[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 22, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H4069-H4070]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  NOW IS THE TIME FOR CONGRESS TO ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Green) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, and still I rise, a proud American, 
and I rise because I love my country.
  Mr. Speaker, as I stand here today, I would call to the attention of 
those who are within the view of what we are doing the fact that we are 
now some 35 days since the Mueller report has been made public. It was 
released before that, but it has been made public some 35 days.
  This means that, for 35 days now, this administration has been above 
the law if we allow the genesis of the start to be the date that the 
report was issued to the public, made public.
  The Mueller report is clear: The President was not exonerated when it 
comes to obstruction of justice. The Mueller report, in essence, has 
given this Congress the opportunity to fulfill its constitutional 
responsibility. That responsibility is to take up the cause of justice.
  The Framers of the Constitution intended for the Congress of the 
United States of America to be the place where the balance of power is 
maintained. We are the check on the President, such that we can 
maintain the balance of power. It was never intended that there be a 
concentration of power within the executive branch to the extent that 
it is being concentrated by virtue of the actions of this President.
  Allow me to explain.
  This President has refused to honor subpoenas.
  He has encouraged witnesses not to appear.
  He has encouraged persons to avoid the responsibility that they have 
as holders of public trust, the Secretary of the Treasury to produce 
documents.
  He is engaging and is encouraging others to engage in a coverup. This 
is a coverup. We, the Members of this august body, have a duty and a 
responsibility not to allow this coverup to continue.
  When we took our oath of office, we said, by and through that oath, 
that we would defend this Constitution. Article II, Section 4 of the 
Constitution accords us the power to check the President so as to 
maintain the balance of power. When we refuse to do so or if we decline 
to do so or if we just don't, for

[[Page H4070]]

whatever reasons, do so, we are not living up to our responsibilities.
  Article II, Section 4 deals with impeachment. It is time for this 
Congress to start the impeachment process. I have been very adamant 
about this. I stand where I have stood now for more than 2 years. I 
have been said to be the voice of impeachment in the Congress. I am not 
the voice. The Members of this body will be the voice of impeachment 
when and if we take it up, and I assure you we will. If nobody else 
does, I will.

  But the point is, this is our moment. This is what we have been 
mandated to do, to bring impeachment before the House of 
Representatives, especially given that we said we would wait until the 
Mueller report was finished, and then we would act.
  Well, time has lapsed, and this is the time for us to act. We are the 
Members who can make the difference. This is the Congress of the United 
States of America.
  Let me add this. I know these are difficult times for a good many 
persons and there are those who question whether we should do this 
given what the Senate may do. Well, we do a lot of things knowing that 
the Senate will not act as we would have them act. We send bills to the 
Senate quite routinely knowing that the Senate will reject these bills.
  But it is our responsibility to act, and we then allow the Senate to 
do its job. If the Senate chooses not to, that is on the Senate. The 
House will have performed its responsibility.
  So let us not be guided by political expediency, the question of 
whether the Senate is going to act. Let us stand on the moral 
imperative that we have to act.
  Some have said that the soul of the country is at risk. Well, the 
truth is this, before the soul of the country is lost, the soul of the 
House of Representatives will be lost if we do not act on this moral 
imperative.
  This is what we must do to maintain the House of Representatives' 
integrity and its prowess as a coequal branch of the government, which 
some say has a little bit more authority than the executive by virtue 
of its having a check on the executive.
  Mr. Speaker, each day that I come, I will show the amount of time 
that has lapsed during which this administration is engaged in a 
coverup and is above the law.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
engaging in personalities toward the President.

                          ____________________