaker, it is well established that I believe our current 
President is a threat to American democracy, which is why I was one of 
the first Members of Congress to sign on to Articles of Impeachment 
last year. I have already begun consulting with my colleagues about 
whether those Articles of Impeachment can be expanded and updated to 
include the betrayal witnessed by the American people in the world this 
week.
  While it is already a full-time job, I will redouble my efforts to 
prevent the House of Representatives from taking actions to actively 
obstruct justice and undermine law enforcement and the FBI, while 
seeking to give the President cover and relief from a genuine, thorough 
investigation into the attack on our country by the Russians in 2016 
and the attacks that are continuing to this day.
  This body, the House, the institution that I love so much and have 
served for more than 25 years, cannot be sullied or diminished by this 
President or his inability to see the facts about the attack on the 
United States.
  As a body, we must take action to relieve the President of his 
duties. Most Americans probably doubt that the House of Representatives 
is even up to the task of being fair, being honest, being impartial 
enough to call a spade a spade when it comes to Russian aggression.
  But I call on my fellow Democrats and my fellow Members on the other 
side of the aisle: If you still believe in truth, if you believe in 
democracy, if you believe in the rule of law and our Constitution, you 
will join me in holding this President accountable for his actions, in 
holding Russia accountable for the attacks on the United States and her 
people, and will stand up to defend your country and not just your 
party or your own income and career.
  This is a moment of destiny when the House as an institution must 
rise to the occasion. Mr. Speaker, the whole world is watching.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
engaging in personalities toward the President.

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