[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 8, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H3479-H3480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 AMERICA IS IN A CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Green) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because there are some 
things that I must call to the attention of the Congress.
  Some news sources have indicated that somebody has said that we are 
in a crisis, a constitutional crisis. Mr. Speaker, I am that somebody. 
We are in a constitutional crisis.
  Mr. Speaker, we currently have the executive branch and the 
legislative branch in a standoff, a standoff because the President of 
the United States of America has refused to cooperate and has 
encouraged others to do so, refusing to allow subpoenas to be properly 
honored--subpoenas properly issued, I might add. He has indicated that 
he, as President, will continue to do so in his words and his deeds.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I still rise, and I do so because there is a crisis. 
But I also do so because this obstruction by the President continues to 
this day.
  As I speak currently, the President is engaged in obstruction. This 
policy that he is implementing of not allowing persons to testify if he 
can prevent them from doing so, thwarting the investigation that is 
taking place--lawful investigations, I might add--is a form of 
obstruction in and of itself. He continues to obstruct.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise, also, because many have said that the soul of 
the country is at stake. Mr. Speaker, I would amend this. I would agree 
that the soul of the country is at risk, but I would also say that the 
soul of the Congress is at risk.
  The Congress of the United States of America must do its job, Mr. 
Speaker, the Congress of the United States of America, many of whom, as 
Members, have indicated that the President has committed impeachable 
acts but then go on to say that we should not impeach him.
  Mr. Speaker, we cannot say that a President has committed impeachable 
offenses and then not impeach. To do so would legitimize the 
President's actions. This Congress cannot allow this President to 
continue to do what he is doing, say that he ought to be impeached, and 
then step back from impeachment. That would say to the President that 
he can go out now and claim legitimacy.
  He can say that, if I were a person guilty of impeachable offenses, 
the Congress would have impeached me. He will say that one party had 
enough votes to do it without the assistance of the other party. He 
will say to the country, ``I have done nothing wrong,'' and that would 
be wrong, in toto, for him to say such a thing because he has done many 
things that are wrong.
  We as a Congress have a duty to bring before the body the President 
of the United States for impeachment purposes. This is the only place 
where such an action can take place, and the longer we delay, the 
greater the opportunity for the President to obfuscate, to confuse the 
country, to give people the impression that it is just a witch hunt.
  It is not a witch hunt. It is the proper thing that we should do, 
pursuant to Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution of the United 
States of America; and our failure to do so will only allow us to give 
the President reason to go forward and say that he has been vindicated 
when the truth is he has committed impeachable acts, starting with the 
firing of Mr. Comey and continuing through his efforts to deny the 
House of Representatives, by and through its lawful investigative 
authorities, to look into and bring witnesses before investigative 
bodies.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a sad day in the history of our country. It is a 
red letter day, but there is hope, and I assure you that this President 
will not--will not--go unchecked. There will be Articles of Impeachment 
brought before this body. I assure you there will be Articles of 
Impeachment.
  I pray that we can get this done through the proper committees, but 
if nobody else does it, each Member of Congress is accorded the 
authority to come to the floor, the ability, and to bring Articles of 
Impeachment.
  I don't want to do it. This is not something that I came to Congress 
to do. But I love my country, and I will not watch and allow such a 
thing to happen before this country without my

[[Page H3480]]

taking appropriate action. I will bring Articles of Impeachment if 
nobody else does.
  And finally, I will say more about this this evening. I should have 
30 minutes of time. I will speak to a greater extent on the issue that 
I have called to Members' attention now.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
engaging in personalities toward the President.

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