[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 24, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H2898-H2899]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NOTICE OF INTENTION TO OFFER RESOLUTION RAISING A QUESTION OF THE
PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE
Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a)(1) of rule
IX, I rise to give notice of my intention to raise a question of the
privileges of the House.
The form of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 537, impeaching, Donald J. Trump, President of the United
States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
In the House of Representatives, June 24, 2025, Mr. Al Green of Texas
submitted the following resolution;
Resolution, impeaching Donald J. Trump, President of the United
States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
Resolved, that Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, is
impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following
Articles of Impeachment be exhibited to the Senate:
Articles of Impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of
the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people of
the United States of America, against Donald J. Trump, President of the
United States of America, in maintenance and support of its impeachment
against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.
Article I.
Abuse of Presidential Powers by Disregarding the Separation of
Powers, Devolving American Democracy into Authoritarianism by
Unconstitutionally Usurping Congress' Power to Declare War.
In his conduct of the Office of President of the United States,
Donald J. Trump, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to
execute the Office of President of the United States and, to the best
of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the
United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care
that the laws be faithfully executed, abused the powers of the
presidency when he disregarded the doctrine of separation of powers by
usurping Congress's power to declare war and ordered the United States
military to bomb another country without the constitutionally-mandated
congressional authorization or notice to Congress--cognizant of the
fact that should another country's military bomb a facility within the
United States of America, it would be a de facto declaration of war
against the United States of America.
On June 12, 2025, the State of Israel initiated attacks on Iran,
ostensibly to target sites and individuals of importance to Iran's
nuclear program. Iran retaliated, and the conflict has escalated
between Israel and Iran, though at no point did Iran pose any imminent
threat to the United States.
On June 21, 2025, President Trump announced ``successful'' attacks on
three nuclear sites in Iran: Fordow, Natanz, and Estahan via his social
media network, Truth Social. President Trump failed to seek prior
congressionally-mandated authorization for the use of military force.
Congressional leaders were not appropriately briefed or notified of the
attack plans despite foreign leaders being given advance notice of the
planned U.S. military action.
President Trump's unilateral, unprovoked use of force without
congressional authorization or notice constitutes an abuse of power
when there was no imminent threat to the United States, which
facilitates the devolution of American democracy into authoritarianism,
with an authoritarian president who has instigated an attack on the
United States Capitol, denied persons due process of the law, and
called for the impeachment of federal judges who ruled against him--
making Donald J. Trump a threat to American democracy.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the United States Constitution
grants Congress the sole power to declare war: ``[The Congress shall
have the Power . . . ] To declare war . . . '' At the time, the Framers
of the Constitution emphasized the goal of limiting the monarchical
power of any single individual person to take a country to war over
personal whims and preferences--no constitutional exception exists for
a successful military action.
In starting his illegal and unconstitutional war with Iran without
the constitutionally-mandated consent of Congress or appropriate notice
to Congress, President Trump acted in direct violation of the War
Powers Clause of the Constitution. President Trump has devolved and
continues to devolve American democracy into authoritarianism by
disregarding the separation of powers and now, usurping congressional
war powers.
In all of this, Donald J. Trump has abused the powers of the
presidency in a manner contrary to his trust as President, has become a
threat to American democracy, subverted our constitutional government,
and devolved democracy into authoritarianism, to the great prejudice of
the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people
of the United States.
Wherefore Donald J. Trump, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and
trial, and removal from office.
[[Page H2899]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under rule IX, a resolution offered from the
floor by a Member other than the majority leader or the minority leader
as a question of the privileges of the House has immediate precedence
only at a time designated by the Chair within 2 legislative days after
the resolution is properly noticed.
Pending that designation, the form of the resolution noticed by the
gentleman from Texas will appear in the Record at this point.
The Chair will not at this point determine whether the resolution
constitutes a question of privilege. That determination will be made at
the time designated for consideration of the resolution.
____________________