[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 7912-7913]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       WE CANNOT ``LET THIS GO''

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Jenkins of West Virginia). The Chair 
recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, this is a very troubling time in American 
history. Our national security is endangered, the very future of our 
democracy is at stake, and without the continued engagement of millions 
of people across this country, this troubling time could become much 
worse.
  There is an old adage: ``Loose lips sink ships.'' But it is also true 
that when it comes to the abuse of Presidential power, sealed lips can 
sink a democracy.
  We have gone through a period where it would appear that some of our 
Republican colleagues are in a witness protection program because they 
have been unable to come forward with any words to comment on the 
continued abuse of power that we see played out each day, with one 
being more incredible than the one before.
  All United States intelligence services agree that the Russians 
interfered in our last election. Russia deserves sanctions, not 
secrets, not rewards. A President of the United States invited Putin's 
gang right into the Oval Office. We don't know what they left behind to 
listen to the rest of the conversations, although they may not need to 
learn them surreptitiously since President Trump, in such a cavalier 
way, proceeded to share secrets with them.
  At long last we wonder, what will awaken these Republicans from their 
partisan stupor? We need them to speak out as well.
  Last night we learned that Trump asked FBI Director James Comey, 
before firing him, to drop the investigation into National Security 
Advisor Michael Flynn, whom Trump had been advised before he fired him 
that he was subject to being compromised by the Russians in his 
operations.
  Our Republican colleagues need to decide whether they want to be 
accessories to Trump's obstruction of justice as he continues to 
endanger our national security.
  Trump's firing of Director Comey is a shocking example of incredible 
duplicity that threatens the very fabric of the future of American 
democracy. It is a Nixonian dismissal that is designed to obstruct 
further inquiry into collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
  Trump even said himself during his NBC interview with Lester Holt 
that, ``regardless of the recommendation from the Department of 
Justice,'' he was prepared and planning to fire the FBI Director 
because of what he was doing with the Russian investigation.
  And that is part of a pattern: he fired the U.S. Attorney in New York 
City, he fired Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, and he then fired 
Mr. Comey. If

[[Page 7913]]

you are perceived as crossing the line with President Trump, it is like 
an episode out of that old TV series ``The Apprentice:'' You are fired.
  But this is not make-believe. This is the future of American 
democracy.
  Every day we hear new coverup evidence. What could possibly explain 
the continued Republican silence, the callous indifference?
  Well, Trump is the Republican's golden ticket to denying healthcare 
coverage to 24 million Americans and, at the same time, already 
showering, with a bill passed in this House, almost $1 trillion of tax 
breaks to the superrich and a handful of special interests.
  He is their winning ticket to awarding multinational tax dodgers more 
tax breaks while blowing a hole in the deficit that can change Medicare 
and Social Security forever.
  Trump reportedly told Comey: ``I hope you can let this go.''
  My fellow Americans, FBI Director Comey could not let it go; and now 
that he is gone. We cannot let this go. This is not business as usual. 
This is not just more tax breaks for the superrich, as Republicans are 
urging at a hearing tomorrow in this House. We cannot let this go.
  History will be unkind to those who could not find their voice at 
this critical time in American history. I say it is time to truly put 
America first. Reject Putin. Reject partisanship. Help restore 
confidence in our democracy by supporting an independent special 
counsel and the type of independent, nonpartisan, nonpolitical inquiry 
that I have been calling for since last November into this Russian 
interference.
  Mr. Speaker, too much is at stake to remain silent. We must join 
together to address this challenge to our future.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
engaging in personalities toward the President.

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