[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 25, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H7166-H7167]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        IMPEACHMENT IS NOT DEAD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Al Green) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, and still I rise.
  I am proud, once again, Mr. Speaker, to stand in the well of the 
House. I am proud to do so today, Mr. Speaker, in defense of liberty 
and justice for all. Mr. Speaker, if we know the truth, it can set us 
free.
  A truth: A Quinnipiac Poll, Mr. Speaker, as of July 3, this month, 
this year, a poll indicates that 49 percent of Americans believe that 
the President of the United States is a racist, 49 percent, nearly 50 
percent of the country. Wonder why? Could it be because of 
Charlottesville? Could it be because of a Muslim ban? Could it be 
because of the way this President has instituted policies, such as the 
one that has impacted Latinos at the border, taking babies from their 
mothers, segregating them such that babies don't have contact with 
their parents? Forty-nine percent of the people believe that the 
President is a racist.
  Mr. Speaker, in the same poll, 55 percent believe that he has 
emboldened people who hold racist beliefs to express those beliefs 
publicly. The President of the United States is having an adverse 
impact on society. He is causing people to do ugly things.
  Mr. Speaker, the polls also show, this is a Harris Poll, that 42 
percent believe

[[Page H7167]]

that the President of the United States of America should be impeached. 
That number would be higher, by the way, if, not but for, the effort to 
suppress impeachment. And I must compliment the people who are engaged 
in that effort. They have done exceedingly well. Some people dare not 
say the word ``impeachment.''
  I am so glad, however, so thankful, so grateful that Dr. King was not 
guided by polls, because there are some polls that would cause persons 
to do what they should not.
  If you are waiting on the polls to tell you that the President ought 
to be impeached, you may be waiting a long time. If you are waiting on 
the polls to get to 60, 70, 80 percent, you may be waiting a long time.
  I am so glad that Dr. King did not wait for the polls to tell him to 
protest segregation and discrimination. The bus boycott probably 
wouldn't have taken place in Montgomery if there had been a wait for 
the polls. They probably wouldn't have crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge 
if there had been a wait for the polls.
  I am so glad that people of goodwill will stand up to bigotry, will 
take a stand. They don't let political expediency trump the moral 
imperative to speak out and speak up. I am so glad that there are 
people who put the moral imperative above political expediency.
  And finally, this: For those of you who worship at the altar of 
polls, when President Clinton was impeached, 29 percent of the people 
thought that he should be impeached, 29 percent.
  There are some people who are not guided by polls. I am one of them. 
Bigotry emanating from the Presidency is impeachable because of the 
harm that it is doing to society. Impeachment is not dead.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
engaging in personalities toward the President.

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