[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 15, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H244]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           IMPEACHMENT TRIAL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Green) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. And still I rise, Mr. Speaker, because I love my 
country. I rise today to address the trial that will start in the 
Senate, the trial to impeach the President of the United States of 
America.
  This trial, Mr. Speaker, will not end until the last person has 
testified. In a sense it is like an opera, and, as you know, Mr. 
Speaker, the opera isn't over until there is a song that is sung; and 
until the last witness sings, the opera isn't over, this political 
opera as it were.
  There are witnesses who must be heard. I believe that there are 51 
Senators who will find agreement with what I have said. I believe that 
there are Senators who understand that when they take that oath, they 
have to step outside of the normal rhetoric that they may have 
espoused. I think they have to stand on the Constitution, and I think 
the Constitution requires them to hear all of the relevant and material 
evidence.
  There are documents that should be heard. There are witnesses that 
must be heard. I believe that the Senators will vote such that 
documents and witnesses that have not been produced will be produced 
and the witnesses will be heard.
  I believe that this is one of the seminal moments in time for the 
Members of the Senate, and I think they will understand that this is 
not just about this time, it is about all time. It is about what 
historians will say about this date, about the days that will follow.
  It really is about who we are and what we stand for in the eyes of 
the world. Because it is not just about the Members of the House 
examining what is going on; the people of our country, and, indeed, the 
people of the planet Earth are viewing this, and they are doing so with 
great anticipation. They fully expect that the United States that has 
been a champion for liberty and justice for all, the United States that 
has the Statue of Liberty, the United States of America that stands for 
freedom around the world, that the United States of America will live 
up to its billing, will live up to what we have said, will live up to 
what we have done in the past, and will allow all evidence to be 
presented. I believe this.
  I also believe that if all of the evidence is properly presented, no 
one can say that there wasn't a fair trial. The verdict may not be 
something that I would agree with, but there will have been a fair 
trial. If you don't do this, then it is not a fair trial. It is just a 
fake trial.
  If you don't do this, there is no need to have the Chief Justice of 
the Supreme Court present if all you are going to do is receive reports 
from the House, that is just a briefing. You don't need the Chief 
Justice of the Supreme Court there with all of the majesty of the 
court. You don't need it.
  I say have a trial, not a briefing. If we only have a briefing, this 
will be justice delayed if not denied. There is a court of appeals and 
that court of appeals will assemble in November of this year because 
the Senate itself is on trial. The court of appeals in November will 
make decisions as to whether or not the Senate has governed itself 
under the Constitution and has presented itself such that it should 
continue with its current makeup. The people of this country will have 
the last word.

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