>> THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU MADAME SPEAKER AND TO MY

YOU MADAME SPEAKER AND TO MY COLLEAGUES, GOOD MORNING, THE

COLLEAGUES, GOOD MORNING, THE FRAMERS OF THE CONSTITUTION

FRAMERS OF THE CONSTITUTION RECOGNIZED THAT SOME DAY A

RECOGNIZED THAT SOME DAY A PRESIDENT MIGHT COME TO OFFICE

PRESIDENT MIGHT COME TO OFFICE WHO WOULD ABUSE THAT OFFICE,

WHO WOULD ABUSE THAT OFFICE, BETRAY THE PUBLIC TRUST, AND

BETRAY THE PUBLIC TRUST, AND UNDERMINE NATIONAL SECURITY TO

UNDERMINE NATIONAL SECURITY TO SECURE FOREIGN HELP IN HIS

SECURE FOREIGN HELP IN HIS REELECTION.

REELECTION. AND WHO WOULD SEEK TO ABROGATE

AND WHO WOULD SEEK TO ABROGATE THE POWER OF CONGRESS TO HOLD

THE POWER OF CONGRESS TO HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE.

HIM ACCOUNTABLE. THEY RECOGNIZED THIS DANGER AND

THEY RECOGNIZED THIS DANGER AND THEY PRESCRIBED A REMEDY, AND

THEY PRESCRIBED A REMEDY, AND THAT REMEDY IS IMPEACHMENT.

THAT REMEDY IS IMPEACHMENT. IT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY REMEDY,

IT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY REMEDY, AND ONE THAT I HAVE BEEN

AND ONE THAT I HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO RECOMMEND UNTIL THE

RELUCTANT TO RECOMMEND UNTIL THE ACTIONS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP GAVE

ACTIONS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP GAVE CONGRESS NO ALTERNATIVE.

CONGRESS NO ALTERNATIVE. WE STAND HERE TODAY BECAUSE THE

WE STAND HERE TODAY BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT'S CONTINUING ABUSE OF

PRESIDENT'S CONTINUING ABUSE OF HIS POWER HAS LEFT US NO CHOICE.

HIS POWER HAS LEFT US NO CHOICE. TO DO NOTHING WOULD MAKE

TO DO NOTHING WOULD MAKE OURSELVES COMPLICIT IN THE

OURSELVES COMPLICIT IN THE PRESIDENT'S ABUSE OF HIS HIGH

PRESIDENT'S ABUSE OF HIS HIGH OFFICE, THE PUBLIC TRUST AND OUR

OFFICE, THE PUBLIC TRUST AND OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.

NATIONAL SECURITY. THE PRESIDENT'S MISCONDUCT IS AS

THE PRESIDENT'S MISCONDUCT IS AS SIMPLE AND AS TERRIBLE AS THIS,

SIMPLE AND AS TERRIBLE AS THIS, PRESIDENT TRUMP SOLICITED A

PRESIDENT TRUMP SOLICITED A FOREIGN NATION, UKRAINE, TO

FOREIGN NATION, UKRAINE, TO PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE INVESTIGATIONS

PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE INVESTIGATIONS INTO HIS OPPONENT AND A BASELESS

INTO HIS OPPONENT AND A BASELESS CONSPIRACY THEORY PROMOTED BY

CONSPIRACY THEORY PROMOTED BY RUSSIA TO HELP HIS REELECTION

RUSSIA TO HELP HIS REELECTION CAMPAIGN.

CAMPAIGN. PRESIDENT TRUMP ABUSED THE POWER

PRESIDENT TRUMP ABUSED THE POWER OF HIS OFFICE BY CONDITIONING

OF HIS OFFICE BY CONDITIONING TWO OFFICIAL ACTS TO GET UKRAINE

TWO OFFICIAL ACTS TO GET UKRAINE TO HELP HIS REELECTION.

TO HELP HIS REELECTION. THE RELEASE OF HUNDREDS OF

THE RELEASE OF HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN MILITARY

MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN MILITARY AID THAT NATION DESPERATELY

AID THAT NATION DESPERATELY NEEDED AND A WHITE HOUSE MEETING

NEEDED AND A WHITE HOUSE MEETING WITH AN ALLY TRYING TO FEND OFF

WITH AN ALLY TRYING TO FEND OFF RUSSIAN AGGRESSION.

RUSSIAN AGGRESSION. IN SO DOING, HE UNDERMINED OUR

IN SO DOING, HE UNDERMINED OUR NATIONAL SECURITY AND

NATIONAL SECURITY AND JEOPARDIZED THE INTEGRITY OF OUR

JEOPARDIZED THE INTEGRITY OF OUR NEXT ELECTION, AND HE DOES SO

NEXT ELECTION, AND HE DOES SO STILL.

STILL. THE EVIDENCE OF THE PRESIDENT'S

THE EVIDENCE OF THE PRESIDENT'S MISCONDUCT IS OVERWHELMING AND

MISCONDUCT IS OVERWHELMING AND UNCONTESTED, AND HOW COULD IT

UNCONTESTED, AND HOW COULD IT NOT BE WHEN THE PRESIDENT'S OWN

NOT BE WHEN THE PRESIDENT'S OWN WORDS ON JULY 25th, I WOULD LIKE

WORDS ON JULY 25th, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO US A FAVOR, THOUGH,

YOU TO DO US A FAVOR, THOUGH, LAY SO BEAR HIS INTENTIONS HIS

LAY SO BEAR HIS INTENTIONS HIS WILLNESS TO SACRIFICE THE

WILLNESS TO SACRIFICE THE NATIONAL SECURITY FOR HIS OWN

NATIONAL SECURITY FOR HIS OWN PERSONAL INTERESTS.

PERSONAL INTERESTS. AND WHEN THE PRESIDENT GOT

AND WHEN THE PRESIDENT GOT CAUGHT, HE COMMITTED HIS SECOND

CAUGHT, HE COMMITTED HIS SECOND IMPEACHABLE ACT, OBSTRUCTION OF

IMPEACHABLE ACT, OBSTRUCTION OF CONGRESS OF THE VERY ABILITY TO

CONGRESS OF THE VERY ABILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE IS ABOVE

MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW, NOT EVEN THE PRESIDENT

THE LAW, NOT EVEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

OF THE UNITED STATES. THE EVIDENCE IS EVERY BIT AS

THE EVIDENCE IS EVERY BIT AS STRONG THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS

STRONG THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS OBSTRUCTED CONGRESS FULLY,

OBSTRUCTED CONGRESS FULLY, WITHOUT PRECEDENT, AND WITHOUT

WITHOUT PRECEDENT, AND WITHOUT BASIS IN LAW.

BASIS IN LAW. IF ALLOWED TO STAND, IT WOULD

IF ALLOWED TO STAND, IT WOULD DECIMATE CONGRESS'S ABILITY TO

DECIMATE CONGRESS'S ABILITY TO CONDUCT OVERSIGHT OF THIS

CONDUCT OVERSIGHT OF THIS PRESIDENT OR ANY OTHER IN THE

PRESIDENT OR ANY OTHER IN THE FUTURE LEAVING THIS PRESIDENT

FUTURE LEAVING THIS PRESIDENT AND THOSE WHO FOLLOW TO BE FREE