Impeachment of President Trump for inciting an insurrection against US Government-13/01/2021

HOUSE PROCEEDING

This resolution impeaches President Donald John Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Specifically, the resolution sets forth an article of impeachment stating that President Trump incited an insurrection against the government of the United States.

The article states that

• prior to the joint session of Congress held on January 6, 2021, to count the votes of the electoral college, President Trump repeatedly issued false statements asserting that the presidential election results were fraudulent and should not be accepted by the American people or certified by state or federal officials;
• shortly before the joint session commenced, President Trump reiterated false claims to a crowd near the White House and willfully made statements to the crowd that encouraged and foreseeably resulted in lawless action at the Capitol;
• members of the crowd, incited by President Trump, unlawfully breached and vandalized the Capitol and engaged in other violent, destructive, and seditious acts, including the killing of a law enforcement officer;
• President Trump’s conduct on January 6, 2021, followed his prior efforts to subvert and obstruct the certification of the presidential election, which included a threatening phone call to the Secretary of State of Georgia on January 2, 2021;
• President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government, threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of government; and
• by such conduct, President Trump warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold U.S. office.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2021

House of Representatives

IMPEACHING DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR HIGH
CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 41, I call up the resolution (H. Res. 24) impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

H. Res. 24

Resolved, That Donald John Trump, President of the United States, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors and that the following article of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate:

Article 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 John Trump, President of the United States of America, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Article i: incitement of insurrection

The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment” and that the President “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and
Misdemeanors”. Further, section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution prohibits any person who has “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against” the United States from “hold[ing] any office . . . under the United States”. In his conduct while President of the United States–and 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–Donald John Trump engaged in high Crimes and Misdemeanors by inciting violence against the Government of the United States, in that: On January 6, 2021, pursuant to the 12th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, the House of Representatives, and the Senate met at the United States Capitol for a Joint Session of Congress to count the votes of the Electoral College. In the months preceding the Joint Session, President Trump repeatedly issued false statements asserting that the Presidential election results were the product of widespread fraud and should not be accepted by the American people or certified by State or Federal officials. Shortly before the Joint Session commenced, President Trump, addressed a crowd at the Ellipse in Washington, DC. There, he reiterated false claims that “we won this election, and we won it by a landslide”. He also willfully made statements that, in context, encouraged–and foreseeably resulted in–lawless action at the Capitol, such as: “if you don’t fight like hell you’re not going to have a country anymore”. Thus incited by President Trump, members of the crowd he had addressed, in an attempt to, among other objectives, interfere with the Joint Session’s solemn constitutional duty to certify the results of the 2020 Presidential election, unlawfully breached and vandalized the Capitol, injured and killed law enforcement personnel, menaced Members of Congress, the Vice President, and Congressional personnel, and engaged in other violent, deadly, destructive, and seditious acts.

President Trump’s conduct on January 6, 2021, followed his prior efforts to subvert and obstruct the certification of the results of the 2020 Presidential election. Those prior efforts included a phone call on January 2, 2021, during which President Trump urged the secretary of state of Georgia, Brad Raffensperger, to “find” enough votes to overturn the Georgia Presidential election results and threatened Secretary Raffensperger if he failed to do so.

In all this, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government. He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.

Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law. Donald John Trump thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. McCollum). The resolution shall be debatable for 2 hours, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary.

The gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan) each will control 1 hour.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.

General Leave

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 24.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New York?

There was no objection.

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Pelosi), the distinguished Speaker of the House.
Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership.
Madam Speaker, in his annual address to our predecessors in Congress
in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln spoke of the duty of the patriot in
an hour of decisive crisis for the American people.
“Fellow citizens,” he said, “we cannot escape history. We . . .
will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance or
insignificance can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through
which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the latest
generation. . . . We, even we here, hold the power and bear the
responsibility.”
In the Bible, St. Paul wrote, “Think on these things.” We must
think on what Lincoln told us. We, even here, even us here, hold the
power and bear the responsibility.
We, you and I, hold in trust the power that derives most directly
from the people of the United States, and we bear the responsibility to
fulfill the oath that we all swear before God and before one another:
the oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and
domestic, so help us God.
We know that we face enemies to that Constitution. We know. We
experienced the insurrection that violated the sanctity of the people’s
Capitol and attempted to overturn the duly recorded will of the
American people. And we know that the President of the United States
incited this insurrection, this armed rebellion against our common
country. He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the Nation
that we all love.
Since the Presidential election in November, an election the
President lost, he has repeatedly lied about the outcome, sowed self-
serving doubt about democracy, and unconstitutionally sought to
influence State officials to repeal reality. And then came that day of
fire we all experienced.
The President must be impeached, and I believe the President must be
convicted by the Senate, a constitutional remedy that will ensure that
the Republic will be safe from this man who is so resolutely determined
to tear down the things that we hold dear and that hold us together.
It gives me no pleasure to say this. It breaks my heart. It should
break your heart. It should break all of our hearts, for your presence
in this hallowed Chamber is testament to your love for our country, for
America, and to your faith in the work of our Founders to create a more
perfect Union.
Those insurrectionists were not patriots. They were not part of a
political base to be catered to and managed. They were domestic
terrorists, and justice must prevail.
But they did not appear out of a vacuum. They were sent here, sent
here by the President with words such as a cry to “fight like hell.”
Words matter. Truth matters. Accountability matters. In his public
exhortations to them, the President saw the insurrectionists not as the
foes of freedom, as they are, but as the means to a terrible goal: the
goal of his personally clinging to power, the goal of thwarting the
will of the people, the goal of ending in a fiery and bloody clash
nearly two and a half centuries of our democracy.
This is not theoretical, and this is not motivated by partisanship. I
stand before you today as an officer of the Constitution as Speaker of
the House of Representatives. I stand before you as a wife, a mother, a
grandmother, a daughter, a daughter whose father proudly served in this
Congress, Thomas D’Alesandro, Jr., from Maryland, one of the first
Italian Americans to serve in the Congress. And I stand here before you
today as that noblest of things: a citizen of the United States of
America.
With my voice and my vote, with a plea to all of you, Democrats and
Republicans, I ask you to search your souls and answer these questions:
Is the President’s war on democracy in keeping with the Constitution?
Were his words and insurrectionary mob a high crime and misdemeanor? Do
we not have the duty to our oath to do all we constitutionally can to
protect our Nation and our democracy from the appetites and ambitions
of a man who has self-evidently demonstrated that he is a vital threat
to liberty, to self-government, and to the rule of law?
Our country is divided. We all know that. There are lies abroad in
the land, spread by a desperate President who feels his power slipping
away. We know that, too. But I know this as well: that we here in this
House have a sacred obligation to stand for truth, to stand up for the
Constitution, to stand as guardians of the Republic.
In a speech he was prepared to give in Dallas on Friday, November 22,
1963, President John F. Kennedy was to say, “We in this country, in
this generation, are–by destiny rather than choice–the watchmen on
the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of
our power and responsibility.” That we may be worthy.
President Kennedy was assassinated before he could deliver those
words to the Nation, but they resonate more even now, in our time and
in this place.
Let us be worthy of our power and responsibility, that what Lincoln
thought of the world’s last best hope, the United States of America,
may long survive.
My fellow Members, my fellow Americans, we cannot escape history. Let
us embrace our duty, fulfill our oath, and honor the trust of our
Nation. We pray that God will continue to bless America.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Nineteen minutes. Nineteen minutes. Four years ago on inauguration
day, January 20, 2017, 19 minutes into President Trump’s
administration, at 12:19 p.m., The Washington Post’s headline was
“Campaign to Impeach President Trump Has Begun.” And now with just 1
week left, they are still trying.
In 7 days, there will be a peaceful transfer of power, just like
there has been every other time in our country, but Democrats are going
to impeach President Trump again. This doesn’t unite the country. There
is no way this helps the Nation deal with the tragic and terrible
events of last week that we all condemn. Republicans have been
consistent. We have condemned all the violence all the time. We
condemned it last summer. We condemned it last week.
We should be focused on bringing the Nation together. Instead,
Democrats are going to impeach the President for a second time, 1
week–1 week–before he leaves office. Why? Why?
Politics and the fact that they want to cancel the President–the
President who cut taxes, the President who reduced regulations, the
President who, prior to COVID, had the greatest economy, lowest
unemployment in 50 years, the President who got us out of the Iran
deal, put the Embassy in Jerusalem, brought hostages home from North
Korea, put three great Justices on the Supreme Court, gave us a new
NAFTA agreement, the Abraham Accords, the COVID vaccine, and who built
the wall.
It is about politics. This is about getting the President of the
United States. They spied on his campaign before he was elected.
Nineteen minutes into his Presidency, they started the impeachment
push: 3-year Mueller investigation, 19 lawyers, 40 agents, 500
witnesses, 2,500 subpoenas, $40 million to find nothing–impeachment
round one, based on an anonymous whistleblower with no firsthand
knowledge, who was biased against the President and who worked for Joe
Biden. Now it is impeachment round two.
It has always been about getting the President, no matter what. It is
an obsession, an obsession that has now broadened. It is not just about
impeachment anymore. It is about canceling, as I have said, canceling
the President and anyone that disagrees with them. The Ayatollah can
tweet; the President can’t.
Democrats can object on January 6, 2017, but Republicans aren’t
allowed to object on January 6, 2021. Democrats say antifa is a myth;
Republicans condemn all violence all the time. The double standard has
to stop.
Frankly, the attack on the First Amendment has to stop. Stop and
think about it. Do you have a functioning First Amendment when the
cancel culture only allows one side to talk? When you can’t even have a
debate in this country, this great country, the greatest country ever?
It needs to stop because if it continues, if it continues, it won’t
just be Republicans who get canceled; it won’t just be the President of the United States. The cancel culture will come for us
all.
America is a great country, the greatest country ever. It seems to me
that we need to think about how great the people of this Nation really
are, think about what we have accomplished in the past, and begin to
come together as leaders who represent so many great folks across our
districts.
Think about this. Think about this: In 1903, Kitty Hawk, North
Carolina, two guys fly this thing they called a plane 100 feet. Barely
got off the ground. Barely got off the ground. Amazing thing. Forty-
four years later, Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier. In 44 years,
we go from two guys flying a contraption they called a plane a few
hundred feet to Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, and 22 years
after that–22 years after that–another American steps on the Moon.
Think about it. In one lifetime, in 66 years, two guys flying 100 feet
to putting a man on the Moon. That is what this country is capable of.
That is what we can do.
We, as the Congress who represents the people who did that, should
start leading, should start understanding what really is going on here.
So I hope–I hope–we defeat this. I hope we can begin to come together
and recognize the greatness of the American people and focus on the
things they want us to focus on.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes.
Madam Speaker, we all saw it coming. Months in advance, President
Trump was baselessly and deliberately whipping his supporters into a
frenzy.
Weeks before the riot, he used his bully pulpit to spread lies about
the election. He told his supporters that the results were fraudulent.
He implored them again and again to help him stay in power, and he
convinced them that accepting the outcome of the election posed an
existential threat to their families and their freedoms.
We have a duty to observe, Madam Speaker, that racism played a direct
role in this incitement. The President’s violent rhetoric is always at
its most fevered pitch when he is talking about the civil rights and
civic aspirations of Black Americans and other minority communities.
On January 6, at a rally that was large, angry, and widely reported
to be armed, the President’s lies and violent rhetoric reached their
crescendo. At that rally, the President took the stage. After
reiterating the falsehood that “we won this election, and we won it by
a landslide,” he told the crowd that “if you don’t fight like hell,
you are not going to have a country anymore.” And then he urged the
mob to “walk down Pennsylvania Avenue” to prevent the Congress from
confirming the election of “an illegitimate President.”
On that day, President Trump unleashed the force of a mob on this,
the people’s House. He encouraged that attack with the explicit intent
to disrupt the joint session of Congress, an attack that threatened the
safety of the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, and the
President pro tempore of the Senate, the next three officers in the
line of succession.
And look at what that violence has wrought: at least six dead,
offices ransacked, the sanctity of our Capitol breached for the first
time in two centuries, our hallways littered with broken glass, the
battle flags of a long dead Confederacy, and the debris we have come to
associate with the Trump campaign.
Madam Speaker, I have faith in the resiliency of our government. We
will bring the rioters to justice. Their accomplices in this House will
be held responsible.
But today we must focus on the gravest threat first: President Trump,
who incited this riot and who remains a grave danger to the Nation.
As we warned the Senate when we tried him for his first impeachment:
“President Trump has made clear in word and deed that he will persist
in such conduct if he is not removed from power. He poses a continuing
threat to our Nation, to the integrity of our elections, and to our
democratic order. He must not remain in power one moment longer.”
Not one moment longer. The danger is too great. We must impeach.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock).

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Madam Speaker, I didn’t like the President’s speech
on January 6 either. I thought he was wrong to assert that the Vice
President and Congress can pick and choose which electoral votes to
count. He was wrong to set such a confrontational tone in a politically
tense situation.
But what did he actually say? His exact words were: “I know that
everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol Building to
peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.” That is
impeachable? That is called freedom of speech.
Now, he also threatened to oppose candidates in future elections.
And, by the way, that was directed at Republicans like me who had
resolved to uphold the constitutional process and protect the electoral
college. Well, so what? That is called politics.
If we impeached every politician who gave a fiery speech to a crowd
of partisans, this Capitol would be deserted. That is what the
President did. That is all he did.
He specifically told the crowd to protest peacefully and
patriotically, and the vast majority of them did. But every movement
has a lunatic fringe. Suppressing free speech is not the answer.
Holding rioters accountable for their actions is the answer, and we
are.
If we prosecuted BLM and antifa rioters across the country with the
same determination these last 6 months, this incident might not have
happened at all.
Now, short of declaring war, the power of impeachment is the most
solemn and consequential act that Congress can take. To use it in this
manner, in the heat of the moment, with no hearings, no due process,
many Members phoning in their votes after a hastily called debate,
exactly 1 week before a new President is to take office, trivializes
this power to the point of caricature.
The Democrats have won everything in sight–the House, the Senate,
and the Presidency. In a republic, that calls for magnanimity by the
victors. Only in a banana republic does it call for vengeance.
Benjamin Franklin warned us that “passion governs, and she never
governs wisely.” In our passions this week, we have set some dangerous
new precedents that will haunt us for years to come. Yesterday, we
redefined intemperate speech as a physical incapacity requiring removal
from office. Today, we define it as a high crime and misdemeanor.
Well, the moment any Member of this body gives an impassioned speech
and the lunatic fringe of their movement takes license from it, be
prepared to answer to this new precedent that we establish today.
Now, I could cite plenty of provocative speeches made by Democrats
that directly preceded violence this summer, but we have already had
enough of that.
After 600,000 Americans had perished in the Civil War, Abraham
Lincoln appealed to the better angels of our nature. He said: With
malice toward none, with charity for all, let us bind up the Nation’s
wounds. Those words were so important to the unity of our Nation they
are inscribed in marble at the Lincoln Memorial.
I cannot think of a more petty, vindictive, and gratuitous act than
to impeach an already defeated President a week before he is to leave
office. President-elect Biden’s promise to heal the Nation becomes a
hollow mockery in the harsh reality of this unconstitutional act.
God help our country.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Lofgren).
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I am the only Member of Congress who has
been involved in all three of the last Presidential impeachments. Those
were long proceedings.
Today, we don’t need a long investigation to know the President
incited right-wing terrorists to attack the Congress to try to overturn
constitutional government. The actions were in public, plain as day.
His actions are the most serious offense against our Constitution and
our country. They are impeachable acts.

The Founders devised the Impeachment Clause to protect against a
President who would threaten constitutional order. If we don’t act now,
the Impeachment Clause would essentially be meaningless.
Faced with these facts, if we don’t impeach to protect our country,
we will fail our own oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the
United States against all enemies, foreign and, yes, domestic.
We have no choice. We must impeach.
God bless America.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Arizona (Mr. Biggs).
Mr. BIGGS. Madam Speaker, it is with wariness and a certain
unhealthy, morbid curiosity that I watch the beast attempt to devour
President Donald J. Trump again. The craving to crush President Trump
has never been satisfied–not through investigations, not through false
allegations, and not even through an impeachment that was wholly
without merit.
And the timing of this impeachment makes little sense. Your candidate
will take office in a few hours, and President Trump will relinquish
the levers of power to President-elect Biden.
Your craving was never a Biden victory, nor was it even a Trump
defeat. You believe that your hunger will be finally satiated by
impeaching this President without completion of his full term of
office. You don’t merely seek victory, but you seek obliteration of
your nemesis.
The thirst for Trump’s destruction will not be slaked, however, even
if you are successful today and were the Senate to convict President
Trump. Yours will be a Pyrrhic victory, for, instead of stopping the
Trump train, his movement will grow stronger, for you will have made him a martyr.

Surely you are aware of this, and that is why your allies in the
media seek to censor conservative voices.
Your chums who sit on the boards of corporate America–yes, the same
companies that the left vilifies–promise to starve Republicans from
receiving their PAC donations.
But I bet that the groundswell of support for President Trump and his
policies will not go away. You see, the movement he started is based on
building an incredibly robust economy on a foundation of lower taxes
and fewer regulations that has the wonderful effect of putting more
people to work than ever. It is built upon a strong military that is
extricated from endless wars. It provides border security, America-
first trade agreements, Mideast peace and stability. Those are the
things the American people want.
Your 4-year appetite will be temporarily assuaged while you will, no
doubt, continue to chase after leaders of this movement, but your
appetite will be unfulfilled.
I urge you, please, do not–and I am mixing metaphors here–attempt
to douse the remaining burning embers of this movement with gasoline.
No one wants that. I urge you, please, to reconsider the reckless
action in which you engage today.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Schiff).
Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, 1 week ago, the President incited an
insurrection against Congress to prevent the peaceful transition of
power. It was the most dangerous moment for our democracy in a century.
Today, we invoke the remedy the Founders provided for just such a
lawless President: impeachment.
More important, today, we begin the long road to restoration. America
has been through a civil war, world wars, a Great Depression,
pandemics, McCarthyism, and now a Trumpist and white nationalist
insurrection. And yet our democracy endures. It endures because, at
every juncture, every pivotal moment when evil threatened to overtake
good, patriotic Americans stepped forward to say, “Enough.”
This is one of those moments. To preserve this sacred place, this
citadel of democracy, for ourselves and for posterity, let us say,
“Enough.” Enough.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Gohmert).
Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, here is a quote: “I just don’t even know
why there aren’t uprisings all over the country. And maybe there will
be.”
Or, “Sadly, the domestic enemies of our voting system and honoring
our Constitution are right at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with their
allies in Congress of the United States.” We were called enemies of
the state.
Those are all quotes from our Speaker.
Now, on our side, we didn’t take those to be impeachable because we
didn’t believe she surely meant that. By the Democrats taking this
action, you are telling me, no, when we say those words, we actually
mean to incite violence. That is what this action is saying.
Look, I just looked on the History Channel. It says these words: “If
the Judiciary Committee,” talking about impeachment, “finds
sufficient grounds, its members write and pass Articles of Impeachment,
which then go to the full House for a vote.”
Half of all of the impeachments ever conducted, ever voted for,
occurred under this Speaker. You are setting a precedent that says very
clearly–because this impeachment isn’t going to work, but it is
setting the precedent.
Unlike a year ago, when we said, look, it shouldn’t go through the
Intelligence Committee, it should go through the Judiciary Committee,
forget that. Now the message is: If you have a whim and you want to
just go after a President, just go straight to the floor–no
investigation, no Judiciary Committee. Go straight to the floor. Use it
as a political weapon as you wish.
This is so dangerous, what you are doing, forgetting all the
precedents. Yes, we can argue back and forth, but you are using this as
a weapon, and you are destroying this little experiment in self-
government in a year’s time. It needs to stop.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Massachusetts (Ms. Clark).

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, suffragist and
abolitionist Lucy Stone stated, “If we speak the truth fearlessly, we
shall add to our number those who will turn the scale to the side of
equal and full justice in all things.”
The truth is, President Trump incited a violent attack against the
United States Government.
The truth is, President Trump spent his Presidency inflaming hate,
white supremacy, anti-Semitism, and violence.
The truth is, he was enabled by all those who perpetuated the lie
that the most secure election in our Nation’s history was stolen.
The truth is that these seditious actions left five dead, our Capitol
besieged, our security threatened, and our democracy hanging in the
balance.
And the truth is, a vote to impeach is our resounding declaration
that the government of the people, by the people, for the people shall
not perish.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Issa).
Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, the last speaker said that for 4 years the
President did all these terrible, inciteful things, including anti-
Semitism. I take exception with that.
But I think it is important that we embrace one thing that was said.
Yes, the President has been consistent for the last 4 years. During his
campaign, I even, while representing another candidate, said that the
President had political Tourette’s; he said what was on his mind
without a filter.
I don’t think that is being debated here today. We all know that is
true. What is being debated is whether, with 167 hours left until he
leaves office, he is a clear and present danger. He clearly isn’t.
The President has acted substantially the same for 4 years. He has
rallied his base, and he has, in fact, called for peaceful protest, as
he did just a few days ago.
The fact is, today, we are trying to punish the President–at least
some are–for 4 years of what he did, not for what happened last week.
What happened last week was the result of anarchists who came loaded,
prepared, and with weapons.

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Richmond).
Mr. RICHMOND. Madam Speaker, I rise today in my last floor speech in

this body to do what I was sworn to do on the first date: To protect
and defend the Constitution.
President Trump put the domestic terrorists on notice by saying,
“Stand back and stand by.” He then summoned them to D.C., directed
them to march on the Capitol, and then he sat back and watched the
insurrection.
Some of my colleagues–some of which may well be coconspirators–in
their latest attempt to placate and please this unfit President,
suggests that we shouldn’t punish Trump for his actions in order to
unify the country. That is the climax of foolishness.
Let me suggest to them: Stand up. Man up. Woman up. And defend this
Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic, including Donald J. Trump.
In the first impeachment, Republicans said we didn’t need to impeach
him because he learned his lesson, so no need to remove him.
Well, we said, if we didn’t remove him, he would do it again. Simply
put, we told you so.
Richmond out.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Arizona (Mrs. Lesko).
Mrs. LESKO. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the resolution. At
a time when our country needs unity, it is concerning that my
Democratic colleagues have chosen to begin impeachment proceedings
against a President with just 7 days left in office. All legal
challenges have been exhausted. Congress has certified electors over
objectors, and Joe Biden will be the next President of the United
States.
President Trump has indicated he will peacefully transfer power to
President-elect Biden next week.
So why pursue impeachment just 1 week before he leaves office?
I have heard my colleagues on the other side of the aisle say they
have to impeach the President because he is too dangerous to stay in
power, yet they know that it is impossible for the Senate to remove him
before his term expires.
So what is the point?
Madam Speaker, this move sets a dangerous precedent for our Nation.
If Congress is going to impeach a President, it must only be done after
intense debate and deliberation, not rushed through in the 11th hour to
make a political point. This impeachment attempt is dangerous for our
country and has far-reaching implications for our future.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries).
Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I did not come to Congress to impeach
Donald Trump, but the constitutional crimes by an out-of-control
President inspired by his hatred and the big lie that he told cannot be
ignored. Donald Trump is a living, breathing, impeachable offense. It
is what it is.
The violent attack on the U.S. Capitol was an act of insurrection
incited by Donald Trump. He is a clear and present danger to the
health, safety, and well-being of the American people. That is why this
impeachment is necessary on the House floor for a second time with a
bipartisan majority.
Violence will not win. Insurrection will not win. Sedition will not
win. Terror will not win. Lawlessness will not win. Mob rule will not
win. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.
Democracy will prevail.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentleman from California (Mr. Aguilar).
Mr. AGUILAR. Madam Speaker, on January 3, we stood here on this floor
and swore an oath to defend our Constitution against enemies, foreign
and domestic. Three days later, that oath was put to the test when a
violent mob tried to break down those doors to stop us from performing
our constitutional duty. This mob was not without a leader.
On that day, the President told them to walk to this Capitol, 16
blocks from where he stood. They were radicalized by his lies and
conspiracy theories he spent months fueling, many of which I have heard
on this floor the last week. He needed to say only two words to end the
violence: “I concede.” Because that is what leaders do in a
democracy. Because that is what we do in the United States. They put
politics aside and put country first.
Madam Speaker, as I look to our colleagues over on the other side, I
wonder how many of them will demonstrate that leadership and join us in
holding President Trump accountable for inciting this deadly attack,
and I wonder how many will uphold our oath and put our country first to
defend this Constitution from the threat in the White House. To do
anything less, is to turn your back on the oath altogether.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).
Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, for more than 220 years since George
Washington yielded the Presidency to John Adams, the peaceful transfer
of power has been a hallmark of our democracy.
In this country, the will of the American people reigns supreme over
the ambitions of any individual. Every single President has honored and
upheld these principles until now.
Donald Trump lost his bid for reelection last November. It was a free
and fair election. In fact, President Trump’s own election security
director called it “the most secure election in U.S. history.” But
for 2 months now, Donald Trump has refused to accept the will of the
American people. Over and over again, he has told his supporters he
didn’t really lose; the election was stolen from him and from them. And
as they grew angrier and angrier over this perceived injustice, he told
them there was still a way to keep him in power.

As Congress prepared to meet for the sacred ritual of certifying the
results of the President’s election, the President made his move. He
directed his supporters to travel to Washington for a rally to “stop
the steal.”
They did.
Then, once assembled, he had one final request: March on the U.S.
Capitol. Do what it takes to help me hold on to power. “We will never
give up. We will never concede,” he told them. “If you don’t fight
like hell,” he warned, “you are not going to have a country
anymore.”
The people on the Ellipse that day heard his message loud and clear.
They answered his call for insurrection.
As the third-ranking Republican in this Chamber put it, he “summoned
the mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack.”
Armed with guns, pipe bombs, bats, shields, zip ties, and more, they
set their sights on the U.S. Capitol. They stormed the citadel of our
democracy. Hundreds of domestic terrorists did what Donald Trump wanted
them to do. They seized the Capitol and tried to end our country’s 234-
year experiment in democracy, as the Trump family and White House aides
watched gleefully on television.
They searched the Halls of this building for the Vice President, who
they came to hang for treason. They overran the Office of the Speaker,
who they came to assassinate. They sought, above all else, to seize
control of our government in the name of Donald Trump.
Let that sink in: The terrorists who stormed this building planned to
hang the Vice President, kill the Speaker, and topple our government.
They took down the American flag and replaced it with a Trump flag.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who
are not planning to vote for this article: Is this the kind of country
you want to live in? What are you going to tell your children and
grandchildren when they ask what you did in this moment? Did you stand
for the Republic or for this President?
Heed the words of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican President,
who told our country that “a house divided against itself cannot
stand.”
This great House of which Abraham Lincoln served cannot and will not
endure if we do not stand together now.
The President and the terrorists who stormed these Halls last
Wednesday did not succeed in toppling our Republic. We must ensure they
never do. I implore you to join us in supporting this article.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Van Drew).

Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, we have been here before. We have done
this before. This has failed before. We fractured our Nation using the
same process before. Congress must be the glue that starts unifying
everyone.
By the time this process would conclude, the man they want out of
office will no longer even be the President. If we want unity, this is
not the way.
America was and is the leading light in the world. This proceeding
has continued to cloak our Nation in darkness.
Nearly half the country supports our current President. This takes
their voice away. We must be bigger and better than the most base of
instincts that have been driving our political discourse. It is
destroying us. Let’s link arms with one another and begin to heal.
Let’s stop this impeachment.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse).
Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
President Trump’s actions–encouraging, inciting a mob that stormed
the United States Capitol for the sole purpose of stopping the
constitutionally mandated counting of electoral votes–cannot go
unanswered by this body. He must be impeached.
If Congress does not act, if we shrink from our constitutional
responsibilities to defend our Republic, it will undoubtedly undermine
the vision of America as “the last best hope of earth,” as Abraham
Lincoln so eloquently said so many years ago.
To the millions of Americans watching today: I hope that you
understand that we are proceeding on this path out of love for our
country.
I will honor my oath today. I will vote for impeachment, and I pray
that my colleagues will muster the courage to do the same.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn).
Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Article of Impeachment.
Last Wednesday, we gathered to follow the Constitution’s simple
instruction: To count the electoral votes that have been tallied by the
States and submitted to us.
This President refused to accept those results. Instead, he sought to
overturn them by inciting a violent insurrection. But we were not
deterred from doing our constitutional duty. Today, we must do our
constitutional duty once again.
While the President failed in his attempt to upend our democracy,
last Wednesday’s events declared that if we do not hold him accountable
and remove him from power, a future attempt could very well be successful.
The survival of our democracy depends on defeated candidates
accepting their defeats, as has been the case in every President’s election since 1864.
Our January 6 joint session is a vital part of the transfer of power,
not the contest for power. Vice President Gore understood this,
accepting and certifying the 2000 election result in which he was
defeated. Vice President Biden understood this, accepting and
certifying this President’s victory in the 2016 election.
This President’s refusal to participate in the peaceful transfer of
power and his role in the incitement of last week’s violence posed an
existential threat to our constitution of democracy.
This threat must be extinguished immediately. This President must be
impeached and convicted, and he must be prevented from ever attempting
to seize power again.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Buck).
Mr. BUCK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time.
Madam Speaker, I have heard that President Trump radicalized the
group of the rioters who stormed this Capitol. I would say that we need
to look no further than ourselves to find out what happened and to look
at history.
Americans were frustrated when they learned that the FBI was
investigating the Trump campaign. They were frustrated to learn that
the Obama administration and the DNC had created this false campaign
against the Trump administration. They were frustrated, Madam Speaker,
when the inauguration of the President was boycotted by over 40
Democrat Members of this House.
They were frustrated to read in The Washington Post the day after the
inauguration: Let the impeachment begin.
They were frustrated when Members of this House spoke over and over
about impeaching the President days into his administration. And then
the Socialists in Hollywood joined their allies in Congress. Robert De
Niro said that he wanted to punch the President in the face. Madonna
thought about blowing up the White House. Kathy Lee Griffin held up a
likeness of the President’s beheaded head, and nothing was said by my
colleagues at that point in time.
In fact, one Democrat colleague said that Trump supporters should be
harassed wherever they are, in restaurants, on the street, and in
supermarkets.
During this time, the President was under investigation by a special
counsel who found no collusion and no conspiracy with Russia.
The President’s supporters were harassed. Ajit Pai, the head of the
FCC, was called a dirty, sneaky Indian. His children were harassed in
school. The press secretary, Sarah Sanders, was kicked out of a
restaurant for being a Trump employee. The DHS Secretary, Kirstjen
Nielsen, was harassed by her home, and Trump donors were publicly
shamed.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin).
Mr. RASKIN. Madam Speaker, smashing windows and beating police
officers over the head with fire extinguishers, a bloodthirsty mob
attacked the Capitol and invaded this Congress last Wednesday. They
erected a gallows and repeatedly chanted: Hang Mike Pence.
They stormed Speaker Pelosi’s office yelling: Where is Nancy?
They brandished the Confederate battle flag and occupied the Senate
Chamber. They wounded dozens of people, hospitalized dozens of people,
and killed five of our people. For 6 hours, they shut down the counting
of electoral college votes–our sacred process under the Constitution
for peaceful transfer of power in the United States.
They may have been hunting for Pence and Pelosi to stage their coup,
but every one of us in this room right now could have died. As Senator
Lindsey Graham said: The mob could have blown the building up. They
could have killed us all.
And now the far right is calling for a return engagement from January
17 to January 20. They are asking the President to pardon the
conspirators in last week’s rampage as they prepare for a race war
again next week. It is a bit much to be hearing that these people would
not be trying to destroy our government and kill us if we just weren’t
so mean to them.
Despite the floor leader’s desperate effort to polarize this body and
this Nation along party lines, it is the chair of the Republican
Conference who best articulated what happened in a statement yesterday,
and I recommend every American read this. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the
elected chair of the Republican Conference, wrote that “the President
summoned this mob, assembled this mob, and lit the flame of this
attack. Everything that followed was his doing. None of this would have
happened without the President. The President could have immediately
and forcibly intervened to stop the violence. He did not. There has
never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States.”
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Maryland an
additional 10 seconds.
Mr. RASKIN. Ms. Cheney says that “there has never been a greater
betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath
to the Constitution.”
Read Ms. Cheney’s statement. Let’s come together and impeach the
President for this high crime against the Republic. We don’t have a
minute to spare. He is a clear and present danger to the people.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Gaetz).
Mr. GAETZ. Madam Speaker, it seems to me that impeachment is an itch
that doesn’t go away with just one scratch. It also seems that
President Trump may be most likely to be impeached when he is correct.
Before the last Presidential impeachment, President Trump rightly
pointed out the improper activities of the Biden crime family, and
subsequently he has been proven right. And don’t think for a moment,
Madam Speaker, that we are going to drop that or stop our pursuit for
the truth.
Before that, Madam Speaker, we had the Russia hoax, where you had the
President rightfully making claims that Hillary Clinton and the DNC
were colluding with Russians to disorient our democracy. How right he
turned out to be.
And then we have the 2020 Presidential election where the President
correctly pointed out unconstitutional behavior, voting irregularities,
concerns over tabulations, dead people voting, and now impeachment
again. “When they go low, we kick them,” Eric Holder, former Attorney
General under Barack Obama.
Breaching the Capitol was as low as low can be. We all denounce it.
But who is it that they are kicking?
The President, who created soaring highs for our economy, rising
wages before the pandemic, and 400 miles of wall to stop the caravans.
He drew down troops in the Middle East and showed empathy for the
forgotten men and women of our country. It is why so many people love
him so much, and it is why they are kicking all of us.
This President has faced unprecedented hatred and resistance from Big
Media, Big Tech, and big egos from congressional leaders on both sides
of the aisle.
Before the rioters tore through that glass, Speaker Pelosi stood at
that rostrum and tore through the President’s State of the Union
speech, inciting anger, resentment, and division. Some believe that
truly these true colors are being shown now through this divisive
bipartisan impeachment.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Florida an
additional 40 seconds.
Mr. GAETZ. Madam Speaker, the Speaker said to us just moments ago
that words matter. But apparently those words don’t matter when they
are uttered by Democrats, when the gentlewoman from Massachusetts calls
for unrest in the streets, and when the gentlewoman from California
brazenly brags that she called for people to get in the faces of those
who serve and support the President.
I denounce political violence from all ends of the spectrum. But make
no mistake: the left in America has incited far more political violence
than the right. For months our cities burned, police stations burned,
and our businesses were shattered; and they said nothing or they cheer-
led for it, they fundraised for it, and they allowed it to happen in
the greatest country in the world.
Now, some have cited the metaphor that the President lit the flame.
They lit actual flames and actual fires. We put them out, and we intend
to keep this President.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentleman from California (Mr. Swalwell).
Mr. SWALWELL. Madam Speaker, America has been attacked before, but
not like this. On January 6, Donald Trump incited thousands of
radicalized terrorists to attack the Capitol to stop a transition of
power. Let that sink in. Our President incited our citizens to attack
our Capitol. America was not attacked in the past tense. This President
has inspired future plots. America is still under attack, and that is
why Donald Trump must be impeached.
I have read that many of my GOP colleagues know what the President
did was wrong but are afraid for their lives if they cross the
President. I am sorry that they are living in fear, but now is the time
to summon their courage to guide them.
Madam Speaker, we have all seen the images of the courageous officers
who have risked their lives so that you could flee this floor and see
your families. That was almost a week ago right now.
Officers engaged in hand-to-hand combat for hours with these
terrorists. Capitol Police were spit on, beaten, stampeded, and one of
them lost his life.
Madam Speaker, I am not asking you to summon the courage that they
did; I am just asking you to do your job and hold this President
accountable.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro).
Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, Donald Trump is the most
dangerous man to ever occupy the Oval Office.
Madam Speaker, I want to take you back 1 week ago today when people
were barging through these doors and breaking the windows with weapons,
armed, pipe bombs, coming here to harm all of you, to harm the Speaker,
and to harm the Senate.
Madam Speaker, let me ask you a question: What do you think they
would have done if they had gotten in?
What do you think they would have done to you, and who do you think
sent them here? The most dangerous man to ever occupy the Oval Office.
If inciting a deadly insurrection is not enough to get a President
impeached, then what is?
All of us must answer that question today.
The Constitution requires us to impeach and remove Donald John Trump.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Dean).
Ms. DEAN. Madam Speaker, 1 week ago today, I was trapped in this
House Chamber as the banging on the doors began. I feared for
colleagues, reporters, and staff. I feared for myself. The attack on
the Capitol will never be forgotten.
The President and many in this Chamber have shamelessly peddled
dangerous untruths about the election, despite the warnings of where
those lies would lead. Last Wednesday, those lies and dangers found
themselves inside this Capitol.

This hateful rhetoric is another deadly virus. It is time to remove
it from its host. To heal, we need accountability and truth. That
begins by acknowledging the President’s dangerous lies and their deadly
consequences. Removing Donald Trump is the beginning of restoring
decency and democracy. What happened last week will not be forgotten,
and what we do this week will long be remembered. Vote “yes” on
impeachment.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
California (Mr. McCarthy).
Mr. McCARTHY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, let me be clear: Last week’s violent attack on the
Capitol was undemocratic, un-American, and criminal. Violence is never
a legitimate form of protest. Freedom of speech and assembly under the
Constitution is rooted in nonviolence. Yet the violent mob that
descended upon this body was neither peaceful nor democratic. It acted
to disrupt Congress’ constitutional responsibility. It was also an
attack on the people who work in this institution: Members, staff, and
the hundreds who work behind the scenes so that we can serve the
American people.
The greatest statesman in the history of our country understood that
the most dangerous threat to freedom is lawlessness. A young lawyer
named Abraham Lincoln famously said, “There is no grievance that is a
fit object of redress by mob law.”
Yet, for several hours last week, mob law tried to interfere with
constitutional law.
Some say the riots were caused by antifa. There is absolutely no
evidence of that, and Conservatives should be the first to say so.
Conservatives also know that the only thing that stops mob violence
is to meet it with force rooted in justice and backed by moral courage.
Last week, we saw mob violence met by courage, sacrifice, and heroism
from the brave men and women who protect this institution every day.
But for the bravery of the Capitol Police, the destruction and loss
could have been much greater. We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude.

The loss of Officer Brian Sicknick and Officer Howard Liebengood was
tragic and heartbreaking. We mourn their loss, remember their lives,
and continue to pray for their families and loved ones.
The officers of the Capitol Police deserve our eternal thanks. We
will never forget the dangers they faced, the determination they
showed, or the sacrifices they made.
Make no mistake, those who are responsible for Wednesday’s chaos will
be brought to justice, which brings me to today’s debate. I believe
impeaching the President in such a short timeframe would be a mistake.
No investigations have been completed. No hearings have been held.
What is more, the Senate has confirmed that no trial will begin until
after President-elect Biden is sworn in.
But here is what a vote to impeach would do. A vote to impeach would
further divide this Nation. A vote to impeach will further fan the
flames of partisan division.
Most Americans want neither inaction nor retribution. They want
durable, bipartisan justice. That path is still available, but it is
not the path we are on today.
That doesn’t mean the President is free from fault. The President
bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters.
He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was
unfolding.
These facts require immediate action by President Trump: accept his
share of responsibility, quell the brewing unrest, and ensure
President-elect Biden is able to successfully begin his term.
And the President’s immediate action also deserves congressional
action, which is why I think a factfinding commission and a censure
resolution would be prudent. Unfortunately, that is not where we are
today.
Truly, this past week was one of the most difficult for Congress and
our Nation. Of all the days here, last Wednesday was the worst day I
have ever seen in Congress. Our country is deeply hurt.
So, where do we go from here? After all the violence and chaos of the
last week, it is important to remember that we are still here to
deliver a better future for all Americans. It does not matter if you
are liberal, moderate, or conservative; all of us must resist the
temptations of further polarization. Instead, we must unite once again
as Americans.
I understand, for some, this call for unity may ring hollow, but
times like these are when we must remember who we are as Americans and
what we, as a nation, stand for.
As history shows, unity is not an option; it is a necessity. It is as
necessary today as it was at the start of our country. I want us all to
think back to how John Adams and the Federalist Party handed power over
to Thomas Jefferson and his party after the election of 1800.
That election and, indeed, that era was one of the most divisive
ever. Partisans used every dirty trick in the book. They demonized each
other, dismissed reasonable dissent, and described their opponents as
seditious. Sound familiar?
The election of 1800 could have destroyed our young Nation, but
instead of breaking us, it helped bring us together, thereby preserving
the world’s last best hope of freedom. After a hard-fought battle over
the electoral college in Congress, Adams conceded. A peaceful transfer
of power, the first in American history, took place.
Jefferson, for his part, put aside the division of the era and
preached forgiveness and, yes, unity. In his first inaugural address,
he famously said: “Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle.”
Jefferson and Adams did not end every difference of opinion that
existed in America, nor did they try. In a free country as big and
diverse as ours, that would be impossible. What they did was more
important. They recognized the deeper unity, a unity rooted in the
famous proposition both men helped to write. At a critical moment in
history, our Founders chose peace, liberty, and partnership over
tension, division, and partisanship.
For the sake of our country, we must make the exact same choice. We
have already begun.
Last week, despite the lingering shock and amid the windows still
broken, we did what all healthy democracies do. We debated, and we
voted. In this country, we solve our disputes at the ballot box and
through debates and votes on the floor of this exact Chamber. We did
our duty then, and we must do more.
The eyes of the Nation and the world are upon us. We must seize this
opportunity and heal and grow stronger. As leaders, our place in
history depends on whether we call on our better angels and refocus our
efforts to work directly for the American people.
United, we can deliver the peace, strength, and prosperity our
country desperately needs. Divided, we will fail.
What we saw last week was not the American way. Neither is the
continued rhetoric that Joe Biden is not the legitimate President.
Let’s be clear: Joe Biden will be sworn in as President of the United
States in 1 week because he won the election.
And his Presidency and this Congress will face immediate challenges
that must be addressed. I stand ready to assist in that effort with
good faith, goodwill, and an open hand.
The United States remains exceptional. We remain extraordinary. In
the coming weeks and months, we must work together, all of us, to
recharge the light of our shining city on the hill.
History has shown us a way. History has given us a path. Just as
Adams and Jefferson have shown, now is the moment that we should do the
exact same.
In these trying times, may God continue to bless America. Let’s chart
a course that history will repeat but not what is happening today.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette).
Ms. DeGETTE. Madam Speaker, just over a year ago, I stood right there
where you are standing today as we took the solemn step of impeaching
the President of the United States for pressuring a foreign leader to
take unlawful actions to help him in his reelection.
Just 1 week ago, almost to the hour, I laid right there on the floor
of the gallery above us. I heard gunshots in the Speaker’s lobby. I
heard the mob pounding on the door. They were an angry mob, incited by
the President, trying to stop certification of a legitimate election.
It is clear the President learned nothing in the last year.
Yesterday, the President said again he did nothing wrong.
This man is dangerous. He has defied the Constitution. He has incited
sedition. And he must be removed.
We all took a pledge on January 3 to uphold the Constitution. We must
honor that oath. We must vote “yes” on this Article of Impeachment.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Colorado (Mrs. Boebert).
Mrs. BOEBERT. Glory to God.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to oppose this impeachment and denounce
the recent violence on the Capitol, just as I opposed the previous
impeachment and the violence we have all witnessed all summer long
across our great country.
Make no mistake here, the hypocrisy of the left is on full display.

Go to the Hill. Get in the face of some Congresspeople. We
have got to fight in Congress, fight in the courts, fight in
the streets. Take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of
him. Go and take Trump out tonight.

Sound familiar? What about the gentlewoman from New York who defended
the looting by saying looters just want loaves of bread? The last I
checked, Best Buy and Tesla and stores of the like do not produce baked
goods.
Where is the accountability for the left after encouraging and
normalizing violence? Rather than actually helping American people in
this time, we start impeachments that further divide our country.
I call bull crap when I hear the Democrats demanding unity. Sadly,
they are only unified in hate.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters).

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of impeaching again the worst President in the history of the United States.
Since his first day in office, this President has spent 4 years
abusing his power, lying, embracing authoritarianism, and radicalizing
his supporters against democracy.
This corruption poisoned the minds of his supporters, inciting them
to willingly join with white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and paramilitary
extremists in a siege of the United States Capitol Building, the very
seat of American democracy.
The Republican Party is now the Trump party. And I want you to know
that this is a Trump power grab that will not stop. It will not stop
with attacking the Capitol and our State legislatures. This President
intends to exercise power long after he is out of office.
It is reported that the President of the United States watched the
invasion of our Capitol from the Oval Office and seemingly enjoyed it.
I want you to know we should be concerned that the Republicans will
defend him, and he is capable of starting a civil war.
He must be impeached. He must be stopped now.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Washington (Mr. Newhouse).
Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for
yielding me the time.
Madam Speaker, this is a sad day in our Republic, but not as sad or
disheartening as the violence we witnessed in the Capitol last
Wednesday.
We are all responsible. My colleagues are responsible for not
condemning rioters this past year, like those who barricaded the doors
of the Seattle Police Department and attempted to murder the officers
inside. Others, including myself, are responsible for not speaking out
sooner, before the President misinformed and inflamed a violent mob who
tore down the American flag and brutally beat Capitol Police officers.
Madam Speaker, we must all do better. These Articles of Impeachment
are flawed, but I will not use process as an excuse. There is no excuse
for President Trump’s actions.
The President took an oath to defend the Constitution against all
enemies, foreign and domestic. Last week, there was a domestic threat
at the door of the Capitol, and he did nothing to stop it.
That is why, with a heavy heart and clear resolve, I will vote
“yes” on these Articles of Impeachment.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, could I ask how much time each side has
remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Ohio has 36\1/4\ minutes
remaining. The gentleman from New York has 36\3/4\ minutes remaining.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
Massachusetts (Mr. Auchincloss).
Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Madam Speaker, a mob desecrated our Capitol, killed
a police officer, and attempted to overthrow our government on the
orders of the President of the United States. Immediate impeachment is
our duty under the Constitution that compels us to defend against
enemies, foreign and domestic.
As a Marine officer, I defended our democracy from foreign enemies.
As a Member of Congress, I am solemnly resolved to defend it from
domestic ones.
With this vote, we strike a blow for moral leadership.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Chabot).

Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, America is at a crossroads. As the violent
riots at the Capitol last week so painfully and shockingly reminded us,
the unhinged partisan rhetoric that too often consumes the political
dialogue in this country has become toxic and is tearing us apart. If
we continue down this path, there is no telling how much damage to our
Union there may be.
Sadly, that is what is happening here today. The majority is rushing
through yet a second impeachment of President Trump, who has but 7 days
remaining in office. As prominent constitutional law professor Jonathan
Turley has cautioned: Today a dangerous precedent is being set that
could lead to the normalization of snap impeachments without any
hearings or any meaningful discussion or debate.
The majority is ramming through this House the most potent tool at
our disposal without a single hearing, turning a process that usually
takes months into a few short hours.
We haven’t heard testimony from a single witness. We haven’t heard
from any experts on the nature of these charges, nor the damage this
effort could inflict on our Republic. We didn’t know even how this
debate would unfold until 9 a.m. this morning.
This is truly an unprecedented situation and one which could cause
irrevocable harm to our Nation.
Madam Speaker, it doesn’t have to be this way. We don’t have to
continue down this misguided path. We could instead follow the wisdom
provided by none other than Abraham Lincoln during another divisive
time in our Nation’s history and listen to the better angels of our
nature. We could choose a more positive, constructive path and vote
down this ill-conceived effort.
We should tone down the political rhetoric. We should work together
to solve the problems that face our Nation. We should put aside our
differences and find common ground.
We should bring Americans back together because there is no crisis we
can’t overcome if we stand united.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Herrera Beutler).
Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to stand against our
enemy. To clarify, our enemy isn’t the President or the President- elect.
Fear is our enemy. Fear tells us what we want to hear. It incites
anger and violence and fire, but it also haunts us into silence and inaction.
What are you afraid of? I am afraid of what people will say or think.
I am afraid of being devalued. I am not afraid of losing my job, but I
am afraid that my country will fail. I am afraid patriots of this
country have died in vain. I am afraid my children won’t grow up in a
free country. I am afraid injustice will prevail.
But truth, truth sets us free from fear. Truth doesn’t guarantee bad
things won’t happen, but it does promise to always prevail in the end.
It has no shadows where darkness can hide. With truth comes love, and
we could use that right now.
My vote to impeach our sitting President is not a fear-based
decision. I am not choosing a side; I am choosing truth. It is the only
way to defeat fear.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Van Duyne).
Ms. VAN DUYNE. Today, I should be in my district working for my
constituents. Instead, I am back here in Washington because the
majority could not resist another made-for-TV impeachment.
American workers are losing their jobs and struggling to feed their
families. Small businesses are being forced to lay off workers and
close their doors. Families are, tragically, losing loved ones to the coronavirus.
Instead of creating or even saving American jobs, or negotiating
additional COVID relief, we are debating an impeachment that has been
preceded by no inquiry, no meaningful debate, and no due process.
In 1 week’s time, Joe Biden will be the President. The American
people need us to rise above the heat of the moment, to focus on their
needs, and to deliver real solutions.
Because the majority decided we should debate whether or not to
remove a sitting President in just 2 hours, I will be brief: I oppose
this Article of Impeachment.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms. Bourdeaux).
Ms. BOURDEAUX. Madam Speaker, I teach a civics class where I point
out that our democracy is not self-executing. It requires people of
good faith and ethics to make it work.
The President has repeatedly challenged Georgia’s election results.
But, despite three recounts and many investigations, the results are
clear: Joe Biden won Georgia.
The idea that our election was fraudulent is a lie. Our President
used this lie to incite a violent mob to attack the Capitol.
I ask my colleagues to act with ethics and good faith, to reject these lies, and, in this case, to support the Article of Impeachment.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Posey).
Mr. POSEY. In our campaigns, we may be adversaries, but usually,
after campaign season is over, we have traditionally come together for
the good of our Nation.
Now more than ever in our lifetimes, we are a divided Nation. One of
the reasons? The resist movement, which has harassed, harangued, and
otherwise denigrated the President since the second he became the
nominee.
While his sins may be different than yours or mine, they are clearly
not treasonous. Let our men and women in blue, who suffered a lot more
stress than the Members of Congress they protected, have the time they
deserve to recuperate, and do the same for millions of Americans who
feel they have been disenfranchised.
I beseech my colleagues on both sides of the aisle: If you truly want
our Nation to heal, vote “no” on this resolution.
It reeks of nothing more than revenge and sets a dangerous precedent.
May God continue to bless the United States of America.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Brown).
Mr. BROWN. Madam Speaker, a week ago, Americans and this Chamber
lived through one of our darkest days. The Commander in Chief incited a
mob of insurrectionists to overturn the results of a free and fair
election through terror and intimidation.
They failed, but this violence took its toll. People died; our
country’s temple of democracy was vandalized; and our image as the
world’s leading democracy was shaken.
President Trump represents a real threat to our national security,
our democratic institutions, and the people of this country.
We cannot let Donald Trump, who actively orchestrated sedition, lead
our Nation’s government for another 7 days. We cannot wait until
January 20. Donald Trump must be removed.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Gooden).
Mr. GOODEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I also want to thank my
Democratic colleagues for finally joining Republicans in condemning mob
violence after 6 months of refusing to acknowledge it.
But I am really tired of sanctimonious sermons on being a sore loser
from some of the same Democrats who opposed accepting results in
elections past. Democrats have objected to certifying every Republican
victory of the 21st century. In 2000, 2004, and in 2016, Democrats
objected every time.
When they objected, it was patriotic. But when Republicans do it, we
are inciting a mob; we are liars; and we are traitors. This is the
double standard we should expect under total Democrat control.
They have called for unrest in the streets. They have called for
harassing Cabinet officials. They have objected to certifying election
results time and time again. Even the Judiciary chairman secured
clemency for a domestic terrorist who detonated a bomb right here in
this building. But we are the extremists? I don’t think so.
We have been silenced by Big Tech on social media, by corporate
America. Now the other side wants to silence us on the House floor.
This is a sad day in America. I urge my colleagues to vote “no.”
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Missouri (Ms. Bush), a new Member of the House and a
new member of the Judiciary Committee.
Ms. BUSH. Madam Speaker, St. Louis and I rise in support of the
Article of Impeachment against Donald J. Trump.
If we fail to remove a white supremacist President who incited a
white supremacist insurrection, it is communities like Missouri’s First
District that suffer the most.
The 117th Congress must understand that we have a mandate to
legislate in defense of Black lives. The first step in that process is
to root out white supremacy, starting with impeaching the white
supremacist in chief.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Jackson).
Mr. JACKSON. I rise in opposition to the Article of Impeachment.
Let me be clear, what happened last Wednesday was a stain on our
Nation, and the criminals and the rioters responsible should be
prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
It is clear now more than ever that our country needs to come
together, and Congress, this Congress, needs to lead by example and
begin the process of healing the deep division that exists among us as Americans.
The article before us today will not accomplish that. In fact, the
sham Article of Impeachment will only serve to further fan the flames
of unrest and to appease the radical left’s appetite for division.
We should be focusing on restoring communities devastated by
lockdowns, working on America’s vaccine rollout, aiding a bipartisan
investigation into these attacks, and ensuring election integrity, not
impeaching a President who has promised a peaceful transition and who
has less than 7 days left in office.
It is time to focus on the unprecedented challenges we face, and it
is time to focus on unity. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to
oppose the Article of Impeachment.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke).
Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to support H.
Res. 24, the Article of Impeachment against Donald Trump for high
crimes and misdemeanors for a second time.
Let us be very clear, what took place on January 6, 2021, was an act
of domestic terrorism by rightwing sycophantic white supremacists,
promoted, instigated, and advanced by the man in the White House,
Donald Trump.
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said: “The ultimate
weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the
very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it
multiplies it.”
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Wisconsin (Mr. Tiffany).
Mr. TIFFANY. Madam Speaker, my father once said to me: Just because
you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
In the short time I have served in this body, one thing is clear:
This is not a serious place.
Last year, we watched as the other side delayed COVID relief for
months to inflict maximum pain and sway the outcome of the election.
The Speaker said as much.
Yet, these last 2 days, we have seen just how fast they can move when
they want to exact political retribution on their opponent.

My friends on the other side now have complete control of both Houses
of Congress. In a few days, they will control the entire executive
branch as well.
Madam Speaker, Joe Biden has talked unity and healing. Is that what
this is today? Is accusing Republican lawmakers of sedition and calling
for their expulsion the plan for healing? Is working with Silicon
Valley to digitally disappear those with whom they disagree with the
plan for reconciliation?
I was among the first to condemn the riots in Madison months ago, and
I condemn what happened last week. But where were the swift accusations
of incitement and insurrection from the other side last year? Is
today’s political theater a preview of what the American people can
expect from single-party rule, 2 years of double standards, of
punishing those who voted for someone else?
Madam Speaker, I hope Mr. Biden is watching today and that he will
rise to the moment and call off this effort to rub salt in the wounds
of millions of Americans.
It is now time for all of us, Democrats and Republicans alike, to
turn down the temperature.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Cleaver).
Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, it would be an error to suppose that men
and women can be courageous every day. It would be unfair to anticipate
that I or any Member of this body could be a lion every day. No one is expected to be a lion day after
day after day. But on this day, lions are required.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).
Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the
time.
After President Trump was not impeached, Susan Collins said he has
learned a pretty big lesson; he was impeached.
Then he brought his “It will be wild,” riotous television show that
he produced for one person, individual one.
Intelligence reports indicate that the people he said he loves and
are special are going to attack this city and attack this Capitol next
week. He has not asked them not to do it. He has not told them to stand
down. I most fear January 20 because I think he will try to go out with
a bang.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, the statement from the President: I urge
that there must be no violence, no law breaking, no vandalism of any
kind. This is not what I stand for, is not what America stands for. I
call on all Americans to help ease tensions and calm down.
I just put out that statement by the President of the United States.
Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Cline).
Mr. CLINE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the
time, and I thank the President for his words. Above the entrance to
the House of Representatives is a sculpture called the Apotheosis of
Democracy. It depicts allegorical peace dressed in armor and protecting
the genius of America.
Last week, that peace was tragically torn apart as our U.S. Capitol
was invaded for the first time since the War of 1812. A violent mob,
including many with the most hostile of intentions, broke past security
barriers and unleashed destruction and chaos throughout the Capitol.
When it was over, six individuals were dead, including two Capitol
police officers.
I have always supported the rights of citizens to peaceably assemble,
but those who breached the Capitol and assaulted and killed Capitol
police should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If their
intent was to stop the constitutional requirement of this body to count
electoral votes, they should be charged and prosecuted for insurrection
against the government.
But we are a Nation of laws, not of men, and the legal standard for
incitement to violence has not been met.
Now, a week since the riots threatened the people’s House and a week
until a new President takes office, we are rushing through an
impeachment without all of the facts and evidence and without due
process.
We don’t know what kind of information the offenders have, what
evidence will come out during their trials, whether it bolsters the
majority’s claims or the minority’s views, or whether it implicates
other individuals, groups, or other officials in the attack on this
hallowed institution. We just don’t know, and that is why we must treat
the power of impeachment and our responsibility as holders of this
power with the seriousness and solemnity it deserves.
Let us gather the evidence. Let us hear the judiciary, make an
informed decision together. This action will only further fuel the
political divide among our citizens and will be detrimental to the
long-term efforts to unify our country.
I reiterate my call from last night. Let us work together. Both
President Trump and President-elect Biden have called for a peaceful
transition of power. I humbly beseech my colleagues to work toward this
end to unify our country and not go down this dangerous path.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin).
Mr. LANGEVIN. Madam Speaker, January 6 was a horrific day for our
country, for our democracy. The Capitol was breached, the blood of our
defenders spilled, all because of a lie that the elections were stolen,
a lie that has infected this Nation as perniciously as the pandemic.
President Trump is the source of that lie. He has perverted and
betrayed his oath to defend the Constitution, attacking the foundation
of our democracy by inciting his supporters to violence. He is not fit
to serve and is a danger to our country while he does.
I too pledged to support and defend the Constitution against all
enemies, foreign and domestic. I will uphold that oath.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, what did the Speaker know, and what did
other legislative leaders know, and when did they know it? Maybe that
is a rush to impeach the President so we will never know what
legislative leaders here knew.
The FBI knew about a number of individuals that were planning a war
on the Capitol, including killing police officers, and they shared the
information. But nothing happened.
The chief Federal prosecutor in Washington stated he is pursuing
conspiracy charges. The fact that IEDs were constructed and placed
informs me that there was preplanning for portions of the tragic events
last week.
How does the President incite an attack that was preplanned and
already underway before his speech concluded?
Now, I know my colleagues on the left want America to believe that
the President incited a spontaneous riot that they would like to call
an insurrection, but the facts are stubborn things, even if you choose
to ignore them.
The truth is the multiple lawless and violent events last summer,
including a months-long siege of a Federal courthouse, burning,
looting, physical violence in so-called sanctuary cities, more closely
fits the definition of insurrection than anything the President said
last week.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly).
Mr. CONNOLLY. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.
The American people are asking: Is there any depravity too low? Is
there any outrage too far? Is there any blood and violence too much to
turn hearts and minds in this body instead of the usual justification,
rationalization, and enabling in false equivalence we have to hear?
This is a moment of truth, my friends. Are you on the side of chaos
and the mob, or on the side of constitutional democracy and our
freedom? It is that simple. That is what this vote for impeachment
represents.
Madam Speaker, I will not turn a blind eye to the President inciting
an armed insurrection against Congress.
In the leadup to the election and in its aftermath, the President
peddled outrageous lies to overturn a free and fair election.
When that didn’t work, he launched an armed attack on a coequal
branch of government.
As the mob closed in, I will never forget it, the banging got louder.
(BANG)
The President watched the violence unfold on television. (BANG)
Republicans begged him to call off the mob. (BANG)
Instead, the President attacked his own Vice President whose life was
already in danger. (BANG)
Now five people are dead, and some of my colleagues are calling for
unity.
I support unity, but unity cannot be a subterfuge for avoiding
accountability.
And today, I vote for accountability.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, could I inquire how much time each side
has remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Ohio has 25 minutes
remaining. The gentleman from New York has 31\1/4\ minutes remaining.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Crow).
Mr. CROW. Madam Speaker, last week, I stood in that gallery to defend
this Chamber against the violent mob called here by Donald Trump. I
have dedicated my life to the defense of our Nation, and Donald Trump
is a risk to all that I love.
Some of my Republican colleagues are afraid of the consequences of an
impeachment vote, but this Congress

[[Page H176]]

sends our young men and women to war every day. I am not asking you to
storm the beaches of Normandy but only show a fraction of the courage
we ask of our troops every day.
Leadership is hard. It is time to impeach.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis).
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman
for yielding me the time.
I heard a few minutes ago that there had been no hearings. Well, I
have heard from the people of the Seventh District of Illinois. They
have told me what to do. They have said: Impeach this President.
Impeach this President, and do it now.
I will follow their instructions and vote “yes” to impeach this
President.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Escobar).
Ms. ESCOBAR. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
On January 6, terrorists attacked the United States of America. It
was an attempted coup and an insurrection. But what I hope Americans
understand is that it was a terrorist attack against our country.
Those who came and participated must be found and prosecuted. Those
who aided and abetted must be found and prosecuted. And the man who
incited it, President Donald J. Trump, our greatest national security
threat, must be impeached, held accountable, and never be allowed to
hold office again.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I now yield 30 seconds to distinguished
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo).
Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, future generations are not going to know
the names of each Member in the Chamber today and voting, but they will
know what we did and why. We must impeach the President because he
incited the mob that attacked the Capitol of the United States, the
tabernacle of our democracy. He is incapable of honoring his oath and
our Constitution, and he has proven to be unfit and dangerous.
I will vote to impeach this traitor to our country.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I now yield 30 seconds to the
distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Espaillat).
Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, today I cast my vote for the second
time to impeach Donald J. Trump. He is unfit to hold office. He
summonsed and dispatched his mob to kidnap and hurt many of us. He is
unfit to hold office.
He summonsed and dispatched his mob to assassinate Vice President
Pence, to assassinate Speaker Pelosi. He is unfit to hold office.
He summonsed and dispatched a mob that waved the racist Confederate
flag and assaulted this Capitol, resulting in the death of five
Americans, including two Capitol Police officers. He is unfit to hold
office. We must impeach now.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Garcia).
Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today in the strongest
possible support for the impeachment of Donald J. Trump. When Trump
made a last desperate attempt to steal the Presidency, to reject the
will of the people by encouraging insurrection, he became the first
President to incite an attempted overthrow of the institutions he is
sworn to protect.
That is a horrifying first, and his actions necessitate another. He
should be the first President impeached and removed from office in the
history of our country. I voted to impeach him once, and I am willing
to do it again.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I now yield 30 seconds to the
distinguished gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Garcia).
Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Madam Speaker, this President took an oath to
protect and defend the Constitution. Instead, he has chosen to betray
and attack our sacred democracy.
This President violated his oath. He abused the power of his office,
attempted to betray the will of the American people, and incited
insurrection against this very House.
During the last impeachment trial, I reminded all Americans that
democracy is a gift that each generation gives to the next. We must do
all to protect it for our children and our future.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Steube).
Mr. STEUBE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. For 3
years, Democratic Members of this body and the mainstream media lied to
the American people that the Trump campaign colluded and conspired with
Russia–for years–after an exhaustive investigation was found that
there was no evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia.
Should Democratic Members of this body resign for lying to the
American people repeatedly and sowing division and dissension all
across America? And it was all a lie.
Madam Speaker, you have brought one Article of Impeachment to the
floor, and your one allegation alleges: “Donald John Trump engaged in
high crimes and misdemeanors by inciting violence against the
Government of United States.”
In D.C., it is a crime to “intentionally or recklessly act in such a
manner to cause another person to be in reasonable fear and to incite
or provoke violence when there is a likelihood that such violence will
ensue.”
There was no language in the President’s speech that incited or
provoked violence. In fact, at around the 18-minute mark, he stated:
“Peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”
You may think that he is inciting violence because he believes there
was election fraud. That is his opinion, and he is entitled to that
opinion, just like all of you were entitled to your false and
fraudulent opinion that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia.
The legal elements of incitement are based on the Supreme Court case
Brandenburg v. Ohio, in which the Supreme Court set the standard for
speech that could be prosecuted without violating the First Amendment.
Brandenburg’s speech called for violence against groups of Americans,
and the Court found that Brandenburg’s comments were not directed to
inciting or producing imminent lawless action.
The Court found that it was protected speech, and he was calling for
violence. That is the current law of the land.
The President didn’t even mention violence last Wednesday, much less
provoke or incite it. There was no crime committed; therefore, no basis
for impeachment, as you need a high crime or misdemeanor for a basis.
You have created a mockery out of the impeachment process, and I urge
all my colleagues to stand against it and fight the latest fraud being
perpetrated against the American people by the radical left.

{time} 1415

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Horsford).
Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Article of
Impeachment. Last Wednesday’s events were not just a breach of a
building, but a breach of our democracy, a threat to our Republic and
to who we are as Americans.
Donald Trump incited insurrection against America and attempted to
overturn the will of the people. We must send a clear message that
committing sedition disqualifies a President from serving another day
in office. I urge this body to vote for impeachment. I will.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan).
Ms. HOULAHAN. Madam Speaker, last evening, an 11-year-old girl joined
our telephone townhall. Her question

[[Page H177]]

shook me to my core. She was worried about the future of this great
Nation, and I am, too. That is why I must move forward with impeachment
of this President. He has endangered this Nation. He has betrayed his
oath.
I do this now for all of us, for our Constitution, and for this
Republic. I do this to tell the world that this great democracy will
stand and no one is above the law. I do this for our future
generations.
I urge us all to unite and to vote “yes” on impeachment.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from California (Mr. Huffman).
Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, history is watching and saving the
receipts. Today, my colleagues across the aisle must choose which side
of a very bright line they want to be recorded on for all time.
On one side: Lies, sedition, inciting and supporting insurrection and
domestic terrorism.
The other side: Your oath of office, the Constitution, democracy,
decency.
There is no middle ground. Today, we make history forever. So choose
well.
A vote to impeach Donald Trump means, years from now, you can look
your grandchildren in the eye and say, “I did the right thing.”
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Jacobs).
Ms. JACOBS of California. Madam Speaker, the response to political
violence must always be accountability. Without accountability, more
violence will follow. I learned that working at the United Nations and
the State Department in conflict settings around the world, and the
United States Congress is now a conflict setting.
A violent mob threatened our lives in this Chamber and almost
succeeded, incited by the President, who broadcasted live about the
outcome of our election. We must hold this President accountable. It is
the only way to protect our democracy.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson).
Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I am certain that every Member
of Congress would say, if they had been in Congress when John Lewis
walked across that Edmund Pettus Bridge and the Civil Rights Act was
passed, they would have stood on the right side of history.
Well, Madam Speaker, today, we are going to see exactly what side of
history Members are going to be on.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
North Carolina (Mr. Cawthorn).
Mr. CAWTHORN. Madam Speaker, today represents a unique opportunity in
our Nation’s history, an opportunity to put America first, to put her
people first. Today is a moment for Members of Congress to put aside
partisan politicking and place people over power.
I urge my colleagues to vote against this divisive impeachment and
realize that dividing America will not save this Republic. I urge my
colleagues to not simply vote for what feels good.
Of course, it feels good for the Democrats to have a united
constituency for a few more days, but I was elected to come here and
vote for things that actually do good, to bring much-needed help to the
American people.
I am willing to take the first step and extend my hand across the
aisle to say: Vote against impeachment; vote in favor of a unified
nation; and I will forsake partisanship and work with you, no matter
who you are or what party you come from.
Madam Speaker, I urge that we all vote to finally put America first.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
New York (Mr. Jones), a new Member of the House and a new member of the
Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. JONES. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the impeachment of
Donald J. Trump, the disgraced, defeated President of the United
States. There must be consequences for last week’s treason and
sedition. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Donald Trumps in today’s
Republican Party aim to run for higher office; and we must send a
message that no one in the United States of America is above the law.
The world is watching, Madam Speaker.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee).
Mr. KILDEE. Madam Speaker, 1 week ago, the President of the United
States incited a deadly attack on the United States Capitol, while a
couple of dozen Members of this House and I covered ourselves in that
Gallery, away from the Trump mob. Five dead, including Capitol Police.
If inciting an insurrection does not warrant impeachment, nothing does.
I took an oath to uphold the Constitution against all enemies,
foreign and domestic.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. KILDEE. Today, I uphold my oath.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).
Mr. GROTHMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to strongly object to the
Article of Impeachment proposed against President Trump, which makes
the preposterous claim that President Trump wanted or expected the
riots that took place last week. He clearly said he wanted a peaceful
and patriotic demonstration. He did say he wanted people to “fight
like hell or we are not going to have a country anymore,” but that is
obviously standard hyperbole and was not meant to aim at physical
fights.
But what is offensive is what you are saying–and is inflammatory–
about the tens of thousands of peaceful protesters who were there last
week, as well as the tens of millions of people they represent. You
don’t understand why they are here.
They are scared to death we are going to go back to the days without
Donald Trump, of hundreds of thousands of people crossing the border
every month. They are scared to death nobody is going to keep our
manufacturing here. They are scared to death that nobody else will
fight the cancel culture as we head toward an era when some things
can’t be said. They are scared to death that the majority party got
here by teaming up with Black Lives Matter, a bunch founded by Marxists
and the dislike of family.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Garamendi).
Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Speaker, I rise today determined to fulfill our
sacred oath to protect and defend the Constitution from all enemies,
foreign and domestic. Last week’s violent insurrection on the Capitol
was a stain on our democracy. A riotous mob incited by the President
stormed these very Halls, beat and murdered police officers, planted
pipe bombs, and left our Nation shocked and in mourning.
The President’s rhetoric, actions, and refusal to accept
responsibilities are an imminent threat to our Nation. I vote to
impeach the President. I urge my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Krishnamoorthi).
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, my parents brought me as an infant
to America because they knew it is the land of democracy. It is the
beacon of hope for all the world. We called it the American Dream.
When Donald Trump told rioters to go to the Capitol and, quote,
unquote, “fight like hell,” he incited an attack on the Capitol and
the ideals comprising the American Dream.
I am voting for impeachment because I know we are still the country
my parents believed in, and I will fight like hell for it.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence).
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, on Wednesday, the 6th, Democrats and
Republicans hid on the floor, put on gas masks, and were ushered out of
this room.

[[Page H178]]

We, in this country, cannot begin healing and unity without
accountability and justice. The President of the United States incited
a violent insurrection against Congress–you, me–and the Vice
President of the United States. This cannot be ignored. Impeach now.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, on January 6, Donald Trump
incited his white nationalist supporters to initiate an attempted coup
against the heart of our democracy, the United States Capitol. This
heinous act of domestic terrorism demands that Congress act to remove
this President.
Donald Trump has been, and remains, a threat to our national security
and our democracy, and he is wholly unfit to serve as President. He and
his supporters must be held accountable for inciting violence against
the Government of the United States. Congress must act immediately to
remove this clear and present danger from our country.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Georgia (Mrs. Greene).
Mrs. GREENE of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I am against the impeachment
effort by the Democrats.
President Trump has held over 600 rallies in the last 4 years. None
of them included assaulting police, destroying businesses, or burning
down cities.
Democrats have spent all this time endorsing and enabling violent
riots that left billions in property damage and 47 dead across the
United States.
Democrats are on record supporting violence when it serves their
cause, in their own words on social media, on interviews, and on the
fundraising platform ActBlue.
Democrats support defunding the police when it is someone else’s
city, someone else’s home, and someone else’s business. Democrats will
take away everyone’s guns, just as long as they have guards with guns.
Democrats’ impeachment of President Trump today has now set the
standard that they should be removed for their support of violence
against the American people.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin).
Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Speaker, for 2 months, Donald Trump used
the biggest megaphone in the world to organize a campaign of outright
lies to overturn a free and fair election. On January 6, he summoned
and incited a mob of domestic terrorists to fight like hell and sent
them to ransack this Capitol in order to prevent us from formalizing
his election loss. It was a grotesque orgy of deadly white supremacism,
anti-Semitism, and strongman rule.
Today, we will do our duty and vote to remove the author of this
horrifying chapter and banish him from public service.

{time} 1430

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, can I inquire how much time is remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Ohio has 20 minutes
remaining. The gentleman from New York has 21\3/4\ minutes remaining.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from California (Mr. Levin).
Mr. LEVIN of California. Madam Speaker, what each of us chooses to do
today, whether we vote to hold this President to account or look the
other way, we will be remembered by history, by our children and their
children.
The facts are clear, the evidence of Trump’s insurrection
overwhelming. History calls on us to do what is right rather than just
politically expedient. Let us look back on this day with honor, not
disgrace, knowing we were up to the oath we all took.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from
Virginia (Mrs. Luria).
Mrs. LURIA. Madam Speaker, the perpetrators of this heinous attack on
our Nation’s democracy were Americans encouraged and emboldened by
President Trump because he could not accept the outcome of a free and
fair election.
His actions are seditious, and the President has proven that he is
not fit to serve. History will look back on this moment to see who
stood strong in support of American democracy.
As my colleagues have said, we must come together, but our Nation
cannot begin to heal until there is accountability for the atrocity we
witnessed last week.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Clyde).
Mr. CLYDE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the effort to
impeach President Trump. This course of action will only increase
dissent and disunity across our country, and it flies in the face of
all efforts to heal our Nation.
Quite simply, it is a shameful final act of political retribution,
retribution this President has weathered since day one.
I have no doubt that those who breached the Capitol will have due
process and their day in court. However, there will be no investigation
in the people’s House into whether the allegation against the President
meets the criteria for a crime worthy of impeachment. No evidence was
presented. No witness testified. No cross-examination was conducted. No
due process was afforded. That sets an extremely dangerous precedent
for the future.
If my Democratic colleagues were serious in their efforts to get to
the truth, they would convene the House Judiciary Committee and
investigate, but they are not.
And so I am proud to stand before you today to defend our President
from the injustices my Democratic colleagues are so giddy to pursue. I
oppose this effort to impeach the President and ask all Members of the
House to do the same.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from
Georgia (Mrs. McBath).
Mrs. McBATH. Madam Speaker, I rise with a heavy heart for what our
Nation has endured.
All those who have incited an attack on these Halls of freedom must
never forget that, in every generation, Americans of all colors and
creeds have laid down their lives in the struggles against tyranny, the
fight against fascism, and the defense against those who would betray
the values upon which this Nation was founded.
It is our duty to shoulder that defense of our democracy here today.
The President’s actions have laid bare his contempt for our
Constitution, and he must be removed.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
New York (Mr. Meeks).
Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, the armed insurrectionists who stormed the
Capitol did not emerge out of a vacuum. They were lied to by Republican
Senators and Republican Congressmen and -women. But they were incited
to violence by one man above all else: Donald J. Trump, who tried to be
the ultimate ruler of our democracy.
The world is watching. Our allies are watching, and our adversaries
are watching. We must show them that no one will rule this country and
be above the law. The cameras of history are rolling. We must act. We
must impeach Donald J. Trump and show the world what we stand for.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Utah (Mr. Moore).
Mr. MOORE of Utah. Madam Speaker, last Wednesday, on my third day, I
realized that I can make hard and seemingly unpopular decisions. Voting
to strip electoral college votes from States is a dangerous precedent
set by Democrats many years ago and perpetuated by my party as well. I
heard nothing in those debates that justified such a high bar.
A rushed impeachment will set a similar precedent. Without a single
hearing or investigation, I simply cannot reach the high bar of
impeachment.
To my district, I commit to constantly being objective in all of my
decision-making.
And, as I abandon the remainder of my remarks, as I listen to this
debate, it is no wonder our Nation is divided. We are on an absolute
race to the bottom. I was hoping that last week we could have hit rock
bottom.

[[Page H179]]

I commit to doing better, and I hope that we all can dig in and find
a way.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from
Ohio (Mrs. Beatty).
Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, domestic terrorists attacked our
democracy, urged on by a sitting President. These insurrectionists
believe Donald Trump’s lies about the stolen election. They obeyed his
call to attack. They literally carried his banner while storming
the Capitol.

Last week’s insurrection was shocking and tragic. It was the
culmination of 4 years of assaults on our democracy.
We must impeach this President. And the Congressional Black Caucus
stands ready to join in a bipartisan message to the likes of Donald
Trump.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from
Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).
Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, the President radicalized
American citizens. As his Vice President fled from a lynch mob and the
Speaker cowered and while people died, he watched with glee.
That is why, even though it is only 7 days before the end of his
term, we have the fierce urgency of now. Seven days is too long for him
to be in power. He could declassify state secrets. He could monetize
national secrets to foreign adversaries.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Arrington).
Mr. ARRINGTON. Madam Speaker, I rise with great sorrow to oppose this
second attempt at a baseless impeachment from my Democrat colleagues.
This week’s attack on the U.S. Capitol was completely unacceptable,
and the people involved should be met with swift accountability.
The President didn’t incite a riot. The President didn’t lead an
insurrection. There are no high crimes and misdemeanors requisite of an
impeachment.
I am not saying the President didn’t exercise poor judgment, but to
criminalize political speech by blaming lawless acts on the President’s
rhetoric is wrong, Madam Speaker, and a very dangerous precedent.
The criminals who stormed the Capitol that day acted on their own
volition. They are responsible for their actions.
This is an important moment, Madam Speaker, for our Nation. We have
the opportunity to come together and do what is right for our country.
The votes are certified; President Trump has conceded. Let’s focus on
the future and get back to the people’s business.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from
Illinois (Ms. Newman).
Ms. NEWMAN. Madam Speaker, it is an honor to speak today. So, today,
I stand with this body to impeach this President.
I agree with my Democratic colleagues. I also agree with my
Republican colleagues: Let’s unite.
Let’s unite to address this pandemic and start by simply wearing a
mask. Let’s unite to bring back the economy and start by putting $2,000
checks in people’s pockets. And let’s unite to hold these domestic
terrorists accountable and impeach this President.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 18\1/4\
minutes remaining. The gentleman from Ohio has 17 minutes remaining.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
New Jersey (Mr. Norcross).
Mr. NORCROSS. Madam Speaker, I rise today at a time of historical
concern: Last week, on this very House floor, an attack on democracy,
that symbol. But it was an attack from within on this very floor.
Let’s be clear. Cause and effect: rally at the White House, march
down Pennsylvania Avenue–a parade in reverse–and an attack on this
Chamber.
A police officer was killed, and what I hear is, “Time to heal.” He
is not even buried yet.
It is clear and present danger. No one is above the law–not the
President, if he has 4 years or 4 days. We must do the right thing for
all Americans because he must be held accountable.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Indiana (Mrs. Spartz).
Mrs. SPARTZ. Madam Speaker, I appreciate a variety of opinions, but
any accusations must go through the proper due process, whether it is
election fraud or an impeachable offense.
As someone who did not support the objection to certification last
week, I will not support this political charade today.
The rule of law and due process is vital to what our constitutional
Republic stands for. Congress should stop playing divisive politics and
start working on delivering real, good policies for the American
people.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Panetta).
Mr. PANETTA. Madam Speaker, a week ago was the culmination of carnage
caused to our country by this President. Four years ago, he said he
would stop such devastation. Instead, the President has continued to
debase our democracy with assaults on our elections and incitement at
the Ellipse and the battery at our Capitol.

American exceptionalism is not guaranteed; we must always work to
grow it. That includes our work today to hold President Trump
accountable. American carnage started with this President. A vote for
impeachment will stop it for our posterity.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
Wisconsin (Mr. Pocan).
Mr. POCAN. Madam Speaker, the U.S. Capitol has not been breached for
over 200 years, since the War of 1812–that is, until last week, when
it wasn’t another country that attacked us but our own President.
President Donald Trump asked his supporters to march on the Capitol,
inciting domestic terrorism that cost five lives, including a Capitol
Police officer.
We all know, whether you say it aloud or not, Donald Trump is
responsible for inciting the attacks on our democracy, while he should
have been the one person protecting it the most. For that, he is unfit
to be President, and we must impeach him.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Roy).
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for yielding.
The President of the United States deserves universal condemnation
for what was clearly, in my opinion, impeachable conduct, pressuring
the Vice President to violate his oath to the Constitution to count the
electors.
His open and public pressure, courageously rejected by the Vice
President, purposefully seeded the false belief among the President’s
supporters, including those assembled on January 6, that there was a
legal path for the President to stay in power. It was foreseeable and
reckless to sow such a false belief that could lead to violence and
rioting by loyal supporters whipped into a frenzy.

Unfortunately, my Democratic colleagues drafted an article that I
believe is flawed and unsupportable, focusing on the legal terms of
incitement and insurrection.
Even noting impeachment does not require meeting a certain legal
standard–the danger for open speech and debate in this body and for
the Republic is high–if the House approves the article as written.
The language will be used to target Members of this body under
Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. It will be used to suggest that any
statements we make are subject to review by our colleagues and to send
us down a perilous path of cleansing political speech in the public
square.
Madam Speaker, we must end this. Let us condemn that which must be
condemned, and do so loudly. But let us do it the right way, with
deliberation and without disastrous side effects. We must end tearing
apart our Nation by social media and sound bites. Let us stop. Let us
debate. Let us sit down and lead this Nation together.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney).

[[Page H180]]

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, this vote is not
one man, one party, or even one day. It is about protecting our Nation,
preserving democracy and the rule of law.
The facts are clear and undisputed: President Trump used a litany of
lies about a stolen election and willfully incited an armed
insurrection with the intent of stopping the peaceful transfer of
power. He attacked not just the Capitol, not just Congress, he even
attacked democracy itself. That is why he must be impeached.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price).
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, the President has engaged
in conduct that is criminal, impeachable, and profoundly threatening to
our democracy.
He pressed State officials and Members of this body to overturn a
legitimate election and to keep him in power. He then invited and
activated a violent mob to invade the Capitol and achieve his desired
result by insurrection.
If that is not impeachable conduct, I don’t know what is. The
President must be removed from office immediately and never allowed to
hold office again. Our democracy requires it.
Madam Speaker, the president has engaged in conduct that is criminal,
impeachable, and profoundly threatening to our democracy.
He has sought to overturn an election to keep himself in office and
to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.
He has done this by perpetrating a big lie, despite counts and
recounts and dozens of judicial rulings, and has pressed state
officials and members of this body to reject and reverse popular and
electoral vote outcomes.
He then invited and activated a violent mob of right-wing extremists,
domestic terrorists, and white nationalists to invade the Capitol and
achieve his desired result by insurrection.
If that is not impeachable conduct, I don’t know what is.
The President must be removed from office immediately and must never
be allowed to seek office again, and a marker must be laid down for all
time as to what the Constitution and our democracy require.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Fallon).
Mr. FALLON. Madam Speaker, last summer, the antifa and BLM riots
swept all over our country. Cities were burned, businesses destroyed,
and lives violently stolen. And it wasn’t just for an afternoon, like
those horrible hours we had on January 6; but rather, they went for
weeks and, in some cases, even months.
So if there is any silver lining in this dark cloud, it is that our
friends from across the aisle have come to realize that riots are bad.
We conservatives have known this all along.
This snap impeachment is a sham and it didn’t go through the
Committee on the Judiciary. It is not even about the President’s actual
words, but it is about how our Democratic colleagues want to interpret
his words and fashion a particular meaning to them.
Now, this is just political grandstanding at its worst. The American
people desperately want us to move on and tackle the issues and find
solutions to them forthwith.
Madam Speaker, let’s end this obsession and charade and let’s get to
work.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Quigley).
Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, now we hear talk of the President’s
notion of a peaceful transfer of power.
Which apparently means what? Minimal casualties?
Now we hear talk of healing after the criminal acts are completed.
Never, as a criminal defense attorney, did I say: Judge, yeah, my guy
completed the armed robbery, but let’s heal now.
No. There was accountability. There was accountability then, there
should be accountability now, and there should be impeachment now.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Ross), a new member of the
committee.
Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Article of
Impeachment. The President’s responsibility for the violence and
insurrection that occurred last Wednesday cannot go unanswered. The
President has had multiple opportunities to modify his behavior to
bring this country together. Instead, he uses his power to further
divide us. He is unrepentant.
Congress must act for the good of this country.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Good).
Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I stand today in support of
President Trump and against this sham impeachment proceeding with
literally 1 week–7 days–remaining in his term. This is merely the
culmination of a 4-year effort to overturn the will of the people and
the results for the 2016 election.
This is simply a political action intended to tarnish the legacy of a
highly successful President who led us to an incredible economy, energy
independence, reduction of taxes for millions, regulatory relief for
businesses, renewed peace in the Middle East, and stronger border
security.
This action will only serve to further offend the 75 million people
who voted for President Trump, and further deepen the division within
our Nation as we try to move forward with the peaceful transition of
power.
However, the Democrat majority has determined he is already guilty
and there is no need of a trial; and they, therefore, move forward
quickly with this phony impeachment charge.
Today, I join my Republican colleagues in standing against this
further effort to divide our Nation.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar).
Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the impeachment.
It is very simple. What we saw on January 6 was a person, the
President of the United States, incite a crowd to come and attack the
Capitol. We have to make sure that we stand up for democracy.
If we don’t do this, then what are we going to stand for?
We stand for democracy. We stand for American values. And I stand for
the impeachment of Donald Trump.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon).
Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, on January 6, President Trump launched an
attack against the United States Capitol. I, too, urge my colleagues to
unite, but to unite in love of country, and to hold this President
accountable.
What unites our country is respect for the rule of law. Without
accountability for those who would shatter the rule of law by
overturning a Presidential election, we cannot take seriously the cries
of being a united people.
This President remains a serious threat to our country and he must be
held accountable.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. David Scott).
Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, let me make everybody
aware that on those just sun-bleached bones of history of many great
nations are written those poetic words: Too late, they move too late to
save their great nations.
Madam Speaker, let us not this day move too late to save our great
Nation.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
South Carolina (Mr. Norman).
Mr. NORMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today for two reasons: One, to
voice my strong opposition for the impeachment of this President with 7
days left. Two, to also voice my support for the strong police
department many of you want to defund.

Where were your cries to defund when you were leaving this office,
this very room, on January 6?
Height of hypocrisy.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are kindly reminded to address their
remarks to the Chair.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman).

Mr. SHERMAN. Madam Speaker, how ironic. An administration begins by
building an unnecessary wall on our southern border, it ends by making
necessary, a new wall around this Capitol.
Madam Speaker, I introduced Articles of Impeachment in July of 2017
with one cosponsor, Al Green, and again in January of 2019. And on
Monday night, I joined with so many of us in introducing these
articles. I have introduced Articles of Impeachment in the 115th,
116th, and 117th Congress because Donald Trump has continuously posed a
danger to this republic.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Mast).
Mr. MAST. Madam Speaker, I rise with a very simple question. On
January 6, thousands broke the law by taking siege of our Capitol here
with us inside.
Has any one of those individuals who brought violence on this Capitol
been brought here to answer whether they did that because of our
President?
It appears I will receive no answer.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stanton).
Mr. STANTON. Madam Speaker, Donald Trump is the first President in
the history of this Republic to incite a violent insurrection against
our own government, against our own people. It is a shocking betrayal
of his oath of office and our American values. We don’t know yet if the
President will face criminal charges, but we do know he must be held to
account.
Each one of us in this House took an oath to protect and defend our
Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, even if that
enemy is the President.
We must move forward as a nation from these darkest days, but we
can’t move forward without accountability. We must impeach this
President.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens).
Ms. STEVENS. Madam Speaker, insurrection. A violent mob. A week ago
today, five people were killed, many injured, and everyone in this
building forced to hide for their very life.
The President was called for help, but he did not answer our call
while our government was being taken over. He failed to lead and,
therefore, proved himself incapable of doing so.
Some may say impeachment is political. Some may cry it is divisive.
Madam Speaker, our obligation to our Constitution is to protect this
Nation.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

{time} 1500

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Takano).
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the impeachment
of President Donald Trump. The gravity of the moment demands it, and
the fate of our Republic depends on it.
He committed an impeachable offense by inciting a violent and deadly
insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. For this, Congress must hold him
accountable to preserve our democracy, our Constitution, and the rule
of law.
He should serve not 1 minute more and be barred forever from public
office. He is toxic to our Republic and toxic to our democracy.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
So Democrats can say, “I just don’t even know why there aren’t
uprisings all over the country,” while there are uprisings happening
around the country, but they impeach the President of the United States
for saying, “Peacefully and patriotically, make your voices heard.”
Democrats can say, “You know, there needs to be unrest in the
streets,” while there is unrest in the streets, but they are going to
impeach the President for saying, “Peacefully and patriotically, make
your voices heard.”
Let’s be consistent, all of us. All of us need to be consistent and
condemn the violence all the time.
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New Mexico
(Ms. Herrell).
Ms. HERRELL. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to these Articles of
Impeachment.
Political violence has no place in our constitutional Republic, and
those who assaulted police officers and forced their way into the
Capitol are responsible for their criminal actions.
Leaders in both parties have a responsibility to condemn such
violence, whether in the Halls of Congress or on the streets of
America.
I don’t believe, Madam Speaker, that the American people have an
appetite for this. They are expecting us to do the will of those who
sent us from each State around the Nation.
Right now, Madam Speaker, we are seeing this body that has impeached
once before trying to do it a second time. Two wrongs do not make a
right.
We have got to stand for the American people, because we will not get
a second chance to get this right the first time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from New York (Mr. Torres), who is a new Member.
Mr. TORRES of New York. Madam Speaker, the dangerous mob that Donald
Trump unleashed on the United States Capitol represents a violent
assault on the separation of powers and on the peaceful transfer of
power that we have long taken for granted.
The impeachment of Donald Trump is not politics but law, not passion
but reason, not vengeance but justice. And we, as the people’s
Representatives, must rise to the challenge of defending democracy in
the face of its gravest threat, and we will.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Mrs. Trahan).
Mrs. TRAHAN. Madam Speaker, I stand before you today in disbelief–
disbelief that, after the President incited a violent mob to commit an
act of insurrection and remained silent as police officers were
assaulted, the Capitol was ransacked, and Members of this body fled for
their lives, that there are still members of his party who refuse to
hold him accountable.
It is because of that inaction that there is only one path forward to
put an end to this Presidency. Donald Trump must be impeached, removed
from office, and barred from ever holding the Office of the Presidency
again.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez).
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution
because, in America, we hold power to account. In America, we do not
succumb to violent insurrections incited by a head of state. In
America, we do not turn a blind eye to high crimes and misdemeanors.
No. That is not who we are.
So, today, as a sworn defender of this Nation’s Constitution, I will
vote in favor of impeaching Donald J. Trump.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, may I inquire of the time remaining for
each side?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Ohio has 10 minutes
remaining. The gentleman from New York has 9\3/4\ minutes remaining.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
California (Mr. LaMalfa).
Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the
second annual impeachment show extravaganza, brought to you by the
censors in left-wing media, the fact-check ministers of shutdown in Big
Tech, and the Democrat Party.
Today, the second annual impeachment of President Trump isn’t really
about actual words spoken at a rally. No. This is all about, Madam
Speaker, the unbridled hatred of this President.
You use any extreme language and any process to oppose the core of
what he has really fought for. You hate him because he is pro-life, the
strongest ever. You hate him for fighting for the freedom of religion,
to not be persecuted by unfair mandates and limitations on speech.
You hate him for not subscribing to and shackling us with the
religion of

[[Page H182]]

climate change and one-sided Paris accords. You hate him for Israel.
You hate him for defending our borders.

You hate him for letting families and small businesses keep what they
earn, for trying to keep the agents of government off their back.
You hate him for putting America first, which is what I thought we do
when we swear the oath.
No, this shabby show isn’t about a threat to our Republic. This is
the impeachment and muting of at least half of the American people.
This is a shameful abuse of a process.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from California an
additional 30 seconds.
Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, I pray people of all stripes wake up to
the spectacle and exercise their rights to put a stop to it through
free speech and through fair elections.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise to support the
impeachment of President Donald J. Trump for seditious acts against
America.
To overturn the 2020 Presidential election, Trump incited a violent
assault on Congress–a treasonous betrayal of our Nation. This criminal
incitement left us with five dead, including a police officer; a
desecrated Capitol; and a second constitutional crisis.
His acts show contempt for the rule of law, the Constitution, and the
foundation of any democracy: a peaceful transition of power.
President Trump is a clear and present danger to American lives and
democracy, and he leaves us no choice but to immediately remove him
from office.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 90 seconds to the gentlewoman from
Tennessee (Mrs. Harshbarger).
Mrs. HARSHBARGER. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against
impeachment of our sitting President, Donald J. Trump.
You can tell the American people that this is a vote to impeach upon
the grounds of inciting violence and insurrection, but the American
people see a double standard. They see a standard applied to those on
the left who commit violence, and they see a standard applied to those
on the right who commit violence. The American people see this, and
they understand it.
I have been here all of 1 week, and what I see instead of lawmakers
who are truth-seekers, I see lawmakers who are power-seekers. That is
never good–never good. What a shame. What a shame.
The American people are watching to see how their elected officials
respond at this moment in history. Will you vote to mend or will you
vote to further divide this country?
I am urging you to use this opportunity to be the leaders the
American people are seeking for such a time as this.
God help us as a nation, and I pray that God will keep His hand upon
on the greatest nation that the world has ever seen.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, how much time is remaining, please?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 9\1/4\
minutes remaining, and the gentleman from Ohio has 8 minutes remaining.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield).
Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, President Trump’s incitement to
violently overturn the results of a free and fair election is an attack
on our rule of law.
Any President, any Member of Congress who obstructs the electoral
college or attacks judges and the court system when there is no
evidence to support their contentions undermines the public’s trust and
confidence in the judicial process.
How do my Republican colleagues expect ordinary citizens to respect
and trust the courts in civil and criminal matters all across this
country? Think about that as you make this decision.
Vote “yes” on the Articles of Impeachment.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard.)
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I take no joy in voting to impeach
President Trump, but this President has blood on his hands in the wake
of this attempted coup.
The fact remains, no President of the United States is above the law,
and this President has sadly violated his oath to support and defend
the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and
domestic.
As Members of Congress who have taken that same pledge, it is our
duty to take this action and impeach this unfit and dangerous
President.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from California (Mr. Khanna).
Mr. KHANNA. Madam Speaker, I am voting to impeach because, as Lincoln
said, no grievance is a fit object of redress by mob law.
But we must recognize that our hard work begins when we address the
real grievances and despair in left-behind communities. To be worthy of
this Capitol that we hold sacred, to fix our broken windows and broken
communities, let’s finally commit to investing trillions in creating
good jobs in healthcare, in education, and in infrastructure for
communities and places that are hurting.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms. Sewell).
Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support impeachment.
I do so with a heavy heart and a lasting and searing memory of being
in this gallery, the people’s House, right up there, fearing for my
life. And why? Because the President of the United States incited
others to be violent–a mob of insurgents in this House.

It is unacceptable. It led to the killing of five Americans. Blood is
on this House. We must do something about it.
I ask that we move from “stopping the steal” to healing. But
healing requires accountability, and everyone must be accountable.
I will be voting to impeach, and I urge others to vote for
impeachment.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Alabama (Mr. Moore).
Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I am fairly new here. Actually,
this is my first floor speech. But I rise to oppose this impeachment.
I asked my staff this morning, how many times in our Nation’s history
have we impeached a President? Well, they said, up until this
President, only two times in our Nation’s history.
So here we are, 7 days left in his first term, and we are going to
impeach a President. For what reasons? For what reasons? There have
been no hearings. There have been no committees.
We must defend the right and protect the process of impeachment. If
we pursue this, from now on, from this day forward, impeachment will
always be a political process.
I ask my friends across the aisle–they always talk about healing–
healing. How do we come together as a nation?
Since 2016, there have been hashtags going around in our Nation that
said, “Not our President,” “Resist, resist.” Members across the
aisle have said things in public to have supporters of this President
attacked and demeaned.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, last Friday, I sent a letter to my
constituents telling the story about the violent attack on our Capitol
Building, which is really like the temple of our democracy.
I have now taken the oath of office, the same oath of office that the
President of the United States has taken, that all of us here have
taken, and he has been the orchestrator of this attack.
It is time to hold this President accountable. It is time, and
history demands that we impeach Donald Trump a second time.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

[[Page H183]]

{time} 1515

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
Connecticut (Mr. Himes).
Mr. HIMES. The words have almost all been said. Search your soul.
Consider your oath. And I add four more words: Reflect on your legacy.
My friends, which way is history flowing right now? Will Donald Trump
join the pantheon of Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Reagan? Will
his 33 percent approval ratings and the condemnation of principled
Republicans consign him to the heap of reviled demigods with Joseph
McCarthy and Andrew Johnson?
Where he goes in history, you go in history, unless, today, you make
a stand.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. I would like to remind Members to please
address their remarks to the Chair.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Kahele).
Mr. KAHELE. Madam Speaker, as a member of our Armed Forces, now a
Member of Congress, I have taken and given the oath of office many
times. I will support and defend the Constitution against all enemies,
foreign and domestic.
On January 6, the President violated his oath, inciting violent and
deadly insurrection. Our sacred oaths are hollow without
accountability. We must hold this President accountable, remove him
from office, and ensure he can never hold public office again.
I urge my colleagues to do the same. This oath has to matter. Mahalo.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes).
Mr. SARBANES. Madam Speaker, this beautiful Capitol dome is a symbol
of freedom and democracy, not just for Americans but for people the
world over. The action we take today, this impeachment, is a
declaration to the world that when there is an attack on our democracy,
whether it comes from without or whether, tragically, in this instance,
it comes from within, we will respond to that threat and attack, and we
will do what is necessary to strengthen our democracy.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the
distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin).
Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I am sickened and angered by what we all
had to witness last Wednesday and call for the investigation and
prosecution, to the fullest extent of the law, of every single person
who participated in the violence and loss of life in this Capitol
Building last Wednesday.
I, as a Member sitting here, listening to the entire debate,
desperately need to better understand the two standards that are at
play in this House. Why is it okay if a House Democrat calls for
violence in the streets but not if you are a Republican? Why can a
House Democrat be rewarded with a gavel and a chairmanship if they are
calling for physical confrontation of a Trump administration official,
but they will be punished if they are a Republican?
The double standards that we have seen time and time again, I need to
better understand what the rules are of this House. Why is it that a
committee chairman can lie to the American public about having more
than circumstantial evidence that the President colluded with the
Russians in order to win the 2016 election? But, of course, the
Republicans can’t and wouldn’t lie to the American public about
something like that.
We need to better understand what these two standards are that are at
play and to complete the record because the House Democrats are here to
make President Trump the first President to be impeached twice. So, I
will complete the record.
First off, in the Article of Impeachment, it is written that the
President gave a speech and told his supporters to come here, and he
incited this riot. One speaker after another after another here on the
other side of the aisle repeated that in the Article of Impeachment.
We all know that this was their preplanned attack. We all know that
there were pipe bombs being discovered while the President was
speaking. We all know that the Capitol perimeter was being breached
during the President’s speech.
We know that this was preplanned, and it started while the President
was speaking. Why is that not in the Article of Impeachment? Why is
that not being incorporated into my colleagues’ remarks to complete the
record, if you want to make the President the first President to be
impeached twice?
Well, we will add something else to that. Thank you to the President
for his efforts to defeat MS-13 in my district. Thank you to the
President for his efforts to move the Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem
and recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, to take out
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Qasem Soleimani, to eliminate the ISIS
caliphate, to enter into the historic Abraham Accords, to have an
economy this time last year that was stronger than I ever remember in
my entire lifetime.
Yes, we will complete the record, and in all fairness, as the
President leaves 1 week from today, let’s be honest about the double
standards that exist inside this Chamber. Let’s also be honest that
this President did a lot to make America greater than ever.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Casten).
Mr. CASTEN. What happens if we get this wrong is written in Lincoln’s
second inaugural, when one party would “make war rather than let the
Nation survive.”
On September 11, we came together against an enemy without. On
January 6, we were attacked by an enemy from within, the President who
would make war with malice for all and charity for none.
We must come together in unity today against that domestic threat to
our Constitution. The alternative is too unbearable to contemplate.
We must impeach bipartisanly, unanimously if you have the soul.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. Fletcher).
Mrs. FLETCHER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Article
of Impeachment and in opposition to the gaslighting that is
masquerading as debate in this Chamber today.
I was in this Chamber when the President assembled and unleashed a
mob to attack the United States Capitol and the United States Congress,
the elected representatives of the people. By doing so, he incited an
insurrection against our representative democracy itself.
If that is not an impeachable offense, then what is?
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib).
Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, in Michigan’s 13th, we proudly speak truth
to power, even in the face of a racist in chief.
Those who incited an attack on the people’s House do not get to talk
about healing and unity. They have torn this country apart. They have
stoked the fire and then handed the gasoline to Donald Trump.
Dr. King once said: “True peace is not merely the absence of
tension; it is the presence of justice.”
Today, we must embody those words, and we must understand that peace
must be centered in truth and action.
We cannot, Madam Speaker, sit idly by after a violent attempted coup
and allow lies and hate to continue. Today, we stand up for our
constituents, who continue to be harmed by Donald Trump.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, how much time is remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 3\3/4\
minutes remaining. The gentleman from Ohio has 4 minutes remaining.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
North Dakota (Mr. Armstrong).
Mr. ARMSTRONG. Madam Speaker, what happened last Wednesday is an
absolute tragedy. Not only are we part of dealing with it now, we were
part of it then.
When emotions are frayed and tensions are this high, process matters
more. It matters more now than it did before, and the reality is this. There are serious constitutional
questions about these articles.
Donald Trump is going to be President until January 20, and on
January 20, Joe Biden is going to become President.
But I am going to vote against impeachment, and that is going to give
me credibility at home with my base. You are going to vote for
impeachment, and that is going to give you credibility at home with
your base. It is easy to point at me and blame me. It is easy for me to
point at you and blame you.
But on January 21, we are all going to be back here. So use that
credibility. Go back and talk some hard truths to your people. I am
going to do it.
And we need to do a better job.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from
North Carolina (Ms. Manning).
Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, this President has repeatedly lied to the
American people about his election loss. He incited his followers to
attack our democracy, resulting in five deaths. His dangerous efforts
to derail the peaceful transition of power were a violation of his oath
of office. This President is unfit to lead our Nation and unable to
discharge his duties of office.
I call upon my Republican colleagues to speak the truth to their
supporters and join me in holding President Trump accountable by voting
to impeach.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Mrvan).
Mr. MRVAN. Madam Speaker, since the events on January 6, I spoke with
a group of ministers from Gary, Indiana. They told me how they are
praying for unity and justice in our Nation.
It reminded me of the moment when those of us who were on the House
floor on January 6 were huddled together in a secure room after the
attack. House Chaplain Kibben led us all in prayer.
Let us remember that moment. Let us rekindle that prayer for those 3
minutes when we were all united to preserve our democracy and justice.
I support the Article of Impeachment so that we can move forward to
do the work that our constituents sent us here to do.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, how much time do we have remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 2\3/4\
minutes remaining. The gentleman from Ohio has 3 minutes remaining.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
Massachusetts (Mr. Moulton).
Mr. MOULTON. Madam Speaker, there are more troops right now in
Washington, D.C., than in Afghanistan. They are here to defend us
against the Commander in Chief, the President of the United States, and
his mob.
I would ask my colleagues to look at the faces of those young
Americans defending democracy, defending us, and find an ounce of their
courage to do the right thing, as several Republicans have, and take a
tough vote for the future of democracy, for the future of our country.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Veasey).
Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, let’s be clear about one thing. If we were
on the eve of a Republican President being sworn in and his Democratic
predecessor had said the same thing that this President said and
incited his followers, his mob, to descend upon the Capitol, we would
be joining them, not making comparisons. Because guess what? I don’t
care about no base.
I care about this democracy and this country, and what happened the
other day should never happen again. We need to stand up and do the
right thing.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, the Republican whip is prepared to close
for us whenever that is appropriate. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

{time} 1530

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I was on that floor just 1 week ago.
So, today, the insurrectionist in chief will be impeached for
insurrection.
It is because he failed to defend this Nation against all enemies,
domestic and foreign. And he stood down near the White House and told a
mob of domestic terrorists to go and show your strength, be strong, you
can’t gain anything because of weakness.
We must hold him accountable. We can heal this Nation, but he must be
impeached today. We must impeach Donald J. Trump as an insurrectionist.
Madam Speaker, as a senior member of the Committees on the Judiciary
and on Homeland Security, as the descendant of patriotic and heroic
veterans who risked their lives to defend our nation and our freedoms,
as a parent with the fervent hope and determination to pass on this
great democracy to the next generation, and as a citizen of the
greatest republic in world history, I rise in strong support of H. Res.
24, a resolution impeaching the current President of the United States
for High Crimes and Misdemeanors, warranting his conviction and removal
from office and, in accordance with Article I, Section 3, clause 7,
disqualification from ever again holding and enjoying an Office of
honor, Trust or Profit under the United States.”
I strongly support the impeachment and removal of this President
because after the horrifying events of Wednesday last, January 6, 2021,
another day that will live in infamy, the continuance in office of this
President for even one moment longer represents a clear and present
threat to the security of the United States, its people, institutions,
and democratic form of government.
To put it in the words of the Framers, the current President’s
conduct reflects and reveals a person “whose character is thus marked
by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a
free people.”
To put it in contemporary terms, the current President can rightly be
said to be perhaps the leading cause of state-sponsored domestic
terrorism.
Every minute this President remains in office represents a minute of
maximum peril to the American people and the American Experiment.
Unrepentant after his perfidious and treacherous conduct of Wednesday
last, the President just yesterday went to Alamo, Texas, without giving
any advance notice or consultation to the leaders of that community.
Does anyone really doubt that the President’s true purpose in going
to Alamo was to signal to his band of disloyalists his desire that they
make a last stand and fight to the death in his name?
I do not, and neither does the majority of the American people, and I
suspect that in their heart of hearts, neither do our colleagues on the
Republican side.
Madam Speaker, three facts demonstrate why immediate action to remove
the President is essential.
First, the abject failure and refusal of the President to take care
that the laws be faithfully executed puts lives at risk.
When the U.S. Capitol was besieged last week by domestic terrorists,
the President obstructed and denied the request of the Mayor of the
District Columbia to call out the National Guard to protect life and
property; it took the Vice-President, working with Speaker Pelosi and
incoming Senate Majority Leader Schumer to prevail upon the Department
of Defense to come to the defense of Capitol and the people trapped
inside.
Instead of acting in accordance with his sacred oath to preserve,
protect, and defend the Constitution and to take care that the people
and property of the United States are protected against all enemies,
foreign or domestic, the President did nothing but watch the mayhem on
television, ebullient at the display of support from his lawless
loyalists.
Second, the current President’s conduct stands in stark and marked
contrast to his conduct earlier this year when protests were sweeping
the country in response to the murder of George Floyd, when the
President dispatched law enforcement authorities to put down peaceful
protests led by moms and veterans in Portland, Oregon and social
justice activists in Washington, D.C.
Back then, the President mobilized a heavy police presence, many on
horseback and others using tear gas, to clear Lafayette Square of
peaceful protesters so he could walk across the street to have himself
photographed clutching a bible upside down in front of a church.
Third, the President’s words, actions, and conduct betray a contempt
and hostility to the national value of equal justice under law, telling
the domestic terrorists, nearly all of whom were white and who support
him politically, who stormed the Capitol to derail Congress from
completing its constitutionally required duty of counting and verifying
the votes of

[[Page H185]]

presidential electors, that “we love you. You’re very special,” while
referring to African Americans and other persons of color protesting
social injustice and inequalities in the criminal justice system as
“animals,” “thugs,” and “anarchists.”
Madam Speaker, the President’s actions inciting insurrection against
the United States was the proximate cause of the horrifying siege of
the U.S. Capitol, the destruction and desecration of the Citadel of
Democracy, and the deaths of at least six persons, one of whom was a
uniformed officer to the United States Capitol Police, who was
bludgeoned to death by the incited mob.
Abusing the powers and resources of his high office, Donald John
Trump has actively and continuously endeavored to undermine the
essential institutions and foundations of a democratic system of
government in the United States, engaging in a long train of abuses and
usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evincing a design to
make himself an authoritarian ruler unaccountable to, and independent
of, the people of the United States.
The utter unfitness of the President for the office he holds and his
contempt for the sacred oath he took before the nation with God as his
witness, was vividly on display on January 6, 2021.
But signs of his calumny were on display in plain sight, reflected by
his misbehavior and malfeasance from the earliest days of his
administration.
Abusing the powers and resources of his high office, this President
has actively and continuously endeavored to undermine the essential
institutions and foundations of a democratic system of government in
the United States, engaging in a long train of abuses and usurpations,
pursuing invariably the same object, evincing a design to make himself
an authoritarian ruler unaccountable to, and independent of, the people
of the United States by:
(1) Soliciting and welcoming the assistance of a hostile foreign
power to aid him in securing election in 2016 as President of the
United States;
(2) Refusing to acknowledge Russian interference in the internal
affairs of the United States, and then opposing responses by Congress
and the Executive Branch to protect the national security and interests
of the United States against future Russian interference and
aggression. (3) Publicly conveying his interest and willingness to
accept the assistance of foreign powers in his attempt win reelection
as President of the United States;
(4) Refusing continuously to acknowledge to the American people that
he would accept and be bound by the verdict rendered in the 2020
Presidential election, instead claiming that any outcome in which he
was not declared the winner was fraudulent, rigged, and illegitimate;
(5) Taking active measures to impede and undermine the ability of
American citizens to convey their disapproval of his continuance in
office by exercising their rights as voters, including misusing the
United States Postal Service to prevent the timely delivery of mail-in
ballots;
(6) Instituting frivolous lawsuits to overturn the results of the
2020 Presidential election, falsely alleging wide-spread voting fraud
but producing no evidence in support of his spurious allegations;
(7) Exhorting and inciting his supporters to believe falsely that
victory in the 2020 Presidential election had been stolen from him and
that constitutionally required Joint Meeting of Congress for the
purpose of counting the votes of electors and announcement of the
result by the President of the Senate was illegitimate and intended to
complete the theft of his victory; and
(8) Failing to take action to protect and defend Federal officers and
personnel, property, buildings, and institutions on January 6, 2021, at
the U.S. Capitol that was besieged by supporters of Donald John Trump,
resulting in extensive damage to the property of the United States and
the deaths of at least four persons.
This is why multiple Members of Congress, introduced resolutions of
articles of impeachment; joined by dozens of original cosponsors, I
introduced H. Res. 26, impeaching the President for the High Crimes and
Misdemeanors of (1) Abuse of Power and (2) Willful Refusal And Failure
To Protect And Defend The Constitution Of The United States.
Madam Speaker, Donald John Trump has acted in a manner contrary to
his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to
the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the
manifest injury of the people of the United States.
He must be impeached, convicted, removed from office, and
disqualified from ever again holding and enjoying an Office of honor,
Trust or Profit under the United States.
My love and reverence for the Constitution compels me to vote to
impeach this President and I urge all my colleagues who revere the
Constitution and our democracy, which has endured for more than 240
years, to join me in voting for H. Res. 24, impeaching Donald John
Trump again for High Crimes and Misdemeanors against the United States.
Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), the Republican whip.
Mr. SCALISE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for
yielding.
Madam Speaker, our Nation still mourns the unacceptable violence and
anarchy that took place in this Capitol last week. As we speak, arrests
are still being made, and the anarchists who stormed our Capitol are
being brought to justice, as should be the case.
Emotions are still high, but in this moment, we need to be focused on
toning down the rhetoric and helping heal this Nation as we move toward
a peaceful transition of power to President-elect Joe Biden next week.
My prayers, Madam Speaker, are still with Capitol Police Officers
Sicknick and Liebengood, who we lost, as well as all the Capitol Police
officers who risked their lives to keep us safe. They are true heroes,
and they deserve all of our applause today.
Madam Speaker, I have seen the dark evil of political violence
firsthand, and it needs to stop. But all of us need to be unequivocal
in calling it out every single time we see it, not just when it comes
from the other side of the aisle.
I oppose this rushed impeachment brought forward without a single
hearing. By the way, the Senate will not even take this up until
President Trump is out of office, so let’s keep that in mind. It will
only serve to further divide a Nation that is calling out for healing.
Madam Speaker, many speakers today have invoked one of our Nation’s
greatest leaders, President Abraham Lincoln. Maybe we should follow
some of Lincoln’s wisdom that he has imparted upon us in moments like
this.
As Abraham Lincoln was giving his second inaugural address in March
1865, Lincoln issued us a challenge. This is what he said: “With
malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right,
as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work
we are in, to bind up the Nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall
have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which
may achieve and cherish a just and a lasting peace among ourselves and
with all nations.”
Madam Speaker, in times like these, let us not reach out to our
darkest demons, but instead, like Lincoln, seek the higher ground. May
God bless this great United States of America.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, we can have all of this, but we have to
have accountability, too.
Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr.
Hoyer), our distinguished majority leader of the House.
Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
This is a troubled time, a sad time. It is a time where all of us
have stood almost to a person and lamented the violence and the assault
on this Capitol and the assault on democracy itself.
It was right to do that. But this impeachment ought to be put in the
perspective of what the Republican chair of the Republican Conference
said it was. She said the President of the United States summoned the
mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of that attack. There has
never been, she said, a greater betrayal by a President of the United
States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.
That is why we are here today. That is why we are here today just a
week before that President, at the request of the American people, will
leave office.
The issue is, what do we, the 433 of us, I believe, who are here, do
on behalf of the American people to respond to what Representative
Cheney described that happened on the 6th of January: a mob assembled
by, summoned by, and then spoken to, to light the flame of the attack.
To “stop the steal,” as we sat here, exercising our constitutional
duty. And to his great credit, the Vice President of the United States
followed the Constitution of the United States of America,
notwithstanding the fact that he was opportuned by the President not to
do so. That mob sent by the President to “stop the steal” did so for
a few hours, not the “steal” but the constitutional duty that we had.

[[Page H186]]

So, we ask ourselves, what do we do? What is our responsibility? What
should we say in light of only the Civil War as an analogy?
That doesn’t mean there haven’t been demonstrations in Washington
before and demonstrations throughout this country before. But it is the
first and only physical presence, other than the 9/11 attack, on this
Nation, which came from abroad and had a plane aimed at our Capitol
dome.
This attack was not from abroad. It was, as Liz Cheney said,
summoned, assembled, and inflamed by the President of the United States
of America. In Liz Cheney’s words, there has never been a greater
betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath
to the Constitution.
I pride myself as a Member of this Congress who for 40 years has
worked in a bipartisan fashion with many of your leaders and do to this
day. But are we to remain silent in the face of Liz Cheney saying this
was the greatest betrayal of the duty of the President of the United
States in history? Are we to stand silent? Will we stand silent? Will
we not stand up and say this is not acceptable?
Madam Speaker, for 4 years, Donald Trump has made no efforts to hide
his ambitions or his lacking of Republican principles–not our
principles, but the principles that Abraham Lincoln was just quoted as
having said. Your President, our President, has never displayed those
in the 4 years he has been President of the United States.
He has allowed little constraint on his worst inclinations. His
desire for autocracy and his glorification of violence have not been
tempered but rationalized by those who sought to profit financially and
politically from their proximity to power.
Upon the foundations of virtue, reason, and patient wisdom laid down
by George Washington as our first President, Donald Trump has
constructed a glass palace of lies, fearmongering, and sedition. Last
Wednesday, on January 6, the Nation and the world watched it shatter to
pieces.

There can be no mistaking any longer the kind of man sitting in the
Oval Office or his intentions and capabilities. The curtain has been
pulled back. The office to which he was elected could not temper or
reform him.
Washington’s legacy was passed down to us, not as written decrees but
understood norms, how we ought to act, how we ought to conduct
ourselves.
Term after term, each occupant has observed those norms out of a
recognition that our Constitution’s Articles are not the only
preservative of our democracy. For more than two centuries, Madam
Speaker, whenever those norms were tested and strained, good and
virtuous citizens on both sides of the aisle found common purpose in
reaffirming those norms. But memory fades, and from time to time, it
must be refreshed.
Madam Speaker, as the Framers emerged from the Constitutional
Convention, Benjamin Franklin was asked whether they had made America a
monarchy or a republic. Probably all of us know his response. A
republic, he answered, if you can keep it.
That is the question today, if we can keep it. And the way we keep it
is to say no to actions and words that do not promote the keeping of
that republic.
For millennia, people have understood that a republic is only as
stable and lasting as the citizens and leaders who commit themselves to
its upkeep. This President has shown us he is not committed to that
project. His tweets every day have shown he is not committed to that
project. Indeed, he openly disdains it and appears to prefer the
alternative.

{time} 1545

But what of the rest of us, those of us who have the honor and the
great privilege and the weighty responsibility to represent the views
of 750,000 of our fellow citizens?
We, in this Congress, have an opportunity–no–a duty to demonstrate
our commitment both as leaders and as citizens to keeping America a
republic that resolves its differences, not through being ordered to
come to the Capitol to prevent them from stealing the election, which
was an absurd assertion from the very first day it was made.
We cannot erase the last 4 years, Madam Speaker. We cannot turn back
the clock, but we can look to the ideals and principles inherited from
great Presidents like Washington; like Jefferson; and, yes, certainly
like Abraham Lincoln; and like Franklin Roosevelt. And from outstanding
Americans like Frederick Douglass; Harriet Tubman; Susan Anthony; Cesar
Chavez; Martin Luther King; Thurgood Marshall; our beloved John Lewis;
and, yes, RBG, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who all taught us a lot about
equality and inclusion.
Madam Speaker, it is up to us to restore the vibrancy of our
democracy by reaffirming our commitment to the norms they passed onto
us and entrusted to our care. But to make that possible, Madam Speaker,
we must rise to this moment and not only affirm the virtues we cherish,
but reject the vices we abhor. That is what I am asking my fellow
Representatives on both sides of the aisle to do today.
We all stood and we abhorred the violence that occurred and the
threat to the very democracy that we hold so dear and that we swore an
oath to protect and uphold. Reject deceit. Reject fear-mongering.
Reject sedition, tyranny, and insurrection. Reject the demand for
fealty to one man over fidelity to one’s country.
When I addressed the House during the debate over the Articles of
Impeachment in December of 2019, I said the following: We need not ask
who will be the first to show our courage by standing up to President
Trump. The question we must ask: Who will be the last to find it?
Senator McConnell, Representative Cheney, and a number of other
Representatives who have spoken on this floor with great courage, Madam
Speaker, because there is much fear of Donald Trump. There is much fear
of Donald Trump’s tweets. There is much fear of Donald Trump’s
retribution for opposition. In my view, Donald Trump demands absolute
loyalty and gives none in return.
I hope others will join Liz Cheney. I hope others will be honest with
themselves and with their constituents as Liz Cheney was, saying,
“There has never been a greater betrayal of a President of the United
States to his office and to his oath to the Constitution.”
Don’t dismiss that. She is the daughter of a Vice President of the
United States, who was the whip when I came to Congress. As she has
taken a stand, I hope others will as well, Madam Speaker.
Soon, the Clerk will call the roll and ask for our votes. Make no
mistake, this will be no ordinary roll call. This is about our country,
our Constitution, and our democracy. These votes will be inscribed on
the roll of history, a record of courage and of our commitment to
country and Constitution, of our commitment to the rule of law and
renewal of that which we inherited and hope to pass on unbroken,
unshattered.
With just 7 days left in the President’s term, this vote is not about
timing. It is about principle and fidelity to our Constitution. It
concerns the clear and present danger facing our country not only in
these final days of the Trump administration, but in the weeks, months,
and years that will follow. It is about the necessity to demonstrate to
this generation and to future generations the duty we share to protect
our democracy every single day.
Do not pretend, my friends, that it was simply those who came into
the Capitol, encouraged by our President to “stop the steal” at any
cost.
By the way, if the Vice President doesn’t do my bidding and follows
the Constitution, sweep him away.
We know that this President would never emulate George Washington and
give up his power for the good of our Republic, even after losing an
election.
Somebody talked about a peaceful transition. There has not been a
peaceful transition. I don’t know what you are talking about. You are
not living in the same country I am. It was just days ago that the
President, after committing this terrible act, thought he had to admit
that Joe Biden might, yes, be President of the United States.
We know that this President neither recognizes norms, nor reflects
the rule of law. We know that this President is not a patriot.
Madam Speaker, so I ask this House: Who among us will be recorded on
the roll of history for their courage, their commitment to the
Constitution, and their country?

[[Page H187]]

We do this today not for politics. We don’t need this for politics.
Georgia showed that. There was no mistake in this election. We do this
today to preserve and protect this great democracy. We do it for the
America we love, our America the beautiful, whose Founders’ sacrifices
we praise in song: “O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating
strife, who more than self their country loved and mercy more than
life.”
Sadly, Madam Speaker, as our current President, the appropriate words
would be: Who less than self his country loved and victory more than
truth.
Vote for this, for America, for our Constitution, for democracy, for
history.
Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LOWENTHAL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of impeaching
President Donald Trump for the second time. This is not an action I
take lightly, but an action I am compelled to take in order to uphold
my oath as a Member of Congress. President Trump is a threat to our
nation and in full public view violated his duties to the Constitution,
to our democracy, and to the American people.
For months, the president and his enablers lied about the election,
whipping up misplaced anger among his followers. He then encouraged his
followers to come to Washington for a “wild” rally to support
overthrowing the election results. At the rally, the president
continued to incite his followers, further encouraging their anger.
Then he pointed down Constitution Avenue and told his followers to
march to the U.S. Capitol and unleash their anger on Congress. They
did, and five people died.
Make no mistake, the president set the stage, invited the audience,
and lit the match that sparked the deadly insurrection at the Capitol.
Just as disturbing was his lack of response while Congress Members were
begging for him to help, while Capitol Police were being beaten and
killed, and while his followers hunted through the Capitol seeking to
do harm to Members of Congress and even his own Vice President.
President Trump has abrogated the responsibilities of his office and
violated his oath to the Constitution.
Every day he remains in office is another chance for him to foment
further violence. He must be removed now. The House must do its duty to
protect our nation from the president by impeaching him and the Senate
must act quickly to convict the president and remove him from office.
Mrs. DEMINGS. Madam Speaker, five people died last week, one of them
a Capitol Police Officer who lost his life trying to protect us. The
attack and the loss of life were the culmination of the President’s
calls for violence over the last five years and my colleagues’ refusal
to hold him accountable.
I was in the Gallery, and after reflecting on the violent attack as a
Member of Congress and as a former law enforcement officer, it baffles
me that some of my colleagues on the other side would say that today’s
vote is a “rush to judgement.”
Well, I think it’s the only appropriate response to Members of
Congress having to rush for the doors to escape the violence incited by
the President and encouraged by the Members of this body.
Madam Speaker, what happened to Congress? For we now behold mere
shadows where great men and women once stood. I remember my oath and I
intend to uphold it. I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this
resolution.
Mr. DesJARLAIS. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to today’s
impeachment resolution, H. Res. 24, against President Trump.
First, it is a tragedy that we are here once again with this body,
the United States House of Representatives, moving forward with
impeaching President Trump.
This body impeached the president during the 116th Congress which
resulted in his acquittal in the Senate. Before President Trump, there
have only been two presidents impeached by the House of
Representatives.
Now, after the majority party in the House did not get what they
wanted the first time with impeachment, they are at it again a second
time.
Their blind hatred of the President and four years of denying the
results of the election have led them to one final moment of doing this
again.
This impeachment is being held in the court of public opinion. I have
found no constitutional grounding for President Trump’s impeachment.
If Democratic leadership wanted us to take their stunt seriously, the
least they could have done was attempted to present some sort of
evidence in a formal trial.
Make no mistake, this is not the way the House should be conducting
business.
The nation and world have been through a global pandemic this past
year which has destroyed many small businesses and jobs across our
county.
Yet, the House majority leadership could not be bothered to
compromise on much-needed relief. They focused on playing politics with
people’s lives and making sure the president had one less
accomplishment on his record ahead of the November 2020 election.
So why is the House spending its time on impeachment with H. Res. 24?
Simply there are many who never liked President Trump, never gave him a
chance, and have only sought to remove him from office since day one.
With just days left before the president leaves office, House
Democrats have decided to implement their double standard yet again.
Many of my House colleagues from the other side of the aisle have
spent an incredible amount of energy on fanning the flames of political
unrest. They have called for riots and said peaceful protests are not
enough.
President Trump called for his supporters to protest peacefully. When
things got out of hand, he called on them to stand down and listen to
law enforcement officials.
When violent protests got out of hand across the country this past
summer you did not see the same type of condemnation from the
Democratic Party.
President Trump has already said there will be an orderly transition
on January 20, 2021. We need to move forward and help to ensure that
the incoming Biden-Harris administration has everything they need to
assume office on day one.
We are deeply divided in this country right now. Impeachment without
constitutional grounding does nothing but disenfranchise the 74 million
people that voted for President Trump.
I strongly oppose these impeachment efforts in the House and do not
wish to create a further divide in our country.
Mr. RUIZ. Madam Speaker, Donald Trump is an immediate threat to our
Constitution and to our Democracy. He must be removed.
It has now been a week since rampaging criminals incited by Mr. Trump
invaded and vandalized the Capitol–the heart of American Democracy and
government. The attack resulted in six deaths–including that of two
police officers–and left an indelible stain on our nation. With each
passing day, we learn more about the extent to which this attack was
planned and orchestrated.
This was a violent insurrection–not a peaceful protest. The
criminals who perpetrated this attack were inspired, directed, and
encouraged by Donald Trump and his lies and incited by several members
of Congress, all of whom have refused to acknowledge–let alone take
responsibility for–their roles in this shameful episode.
No action we take today can undo the desecration caused by Donald
Trump, the members of Congress who aided and abetted him, and those
dangerous insurrectionists. This was not merely a criminal conspiracy;
it was an attack on our nation’s Capitol to deliberately and violently
overthrow the duly elected Government of the United States.
Regardless of our actions today, Donald Trump will be removed from
office in just over a week. But that does not mean we shouldn’t act. If
we let an insurgence against our government go without consequence,
what will we be saying to future generations?
We must send the permanent message that in January of 2021, Congress
refused to condone, pardon, or ignore this crime against the
Constitution and the American people, and further, that Congress
refused the possibility that Donald Trump could ever hold office again.
Some have said that this should be a time for unity, not for
divisiveness. I agree. We must be united and unequivocal in our
declaration: The desecration of our Democracy will not be tolerated.
The divisiveness over this issue is not being caused by those of us who
insist on upholding the Constitution and rule of law; the
responsibility for discord belongs solely at the feet of those who
refuse to do so.
Therefore, I must call out those in this body who continue to
perpetuate the lies that led to this deadly chain of events. American
Democracy was and remains threatened by their actions and words. Over
the last four years, we have learned that the guardrails constructed by
our Founders to protect the Constitution are only as strong as the
leaders who take the oath to defend them. When our elected officials
take steps to undermine democracy–as far too many here today have
done–the fabric and future of our great nation is endangered.
All of us have sworn an oath to protect America from its enemies,
both foreign and domestic. Today, that oath requires each and every one
of us to support the immediate impeachment of Donald Trump. History
will judge us all for our decision today.
Ms. JAYAPAL. Madam Speaker, just over a year ago, I stood on the
House floor as we did our jobs and voted to impeach the President of
the United States. The facts were clear then: Donald Trump abused the
power of the Office of the Presidency to pursue his own personal,
political gain. My vote was a vote for the Constitution and for `We,
the People’ because America is so deeply worth it.

Six months later, we saw Donald Trump’s radically disparate treatment
of a violent mob taking over the Michigan state capitol while
threatening to lynch a governor and the harsh crackdown on Black,
Indigenous, and people of color demonstrating for civil and human
rights in the wake of yet another Black person being murdered by law
enforcement. On the one hand, we saw armed white men with swastikas and
Confederate flags threatening lawmakers, damaging the statehouse, and
seeking to lynch, shoot, and behead the Governor of Michigan with no
federal response. In fact, Attorney General Bill Barr told me under
oath that he wasn’t even aware it occurred. In sharp contrast, we saw
Black people and people of color forcibly removed by armed federal
officials using pepper bombs and tear gas. This time, the Attorney
General was on the scene himself.
All of these events brought us to January 6, 2021. On that day, I was
trapped in the House gallery for nearly two hours as a mob of
insurrectionists launched a deadly attack on our Capitol, our country,
and our democracy. My colleagues and I took cover as domestic
terrorists waved the confederate flag in the People’s House; as the
temple of our democracy was ransacked in the most deadly and
destructive assault on the U.S. Capitol since the War of 1812. The
events of January 6 were horrific. We know now that January 6 could
have ended in even more violence, harm, and loss of life. We know the
mob came ready for combat with nooses, zip ties, bats, bulletproof
vests, and pipes. We know they came within seconds of breaching the
United States Senate and ran around the inside of this building
chanting “Hang Mike Pence” and looking for our Speaker, Nancy Pelosi.
And we know that they had placed bombs at the Capitol, the Democratic
National Committee, and the Republican National Committee.
Why did they do all of this? Because for months, the man who sits in
the White House has refused to accept the will of the American people;
has refused to recognize that he lost a free and fair election–
decisively. And then he–and some Republican members of this Congress–
called on his followers to “be wild.” They told them to “stand by.”
Then, they told them to “fight like hell.” Next, they proclaimed “we
are going to the Capitol.” The insurrectionists followed those orders
from the President of the United States. They went to the Capitol and
fought like hell. They tried to subvert our democracy, but they failed.
Donald Trump is the smoking gun. That gun is reloaded and whether or
not it goes off once more is up to us. We must send a clear message to
the President that the United States Congress will not stand by and
allow one man to turn our democracy into an autocracy; will not stand
by while that man incites insurrectionists to launch a deadly assault
on the United States Capitol.
I call on my colleagues to join me in voting to immediately impeach,
convict, and remove Donald J. Trump from office; to ensure he can never
run for elected office again; to fight for justice; to send a signal to
those across America and throughout the world who–incited and fueled
by this president–want to do us further harm; and to hold him fully
accountable for this attack on Congress, the United States of America,
and our democracy.
Ms. UNDERWOOD. Madam Speaker, it is the honor of my life to walk into
the Capitol and onto this House floor to carry the voices and values of
the people of Illinois’ 14th Congressional District to this hallowed
institution. The Capitol itself is the global symbol of democracy, and
the Congress that meets here is charged with upholding the very first
Article of our Constitution, written 233 years ago. The Capitol is
where democratically elected Americans from across the country convene
to represent their communities. It truly is–and must remain–the
People’s House. Last week, the People’s House was invaded by people who
committed acts of terror and desecrated this sacred space.
In the days since the January 6 attack on the Congress, hundreds of
concerned Illinoisans have reached out to my office to share messages
of disbelief that such an attack was plotted openly yet not prevented;
messages of anger at the violence and the hate that was on display that
day, and at the elected leaders who capitalized on those sentiments;
messages of fear for the fragility of our democracy. I also received
many messages of support and concern for the safety of myself and my
staff, which was a great comfort to us all, and for which we are
immensely grateful.
One of my constituents wrote to me about feeling “disheartened,
deeply saddened, shocked, and angry” about the events of January 6 and
all that led up to them, and another wrote about “uncertainty and
fear.” Another wrote simply that “there are no words to describe my
horror.” I, too, felt all of those emotions as I watched the attack
unfold just beyond my office, and moved heavy furniture to barricade my
office doors.
One constituent wrote to ask me a question: “What will our future
look like if we continue to allow future U.S. leaders to lead and
support these types of attacks on our democracy?” It’s a question that
I am asking myself today, and that we are all here to answer: “What
will our future look like?” She wrote about the need for consequences,
not only as justice for the perpetrators of this attack, but also as a
message for posterity.
Over the past week, we in Congress have solemnly considered the most
appropriate response to the President’s incitement of insurrection–an
attack that not only cost several people their lives, but also
threatened a cornerstone of our democracy: the peaceful transition of
power. It is our duty to ensure that the perpetrators are held
accountable, and that no historical sanctuary is granted to those who
have ignited this fire. We have had to face the ugly truth that this
attack was incited by a President seeking to violently overturn the
results of a democratic election and reject the will of the American
people.
That is why today, we must impeach this President. This is an act
toward preserving the integrity of our democracy. This is a message to
future Americans about who we are as a nation, and who we ought to be.
Each of us took an oath just days ago, pledging to uphold the United
States Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Today I
will fulfill that promise by voting in favor of the impeachment of
President Donald J. Trump.
Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the
resolution offering articles of impeachment against President Donald J.
Trump. Our country and our Capitol have suffered a devastating attack
in the past week, and the President’s role in inciting the violence we
experienced has left us no choice but to impeach him.
President Trump, through his words and actions, encouraged and
incited the insurrection that occurred on January 6, 2021, when
Congress was gathered to certify the results of the 2020 Presidential
election. In the days and weeks preceding the deadly attack, President
Trump made statements, both on social media and directly to his
supporters, repeating false claims that he had won the election and
urging supporters to come to Washington, D.C. and “fight like hell.”
The morning of January 6, he led a rally and sent his supporters to the
Capitol with the goal of stopping the certification of the Electoral
College, thwarting the will of millions of Americans who voted for Joe
Biden, and overturning the 2020 Presidential election. The events that
unfolded that afternoon were dangerous, terrifying, unprecedented, and
un-American. Armed domestic terrorists stormed the Capitol, leading to
several deaths, countless injuries, untold property damage, and a
democracy in crisis. Pipe bombs and zip ties were found on and around
the Capitol grounds. Videos show Capitol Police officers being beaten
by White supremacists. Elected officials in the line of presidential
succession, including the Vice President and the Speaker of the House,
were essentially hunted by terrorists and forced into hiding. The
President did not quell the mob; nor did he offer any empathy
whatsoever to his own Vice President or to the hundreds of Senators,
Representatives, and staff who were at the Capitol and traumatized. In
the following days, Donald Trump failed to take responsibility for the
direct attack on the country he is responsible for leading and
protecting and continued to incite insurrection by continuing to
perpetuate the lie that he won the election.
We are now forced to reckon with the grave reality that the President
of the United States directly incited an attack on our government and
country, and he must be held accountable. He is wholly unfit for office
and must never be able to serve in government again. I commend my
colleagues, Representatives Cicilline, Lieu, and Raskin, for drafting
this resolution of impeachment. For the sake of democracy, the Senate
must now follow our lead, rise to the occasion, and swiftly convict the
President of the high crimes and misdemeanors he has committed.
Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to
express my support for the resolution to impeach President Trump.
This is an open and shut case. The facts are clear to all who wish to
see them.
In his January 6 speech, Donald Trump incited a vicious assault on
the U.S. Capitol with the intention of pressuring Vice President Pence
and a joint session of Congress into overturning the results of the
Electoral College vote that made Joe Biden president. It’s clear he
wanted Congress and the Vice President to declare him president for a
second term despite his losing the election.
I believe that this was the final act in what was a months-long
effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election results so that he
could remain in office.
I believe that Donald Trump’s actions on January 6 constituted high
crimes and misdemeanors under the Constitution and therefore justify
his impeachment. He is clearly

[[Page H189]]

guilty of sedition, and his actions led to the loss of five lives that
day, including that of a Capitol Police officer who was mortally
injured defending the Capitol, the Congress, and the Vice President.
I also support impeaching him now, even though he has just a few days
left in office, in order to define a standard of acceptable conduct for
future Presidents–and a precedent to deter future presidents from
attempting to defy the will of the American people.
Finally, I believe that President Trump should be impeached and
immediately removed from office because I am concerned that, given what
he has done to illegally remain in office, it is possible, if not
highly probable, that he would take further undemocratic and criminal
actions in the days he has left in a desperate bid to thwart the
voters’ will.
Those are the reasons why I cosponsored the article of impeachment
and why I will vote for it today.
Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, last week’s violent attack on Congress
was an act of domestic terrorism. The U.S. Capitol building was
desecrated and vandalized. Members of Congress, their staff members,
and those who work in this temple of American democracy were
terrorized. The women and men of the Capitol Police who work every day
to protect us were beaten. Two officers lost their lives as a result of
this tragedy.
Make no mistake, this was a terrorist plot to disrupt Congress; to
prevent Congress from performing its duty under the Constitution to
certify the results of the Electoral College that Joseph R. Biden and
Kamala D. Harris will be sworn in as President and Vice President of
the United States on January 20, 2021.
This domestic terrorist attack was an attempted coup against the
United States of America by attacking the U.S. Congress and the Vice
President of the United States Michael R. Pence. And this coup was
inspired, encouraged, and supported by Donald J. Trump–the deranged
and dangerous man who currently occupies the White House.
Today, I will vote to impeach Mr. Trump–for the second time–for
high crimes and misdemeanors. If his actions in inciting the
insurrection of January 6, 2021 do not warrant impeachment and removal
by the Congress, then truly nothing is worthy of impeachment. Congress
must protect this nation from Mr. Trump and from future Presidents who
may seek to follow in his dangerous footsteps. We must impeach.
When Mr. Trump leaves the White House and is again a private citizen,
I strongly urge the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and
prosecute Mr. Trump for crimes committed against our democracy and the
people of the United States.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, with just 7 days remaining in
his term, today’s highly partisan rush to impeach the President is
being done without knowing the whole truth which takes time, effort and
serious scrutiny to establish.
Today’s snap impeachment vote alleging President Trump’s “incitement
of insurrection” lacks an objective and thorough investigation of the
facts.
Astonishingly, there have been no congressional hearings on H. Res.
24–the impeachment resolution–which was only introduced two days ago
on January 11th.
The fact that the U.S. Senate won’t even consider the impeachment
resolution passed by the House until after the January 20th
inauguration begs the question as to why the debate and vote isn’t
postponed until we have all the facts.
Our Nation is in desperate need of unity and civility as it prepares
for the inauguration of President-elect Biden.
Impeachment of President Trump–without a thorough analysis of the
facts which takes time, effort and serious scrutiny to establish–will
not in any way help to heal a divided America.
Let me state again that I unequivocally condemn the assault on the
Capitol last week and those who committed murder, violence, vandalism
and other crimes should be prosecuted to the greatest extent of the law.
We must be committed to zero-tolerance towards violence in any form.
I strongly support and have cosponsored H.R. 275 to create a national
bipartisan commission to comprehensively investigate the January 6th
deadly attack on the Capitol.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.
Res. 24, impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States,
for high crimes and misdemeanors.
When we consider impeachment, the first question to consider is not
“what is an impeachable offense?” but “why is impeachment in the
Constitution?” If it is necessary to have an elected official removed
from office, the normal process is to vote him out of office at his
next election and have him leave when his term expires. But there are
times when it is absolutely not feasible to wait until a term expires.
That is why impeachment is in the Constitution.
The Constitution says the President “shall be removed from office on
impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high
crimes and misdemeanors.” When a President is committing treason, it
is obviously not feasible to wait until the next election and the
expiration of his term. If a President is seeking, taking or giving
bribes, it is not feasible to wait. As for “other high crimes or
misdemeanors,” the important word is “other,” because it suggests
offenses that have the same effect on the nation as treason or bribery.
The phrase “high crimes and misdemeanors” is intentionally vague, but
the meaning is clear–behavior that creates a situation, as in cases of
treason and bribery, where it is not feasible to wait until the next
election and the expiration of the President’s term. Impeachment is not
in the Constitution primarily as a punishment, but as a mechanism to
protect our democracy when it is not feasible to wait until January 20th.
In that light, we evaluate the President’s recent behavior.
Shortly before noon on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, President Trump
addressed thousands of his supporters, who specifically came to
Washington at his urging. This event was called the “March to Save
America.” The President’s words and actions at this rally, and
arguably the lies he spread weeks before, incited a violent
insurrection. Soon after the President’s speech, a violent mob
overwhelmed the U.S. Capitol with the intent of disrupting the counting
of the Electoral College votes–the final official step in the election
of the next President of the United States. These individuals harbored
delusions fostered by the President that, but for the grace of God,
could have resulted in the death or injury of the Vice President and
many members of Congress. During most of this insurrection, the absence
of the National Guard and other military units was conspicuous,
especially when compared to the overwhelming police and military
presence last summer during racial justice protests in the nation’s capital.
The facts are not in dispute. According to Rep. Liz Cheney, the third
highest ranking Republican in the House of Representatives, “The
President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob,
and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his
doing. None of this would have happened without the President . . .
There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United
States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.”
Last weekend, the Washington Post published audio recordings
revealing a conversation in which the President encourages and attempts
to pressure Georgia election officials to “find” over 11,780 votes to
reverse the certified results of the November 3rd election. This hour
long recording further supports previous reports of the President
actively attempting to overturn the will of the voters in other states
he clearly and fairly lost.
Additionally, the President has used presidential powers to pardon
numerous criminals, many of whom were convicted of offenses that could
have been part of coverups to protect the President himself. He should
not continue to hold this power while insurrectionists are being
arrested and charged across the country. And it is also being reported
that he is actively considering additional questionable pardons,
including for himself and his immediate family.
Notwithstanding his oath to faithfully execute the laws, the
President is doing nothing to address the COVID-19 pandemic, even
though more than 125,000 deaths have occurred since the election. There
has been a complete abdication of responsibility demonstrated by his
failure to develop a testing and contact tracing strategy, his refusal
to encourage the use of masks to stop the spread of this deadly virus,
and now a complete mismanagement of vaccine distribution. Furthermore,
his execution of the laws has been compromised by the wholesale
resignations of senior federal officials across the executive branch.
The President has gone to extraordinary lengths to disrupt the
transition from his administration to President-elect Biden,
undermining our national security. Our nation is facing economic
distress, a raging pandemic, the disastrous consequences of climate
change, a reckoning with racial injustice, and a historic cyber
intrusion. While our country is facing these challenges, the President
has chosen to jeopardize our national security by refusing the incoming
administration customary intelligence briefings, refusing to concede
the election, and falsely claiming election fraud ultimately disrupting
the peaceful transition of power and undermining the incoming
administration’s ability to manage these crises.
And there have been ongoing violations of the Constitution’s
emoluments clause, as foreign governments have paid money to Trump
businesses since his inauguration four years ago.
Each of these behaviors alone would constitute impeachable offenses,
so the analysis moves to whether or not any or all of them create the crisis envisioned in the impeachment clause where it is not feasible to wait until January 20th to have him removed from office. I
believe the evidence is overwhelming and that we have no choice but to
act expeditiously to impeach.
The attack on the Capitol clearly puts us in a situation where it is
not feasible to wait until the President’s term expires at noon on
January 20, 2021. He has shown no remorse for the loss of life and the
blatant attack he incited on one of the greatest symbols of our
democracy. There has also been no credible explanation why the Capitol
Police were left stranded without the support of the National Guard or
other law enforcement agencies nor any credible explanation why the
Attorney General nor the Director of the F.B.I. have attended any
public briefings on what happened on January 6, 2021 or what is being
done to make sure that it does not happen again under the President’s
leadership. And when a person is found unfit to control a Twitter
account, it is hard to imagine how he is fit to control the nuclear
codes. He is also not fit to control the security of the Capitol for
the upcoming inauguration or from other attacks at the Capitol that,
according to some public reports, are being planned.
Tragically, tens of thousands of people will continue to die
unnecessarily because of his incompetence and inaction in dealing with
the COVID-19 pandemic. This self-serving use of the presidential pardon
power cannot continue, and if he is removed from office, a process can
be put in place to seamlessly transition powers to the Biden
Administration without gaps in National Security.
For these reasons it is imperative that he be removed from office now.
Once impeached, it is true that he may not be convicted in the
Senate. In fact, an impeachment trial may never take place. But the
fact that a quick trial and conviction could take place should deter
problematic behavior by the President during his last few days in
office. For example, if Majority Leader McConnell received a distressed
call from the Secretary of Defense explaining that the President had
issued a bizarre military order, Leader McConnell could quickly summon
the Chief Justice, reconvene the Senate and vote to remove the
President within hours of the call. Knowing that this could take place
would hopefully deter the President from issuing such an order or
granting inappropriate pardons.
The President will be encouraged to resign, and the Vice President
and a majority of the cabinet secretaries could activate the 25th
amendment. But all the House of Representatives can control is
impeachment. The House has an obligation to do just that. Our action
should not be guided by politics or grievance, but should reflect the
fact that the future of our Democracy is our first priority.
Madam Speaker, we do not want to look up on January 20th and see that
security at the inauguration was mismanaged with disastrous results; or
witness a blanket pardon to all of those involved in the insurrection;
or suffer as tens of thousands die unnecessarily due to the President’s
continued mismanagement of the pandemic; or witness any other
disastrous situation resulting from the abusive use of presidential
powers. And if any of that happens because he was not impeached by the
House and convicted and removed by the Senate, we cannot say we did not
see it coming.

Mr. FORTENBERRY. Madam Speaker, in his speech and subsequent
hesitation to swiftly react to the violence, the President wrongly
amplified an emotionally charged environment–emboldening persons
predetermined to do violence, adding to a mob frenzy, and overshadowing
the important policy work of four years and those who peacefully stood
by him.
Our objective should be this: Restore peace in our country. Restore
confidence in our government. Restore decency and decorum.
In just seven days, Joe Biden will be President. I voted to certify
his election. In order to begin the process of healing our nation after
this traumatic moment, we must choose wisely. If we use the blunt
instrument of impeachment, we will punish the President but deepen the
trauma of an America already wracked by political violence. The call
for accountability ought now to be found in the hard slog to rebuild.
I will vote against impeachment.
Miss GONZALEZ-COLON. Madam Speaker, respect for the will of the
people, which has been expressed through their votes in a valid
democratic process and the peaceful transfer of power between
administrations, is the foundation of our Nation.
Seeing the President incite groups to interrupt that very democratic
process, leading them to take the U.S. Capitol by force, where two
members of the Capitol Police died in the line of duty, is deeply
outrageous. Using force as the mechanism to achieve change or access to
power has no place in the constitutional transfer of office. I have
never validated that resource to enforce anyone’s opinion. All those
who perpetrated these acts must be held accountable to the fullest
extent of the law, including the President.
This Nation needs to heal the deep wound created by the acts of
domestic terrorism on January 6, where at the end of the day democracy
prevailed, Congress continued with the processes in which the Vice
President validated the result of the elections in favor of a new
administration.
That healing will come in less than a week with the transfer of power
in an orderly and peaceful manner, as mandated by our legal system, but
past events have caused many, including myself, to withdraw our trust
in this President.
On past occasions I have rejected the President’s conduct, while on
other occasions I have recognized the great resources that he helped me
bring to the Island in a time of need. In the same way, my priority
continues to be defending the interests of the people of Puerto Rico
and I will always work with anyone to achieve the betterment of the
people I represent.
I swore to defend the Constitution against all foreign and domestic
enemies. The acts of January 6 were an attack on our Constitution, they
were acts of sedition perpetrated by domestic terrorists and that is
why I join my colleagues from both parties in supporting an impeachment
process against the President, even though as a Resident Commissioner I
cannot vote in that process. This will serve as an example of the power
of our Nation’s democracy, where no one, including the President, is
above the law.
Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, in the words of the late
Congressman John Lewis, “When you see something that is not right, not
just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do
something.”
Today we must do something and vote to impeach President Donald J. Trump.
Mr. KIND. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of impeachment in
order to defend our democracy and protect our country from a President
who poses a clear and present danger to our republic. Last week, as I
was preparing to defend Wisconsin’s election results on the House floor
during the certification of the Electoral College votes, the Nation
experienced an attack on our Capitol and democratic process. What
should have been a day of celebration as we witnessed the peaceful
transfer of power–something that makes America exceptional in the eyes
of the world–was marred by a lawless assault on our democracy.
It’s of the utmost importance in the coming weeks to bring those who
perpetrated this violence to justice. They must be prosecuted to the
full extent of the law. However, we also need to address those that
fostered and even amplified the toxic climate that allowed this to
happen in the first place. Undoubtedly, this includes the President,
who openly encouraged a mob to march to the Capitol to disrupt
Congress’s Constitutional role in certifying the presidential election
and later went so far as to say that the rioters were “very special”
and that he “loves” them.
Words and actions have consequences. For months now, the President
and Members of Congress have spread lies and unfounded accusations
about the integrity of our election. In doing so, they unleashed dark
forces in our society and even incited a violent mob that attacked the
United States Capitol. Lives were lost as a result of this
insurrection, including those of U.S. Capitol Police Officers Brian
Sicknick and Howard Liebengood. My prayers are with these brave
officers’ families as they mourn these devastating losses–their heroic
actions in defense of their country will never be forgotten.
It’s time to stop perpetuating the dangerous lies that this election
wasn’t legitimate–it was. It’s time to stop weaponizing calls for
unity as an attempt to downplay a violent insurrection and avoid
ramifications, as if healing can take place without accountability–it
can’t.
For too long, too many have treated our democracy as if it’s a
football, something to kick around without consequence. It’s not a
football, it’s more like a fragile egg. If you break it, good luck
trying to put it back together. Failing to seek accountability now
sends a dangerous signal to the future because the next time an
authoritarian wannabe takes a run at our Constitution, all bets are
off.
At this time in our Nation’s history, our party divisions have never
seemed smaller. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Democrat or a
Republican, the choice now is between Constitutionalists and
Insurrectionists. Constitutionalists believe in the Constitution, the
rule of law, due process, human rights, and civil rights for all our
citizens. Insurrectionists believe in conspiracy theories, an alternate
reality, and putting a person or a party above the rule of law.
I can work with anyone that’s a Constitutionalist, regardless of what
side of the aisle they’re on. But as a Member of Congress, I swore an
oath not to any one individual or one party, but to the Constitution,
and I cannot work with anyone who is against it.
I have repeatedly called on the President to step down for the sake
of our Nation. I have asked Vice President Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to ensure the
peaceful transfer of power. Unfortunately, these calls have gone
unheeded, leaving us no other option than to vote to impeach President
Trump. We must guard against any potential future danger the President
poses, send a clear message that this type of unconstitutional behavior
will not be tolerated, and restore the sanity and sense of calm the
American people deserve before the inauguration of President-Elect
Biden.

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, the decision to impeach a President is a
grave one–it is a vote that no Member wishes to cast in their
lifetime. In my nearly four decades of service in the House of
Representatives, I have voted to impeach a President only twice–both
times during President Trump’s term in office. The criminal invasion of
the U.S. Capitol last week created this unprecedented moment in U.S.
history when liberty lovers must respond in the strongest legal manner.
Members of Congress take an oath to defend our Constitution against
all enemies foreign and domestic. During my service, U.S. Presidents of
both parties understood their duty to our Constitution, until now. I
frequently reflect on the incalculable bravery and sacrifice of those
Americans who came before us, who, from the battlefields of Antietam to
the beaches of Normandy, fought and died to ensure that not only would
freedom and liberty live on in these lands, but so too would our Union itself.

During these last four years, our beloved country has become divided
to an extent not seen since Reconstruction–a division so powerful that
the daily business of our Congress has ground to a near halt, at severe
expense to the People’s work. This is occurring because of the severe
breakdown, political divisions, and incitement exacerbated by lies and
conspiracy theories recited at length by the President himself. He has
belligerently refused to accept the results of this past election. With
a clenched fist, he and his allies continue to spew divisive vitriol
claiming no institution in this country, from the free press to
independent election officials, can be trusted–that the only person
worthy of the American people’s confidence is Donald Trump himself.
A week ago today, that division boiled over, culminating in a vicious
attack by a mob on the U.S. Capitol, a place that holds national and
international significance as the temple of liberty and
representational democracy. Members, staff, and the Vice President, who
were working to certify the election results of the 2020 Presidential
Election, were forced to flee for their lives as a mob of violent
insurrectionists broke through the doors and windows of the Capitol,
desecrated the halls, and violently attacked Capitol Police, killing
one and injuring over 50. The invaders, many in paramilitary attire,
called for the execution of the Vice President, the Speaker of the
House, and other Members. Some carried law-enforcement style handcuffs,
bear spray, and firearms, while others erected gallows outside and
placed pipe-bombs nearby. All the while, President Trump failed to take
any meaningful steps to call off the attack, despite calls imploring
him to do so as the events played out on live television. The attack
was explicitly incited by Donald Trump as he dispatched marchers to the
Capitol `to fight.’ His incitement of the attack represents quite
possibly the most significant example of complete moral failing by any
President in American history.

To impeach a President is a weighty decision. Today, the decision was
clear. President Trump is guilty of inciting a violent insurrection
against the United States in its most sacred home of liberty. He should
thus be immediately removed from office and prevented from ever holding
federal office again.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 41, the previous question is ordered on the resolution.
The question is on adoption of the resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered.

The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were–yeas 232, nays 197, not voting 4, as follows:

[Roll No. 17]

YEAS–232

Adams
Aguilar
Allred
Auchincloss
Axne
Barragan
Bass
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bourdeaux
Bowman
Boyle, Brendan F.
Brown
Brownley
Bush
Bustos
Butterfield
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson
Cartwright
Case
Casten
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Cheney
Chu
Cicilline
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Cooper
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Craig
Crist
Crow
Cuellar
Davids (KS)
Davis, Danny K.
Dean
DeFazio
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Delgado
Demings
DeSaulnier
Deutch
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle, Michael F.
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Evans
Fletcher
Foster
Frankel, Lois
Fudge
Gallego
Garamendi
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Golden
Gomez
Gonzalez (OH)
Gonzalez, Vicente
Gottheimer
Green, Al (TX)
Grijalva
Haaland
Harder (CA)
Hastings
Hayes
Herrera Beutler
Higgins (NY)
Himes
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Huffman
Jackson Lee
Jacobs (CA)
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (TX)
Jones
Kahele
Kaptur
Katko
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Khanna
Kildee
Kilmer
Kim (NJ)
Kind
Kinzinger
Kirkpatrick
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster
Lamb
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lawrence
Lawson (FL)
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Leger Fernandez
Levin (CA)
Levin (MI)
Lieu
Lofgren
Lowenthal
Luria
Lynch
Malinowski
Maloney, Carolyn B.
Maloney, Sean
Manning
Matsui
McBath
McCollum
McEachin
McGovern
McNerney
Meeks
Meijer
Meng
Mfume
Moore (WI)
Morelle
Moulton
Mrvan
Murphy (FL)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Newhouse
Newman
Norcross
O’Halleran
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pascrell
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peters
Phillips
Pingree
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Price (NC)
Quigley
Raskin
Rice (NY)
Rice (SC)
Richmond
Ross
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schrader
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Sewell
Sherman
Sherrill
Sires
Slotkin
Smith (WA)
Soto
Spanberger
Speier
Stanton
Stevens
Strickland
Suozzi
Swalwell
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Upton
Valadao
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velazquez
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Welch
Wexton
Wild
Williams (GA)
Wilson (FL)
Yarmuth

NAYS–197

Aderholt
Allen
Amodei
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bentz
Bergman
Bice (OK)
Biggs
Bilirakis
Bishop (NC)
Boebert
Bost
Brady
Brooks
Buchanan
Buck
Bucshon
Budd
Burchett
Burgess
Calvert
Cammack
Carl
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Cawthorn
Chabot
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Cole
Comer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Curtis
Davidson
Davis, Rodney
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Donalds
Duncan
Dunn
Emmer
Estes
Fallon
Feenstra
Ferguson
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fortenberry
Foxx
Franklin, C. Scott
Fulcher
Gaetz
Gallagher
Garbarino
Garcia (CA)
Gibbs
Gimenez
Gohmert
Gonzales, Tony
Good (VA)
Gooden (TX)
Gosar
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hagedorn
Harshbarger
Hartzler
Hern
Herrell
Hice (GA)
Higgins (LA)
Hill
Hinson
Hollingsworth
Hudson
Huizenga
Issa
Jackson
Jacobs (NY)
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Keller
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
Kim (CA)
Kustoff
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Latta
LaTurner
Lesko
Long
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Mace
Malliotakis
Mann
Massie
Mast
McCarthy
McCaul
McClain
McClintock
McHenry
McKinley
Meuser
Miller (IL)
Miller (WV)
Miller-Meeks
Moolenaar
Mooney
Moore (AL)
Moore (UT)
Mullin
Nehls
Norman
Nunes
Obernolte
Owens
Palazzo
Palmer
Pence
Perry
Pfluger
Posey
Reed
Reschenthaler
Rodgers (WA)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rose
Rosendale
Rouzer
Roy
Rutherford
Salazar
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Sessions
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smucker
Spartz
Stauber
Steel
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Stewart
Stivers
Taylor
Thompson (PA)
Tiffany
Timmons
Turner
Van Drew
Van Duyne
Wagner
Walberg
Walorski
Waltz
Weber (TX)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Wright
Young
Zeldin

NOT VOTING–4

Granger
Harris
Murphy (NC)
Webster (FL)

So the resolution was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

MEMBERS RECORDED PURSUANT TO HOUSE RESOLUTION 8, 117TH CONGRESS

Adams (Brown)
Axne (Stevens)
Baird (Bucshon)
Bergman (Walberg)
Bilirakis (Fortenberry)
Blumenauer (Beyer)
Bonamici (Clark (MA))
Boyle, Brendan F. (Jeffries)
Buchanan (Cammack)
Cardenas (Gallego)
Carson (Underwood)
Costa (Correa)
Crenshaw (Nehls)
DeSaulnier (Matsui)
DesJarlais (Kustoff)
Deutch (Rice (NY))
Dingell (Stevens)
Doyle, Michael F. (Cartwright)
Dunn (Cammack)
Fleischmann (Kustoff)
Frankel, Lois (Clark (MA))
Hastings (Wasserman Schultz)
Jayapal (Raskin)
Johnson (TX) (Jeffries)
Kaptur (Stevens)
Kirkpatrick (Gallego)
Kuster (Pingree)
Lamborn (Walberg)
LaTurner (Mann)
Lawson (FL) (Evans)
Lee (NV) (Stevens)
Lieu (Beyer)
Lowenthal (Beyer)
McEachin (Wexton)
McNerney (Huffman)
Napolitano (Correa)
Ocasio-Cortez (Tlaib)
Peters (Beyer)
Porter (Wexton)
Pressley (Garcia (IL))
Schneider (Sherrill)
Sires (Pallone)
Smith (WA) (Courtney)
Steel (Calvert)
Strickland (Kilmer)
Titus (Connolly)
Tonko (Pallone)
Vela (Gomez)
Walorski (Banks)
Watson Coleman (Pallone)
Wilson (FL) (Hayes)
Young (Malliotakis)

IMPEACHING DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS; Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 8
(House of Representatives – January 13, 2021)