[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 154 (Tuesday, September 24, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H7890]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZE CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY

  (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I was speaking to one of our 
colleagues who indicated that he held a town hall meeting where he was 
explaining, as a civics matter, the Constitution of the United States 
and the role of the United States Congress in holding the executive 
accountable. He said his constituents relished the opportunity to 
understand the process.
  I am going to remind our colleagues that any time we move toward a 
process that is constitutionally based, it is somber and respectful, 
detailed and efficient.
  So I want to read from Article I, Section 2, Clause 5, which 
indicates that the House of Representatives ``shall have the sole power 
of impeachment.'' Article II states that the President ``shall be 
removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, 
bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.'' Article II also 
requires that the President ``take care that the laws be faithfully 
executed.''
  With that in mind, I believe it is important that this Congress 
recognizes its duty to work in an efficient manner; that all committees 
work and investigate, and all committees do their work in a somber 
manner; and that we continue to educate our constituents about the 
value of the Constitution, the beauty of this Nation, and the rule of 
law. That would mean that we are doing our job as Members of the United 
States Congress.
  The Constitution governs the order of our nation and it dictates the 
work of the Congress. Article I details the powers of the House and the 
exercising of these powers as they relate to the coordinate, coequal 
branches of government, codified in Articles II and Articles III: three 
equal branches of government coexisting and cohesively working to 
provide oversight to the respective actions of the Congress, the 
Executive and Judiciary. This has worked, with challenges of course, 
since 1789, and the situation which we are now currently facing is 
directed by three provisions of the Constitution.

       Article I, Section 2, Clause 5 indicates that the ``House 
     of Representatives . . . shall have the sole power of 
     impeachment.'' Article II states that the ``The President . . 
     . shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and 
     Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and 
     Misdemeanors.; Article II also requires that the ``President 
     take care that the laws are faithfully executed.''

  That language is stark and clear--and throughout our history it has 
been used in varying periods where the assessment was that the law has 
been breached. Sometimes Congresses are concerned that the weight and 
view of the American people should be considered. Sometimes they are 
moved by the urgency of the matter. We now have an urgent matter: that 
matter involves the President of the United States speaking to a 
sovereign foreign nation and conspicuously and overtly asking for an 
investigation of his opponent in a presidential election, forthcoming 
in 2020. In addition to this request for an overt investigation of an 
American citizen, within close proximity to this, the president 
directed a staff member to deny the directives of the United States 
Congress to provide foreign aid to this sovereign nation--Ukraine--an 
act that is without comparison in our knowledge in the history of the 
United States, and an act that falls within the language of the law of 
the Constitution, abuse of power and certainly one that violates 
Article II's dictate that the President ensure that the laws are 
faithfully executed.
  Let us be very clear: monies were stalled, denied and delayed to a 
sovereign nation in the backdrop of a directive of Congress to issue 
funds to a sovereign nation as leverage in order to investigate a 
private citizen of the United States. Further, the series of acts of 
obstruction involving Congress has been bold and continuous. The House 
Judiciary Committee effectively has brought forth witnesses, and sought 
witnesses that were then directed by the President to not appear, in 
violation of the three equal branches of government. In spite of that, 
the committee has meticulously continued its work in building a case 
for impeachment.
  Last week, we prepared extensively for the testimony of Corey 
Lewandowsky, who is not and has never been a federal employee, was not 
employed by the White House at any time, and not employed by the 
federal government at any time and also who was directed by the 
President to rebuff, stall and thwart; and who also was, in essence, 
directed to stain the constitutional process, by his responses, and the 
authority of the Congress.
  Article I gives the Congress, and the House of Representatives in 
particular, its authority to proceed to hold the President of the 
United States accountable. There is no room for any other process. 
There is no other action. There is no other time. With a heavy heart, 
it is imperative that the impeachment inquiry begin and that the 
Articles of Impeachment are filed expeditiously; and that the 
Constitution works with the full authority of the United States 
Congress. That the Article I works with Article III courts to ensure an 
orderly response and respectful approach to this somber, sacred and 
high calling of the Congress and the Nation.

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