Rep. Al Green: ‘I Want to Ensure All that Impeachment Is Not Dead’

GREEN Thank you Mr ░░░░░░░░ And stil l rise ░░░░░░░░ Speaker and I rise ░░░░░░░░ because I love my ░░░░░░░░ and I rise today ░░░░░░░░ it s important for ░░░░░░░░ to understand a process ░░░░░░░░ impeachment process Whether you ░░░░░░░░ with the bringing of ░░░░░░░░ or not it s ░░░░░░░░ to understand the process ░░░░░░░░ today I d like ░░░░░░░░ a few words about ░░░░░░░░ impeachment process Some 85 ░░░░░░░░ since the Mueller report ░░░░░░░░ presented wherein Mr Mueller ░░░░░░░░ but indicated that impeachable ░░░░░░░░ occurred Some 85 days ░░░░░░░░ rise and I have ░░░░░░░░ mnemonic notes that I ░░░░░░░░ refer to The impeachment ░░░░░░░░ it starts and it ░░░░░░░░ the impeachment itself in ░░░░░░░░ House The House of ░░░░░░░░ and only the House ░░░░░░░░ Representatives can impeach our ░░░░░░░░ It s very similar ░░░░░░░░ an indictment but not ░░░░░░░░ same as an indictment ░░░░░░░░ the impeachment actually takes ░░░░░░░░ then the process moves ░░░░░░░░ the Senate But today ░░░░░░░░ m going to focus ░░░░░░░░ the House of Representatives ░░░░░░░░ we ll talk about ░░░░░░░░ Senate on another occasion ░░░░░░░░ impeachment process is not ░░░░░░░░ appealable process So once ░░░░░░░░ House gives its verdict ░░░░░░░░ you will a majority ░░░░░░░░ persons present voting for ░░░░░░░░ there is no appeal ░░░░░░░░ doesn t go to ░░░░░░░░ friendly court that a ░░░░░░░░ might have It won ░░░░░░░░ go to the Supreme ░░░░░░░░ ultimately where some would ░░░░░░░░ the court is divided ░░░░░░░░ party lines I happen ░░░░░░░░ think that judges ought ░░░░░░░░ vote based upon what ░░░░░░░░ perceive the law to ░░░░░░░░ And I tend to ░░░░░░░░ judges the benefit of ░░░░░░░░ doubt when it comes ░░░░░░░░ making their decisions But ░░░░░░░░ are many who perceive ░░░░░░░░ to be the case ░░░░░░░░ it s not appealable ░░░░░░░░ is something that is ░░░░░░░░ within the province of ░░░░░░░░ House of Representatives This ░░░░░░░░ is a vote of ░░░░░░░░ And this is where ░░░░░░░░ d like to focus ░░░░░░░░ good deal of my ░░░░░░░░ today A vote of ░░░░░░░░ This means that you ░░░░░░░░ based upon what your ░░░░░░░░ dictates There will be ░░░░░░░░ instructions given to persons ░░░░░░░░ will vote Generally speaking ░░░░░░░░ jury would receive some ░░░░░░░░ of instructions indicating that ░░░░░░░░ should make certain findings ░░░░░░░░ instructions There will be ░░░░░░░░ indication that you have ░░░░░░░░ do this based upon ░░░░░░░░ and convincing evidence That ░░░░░░░░ have to find beyond ░░░░░░░░ reasonable doubt that something ░░░░░░░░ That you should do ░░░░░░░░ by a preponderance of ░░░░░░░░ evidence There is no ░░░░░░░░ that will be given ░░░░░░░░ members as they cast ░░░░░░░░ ballots It is something ░░░░░░░░ each member does and ░░░░░░░░ is a vote of ░░░░░░░░ Now the question can ░░░░░░░░ whose conscience will it ░░░░░░░░ Because if you take ░░░░░░░░ person s recommendation and ░░░░░░░░ vote based upon that ░░░░░░░░ then you could conceivably ░░░░░░░░ another person s conscience ░░░░░░░░ will vote my conscience ░░░░░░░░ will not be guided ░░░░░░░░ what others think who ░░░░░░░░ be voting based upon ░░░░░░░░ expediency You can vote ░░░░░░░░ upon political expediency if ░░░░░░░░ so choose I will ░░░░░░░░ based upon a moral ░░░░░░░░ A moral imperative I ░░░░░░░░ vote my conscience And ░░░░░░░░ will do this because ░░░░░░░░ believe that in this ░░░░░░░░ the country that I ░░░░░░░░ I rise because I ░░░░░░░░ my country And I ░░░░░░░░ in this country that ░░░░░░░░ love that we ought ░░░░░░░░ allow any person to ░░░░░░░░ above the law The ░░░░░░░░ of which I speak ░░░░░░░░ Article 2 Section 4 ░░░░░░░░ the Constitution No one ░░░░░░░░ be above the law ░░░░░░░░ this is the law ░░░░░░░░ governs impeachment No one ░░░░░░░░ be above the law ░░░░░░░░ I believe that for ░░░░░░░░ 85 days now since ░░░░░░░░ Mueller report we have ░░░░░░░░ that the chief executive ░░░░░░░░ has been above the ░░░░░░░░ So there will be ░░░░░░░░ vote on impeachment Each ░░░░░░░░ of this august body ░░░░░░░░ the pre eminent privilege ░░░░░░░░ bringing impeachment before the ░░░░░░░░ I happen to be ░░░░░░░░ member and I want ░░░░░░░░ assure all that impeachment ░░░░░░░░ not dead I read ░░░░░░░░ story today where there ░░░░░░░░ an indication that it ░░░░░░░░ stalled or it is ░░░░░░░░ I just want you ░░░░░░░░ know that I may ░░░░░░░░ alone when I do ░░░░░░░░ This is what my ░░░░░░░░ dictates But I believe ░░░░░░░░ it is better to ░░░░░░░░ alone than not stand ░░░░░░░░ all I will stand ░░░░░░░░ will be another vote ░░░░░░░░ I m asking that ░░░░░░░░ do what I believe ░░░░░░░░ expected and that is ░░░░░░░░ your conscience knowing that ░░░░░░░░ is no appeal knowing ░░░░░░░░ you don t have ░░░░░░░░ worry about the Supreme ░░░░░░░░ and knowing that there ░░░░░░░░ be history to judge ░░░░░░░░ all I yield back ░░░░░░░░ time SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE ░░░░░░░░ are reminded to refrain ░░░░░░░░ engaging in personalities toward ░░░░░░░░ precedent.”