Limited to just a certain number of witnesses, or even to just the monica lewin ski questions questions. Democrats fought to keep that from happening, but the rules were established, and the ammittee, because iof partyline vote, the republicans were in control of the committee and regarding it, and move pretty quickly. The house was ready to take it up under Republican Leadership of the house at the time. Steve we remember so much drama. We went through three speakers within a couple days, first with the resignation of newt in line, and the next then what happened . Alexis there was a scramble to figure out. Allies bob lewistons tried to talk him out of it. It was interesting, because he made the decision to resign with some agony. Steve he resigned because . Alexis he resigned because in theas a fullon press democratic world and larry flynt was asking for anyone to come forward about anyone involved in impeachment who had extramarital relationships themselves, and it became reported, and he understood larry flynt was going to publish that he had had indiscretions in his own marital life. To my colleagues, my friends and most especially my wife and family, i have hurt you all deeply and i beg your forgiveness. I was prepared to lead our narrow majority as speaker, and i believe i had it in me to do a fine job, but i cannot do that job. Alexis he was not the only one. Other house members, there was wife,o confessed to his absolutely certain it would be published, and it never was. He was trying to head off what he thought would be a disaster. They knew there were a variety of house members at that time who had a reputation for stepping outside in their relationships, or having relationships that were not expected. Denny hastert became the speaker, after he was drafted, unexpectedly, and he took some time to think. He initially said he didnt want to do it, and was talked into doing it, came forward and said he would do it. He was the unexpected and reluctant speaker. Then of course, we understood as we went into the holidays there of everyonedance, celebrating the end of the year and the holidays. I can remember at the white house, there was at the time an annual christmas press party in which the press corps was invited, and it was a very dour, sort of odd event. The president did not show up. That would have been very strange. Hillary clinton, the first lady, did it by herself, and looked very unhappy in the line meeting with the press. Her feeling was, obviously she was very angry at her husband, but also very angry at the news media as well. Steve back to this time period, putting a footnote on Denny Hasterts career . Alexis we didnt realize at the time that denny has stirred, who hastert, who had been a very quiet coach earlier in his life, he left office and it later became apparent through a legal case that he had been paying basically blackmail money to w man,ad been a young someone he coached and had improper sexual relationships with, this young man, and had been paying big money for a long period of time, lying about it, trying to hide it, and he ended up being prosecuted and convicted, for the money he had paid, and served time for it. Steve back to december of 1998, democrats were putting forward a strategy of censure, not impeachment. Explain . Alexis a lot of them were trying to think, is there some way to punish the president that would stop short of impeachment. So there were a couple efforts. One was trying to encourage House Republicans to buy into th e idea of a resolution of censure. There was rejection of that out of hand, because republicans argued censure is meaningless in the large scheme of things, and es weresidents offens so great that the punishment, he deserved to be removed from office, and at the very least a vote of impeachment, which had only happened once before, bec ause Richard Nixon resigned before the house impeached him, or could impeached him. So its part of the legacy no matter what happens in the senate. Senate,back in the which was interesting. There was also a discussion of whether it was worth it to try to argue to have the, the articles of impeachment dismissed, which came up later in the senate, would it be worth filing a motion to have it all dismissed and get out of this . So there were lots of efforts to talk about ways to punish the president without impeaching him, and the House Republicans were absolutely determined to move ahead, and made it very clear they wanted to. Steve which is my followup question. Why . What was motivating them . What was the gop strategy . Alexis the gop strategy was that in the world they lived in, the president s behavior was so offensive, and remember, a lot of these lawmakers were in districts where bill clinton was not necessarily as popular as he was nationwide, as polls suggested nationwide. How, lookingut back at it, the view of the House Republican managers was not in sync with where the public was about the president s personal behavior, or his personal failings. They were willing to see this as a personal misbehavior of a sexual sort, that was really relationship,mily a responsibility of him to his family, not necessarily the American People. Instead, House Republicans felt it was a violation of the president s oath of office and that he had done damage to the nation, and that he deserved to be punished for it. Steve what do you remember, if anything, of the floor debate in the house . Alexis it was, it was very vigorous, but also showcased the stark differences that were argued. Democrats put up a defense that went along with the talkin points, was a coup, an effort to get back at bill the republicans were offering a passion, determined argument that he violated the morals of our nation, had violated his constitutional oath of office, and there was a lot of passion on all sides. Steve here is a portion of that debate from the house of representatives. The floorber of 1998, debate over the impeachment of president clinton. A resolution impeaching William Jefferson clinton, president of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. Pursuant to the order of the house on friday, december 18, 1998, the resolution is debatable for one additional hour, equally divided between the gentleman from illinois mr. Hyde, and the gentleman from michigan, mr. Conyers. Mr. Speaker, i am pleased to recognize the gentlelady from california, ms. Lee, for one minute. The gentleman from gentlewoman from california is recognized for one minute. Hi rise to strongly oppose these articles of impeachment and this flawed and undemocratic process. This process is the real crime against the American People and our democracy. This march 2 impeachment is an attempt to undo, overthrow a duly elected president , ignoring the will of the people. Givesg a vote of censure the appearance of a oneparty autocracy, which we condemn abroad and can lead to authoritarian rule. This Republican Party coup underscores their only goal is to turn the clock back on an agenda that puts people first, and wanting to cancel basic human rights like a womans right to choose, a good Public Education instead of vouchers, insisting on a working wage for men and women, protecting our environment, supporting a patients bill of rights and protecting social security. The republican process is cynical and dangerous, and it will be recorded they stood on the wrong side of history. We must restore public trust and establish a congress that communicates respect for the people of the United States, the constitution and democracy. The gentleman from illinois. I yield oneman, minute to the gentleman from South Carolina, mr. Lindsey graham. The gentleman from South Carolina is recognized for one minute. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Ladies and gentlemen of the house, this long and difficult process the house will be in order. Ladies and gentlemen, this long and difficult process for all of us on the house is almost to conclusion. 25 years ago, a democratic controlled Judiciary Committee with a minority of republicans, reported articles of impeachment against Richard Nixon. Why . Nixon cheated. He cheated the electoral system by concealing efforts of a political breakin. And his people thought the other side deserved to be cheated. They thought his enemies deserved to be mistreated. Ladies and gentlemen, they were wrong. Today, republicans, with a small handful of democrats, will vote to impeach president clinton. Why . Because we believe he committed committed crimes resulting in cheating our legal system. We believe he lied under oath numerous times, that he tampered with evidence, conspired to present false testimony to a court of law. We believe he assaulted our legal system in every way. Let it be said, any president who cheats our institutions shall be impeached. The gentleman from michigan. I am pleased to recognize the gentleman from wisconsin. The gentleman from wisconsin recognized for one minute. Mr. Speaker, like all my colleagues, i have spent a great deal of time carefully reviewing the Judiciary Committee testimony and evidence. Let me make it absently clear i do not in any way condone the president s behavior. But the framers made clear the constitutional act of impeachment is not meant to punish a president for deplorable behavior, but to protect our nation from acts which jeopardizes our democratic system. What the president did was wrong both personally and morally, but his acts did not threaten our democracy and thus do not rise to the level of Impeachable Offenses as defined by our Founding Fathers in our constitution. I do believe the president should be held accountable for his actions. I support an alternative to impeachment that condemns his actions and would fine him. Censure resolution was considered in the Judiciary Committee that we in the full has are being denied the opportunity to debate and vote on today. Our Founding Fathers designed impeachment specifically to protect the nation from great harm. From a chief executive who clearly endangers our constitutional democracy. Mr. Speaker, i do not believe the president s actions meet this. The penalty for his misconduct should not be exacted through impeachment, but through our indictment in our criminal court system and stern censure by this congress. The gentleman from illinois. Mr. Speaker, im pleased to yield two minutes to the distinguished gentleman from louisiana, mr. Livingston. The gentleman from louisiana is recognized for two minutes. Without objection. Mr. Speaker, i rise with the fondest hopes that the bitterness engendered in this debate will at its conclusion be put aside. And that all members will return to their families for the holidays mindful for what has , been done for we as agents of principle. We have fulfilled our duty to our magnificent constitution. Yes, our young men and women in the Uniformed Armed services have in the last few days set about the task of ridding the earth of the threat of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of an enemy of civilization, saddam hussein. And they have performed their tasks with valor and fortitude, that we may freely engage in this most unpleasant aspect of selfgovernment. As was envisioned by our forefathers. I very much regret the hostility and enmity that has been bred in the halls of congress for the last months and year. I want so very much to pacify and cool our raging tempers and return to an era where differences were confined to the debate and not of personal attack or assassination of character. I am proud to serve in this institution. And i respect every member of this body. Each of us stands here because a majority of roughly 600,000 people had the confidence to vest us with this authority to act as their agents in a representative democracy. When given the chance, we often find that aside from political and partisan differences, we have much in common with one another. But we never discover what the Common Ground may be between the within the gulf between the sides of this narrow aisle. The debate has done nothing to bring us together. I greatly regret it has become quite literally the opening gambit of the intended livingston speakership. I most certainly would have written a different scenario had i had the chance. Pawns in thel chessboard and we are playing parts in the drama that is neither fiction nor unimportant. Indeed, it is of utmost significance in the course of American History. My desire to create an environment for healing must take lesser precedence than the search for responsibility, duty, and justice in the format provided by the u. S. Constitution. I believe we are in active pursuit of these goals. And i give great credit to chairman hyde and mr. Conyers and mr. Tom mooney and all of the members of staff, majority and minority, of the Judiciary Committee for their deliberate and conscientious efforts on this most difficult task. We are nearing completion and however the vote turns out, no one may say we did not own up to our constitutional responsibility as members of congress in a careful, respectful, and insightful debate. Much credit is due to our presiding officer, ray lahood, who has done an outstanding job. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, we differ on process. The minority believes we acted too hastily in view of the troops in the field and omitted an alternative from the options available for consideration. We in the majority believe we have properly begun the debate after setting aside a whole day to honor and praise our troops for the effort theyre extending on our behalf. General schwarzkopf, commander of the troops in iraq several years ago agreed with us on the Brian Williams show on msnbc. We believe the constitution envisioned that censure not be part of the debate on whether or not to impeach the president. And we are supported by comments by thenmajority leader tip oneill during the nixon impeachment proceedings. So there are differences in processes. What about substance . The minority has maintained the president has not perjured himself, and even if he did such perjury was not intended within the term high crimes and misdemeanor delineated in article two, section four of our constitution. Surely no president has been impeached for perjury, but three federal judges have been impeached and convicted under the perjury statutes. Perjury felony punishable by up , a to five years in the penitentiary, is a crime for which the president may be held accountable no matter the circumstances. Perjury is a felony, and 116 people are serving time in federal prison as we speak for perjury. And yes, there have been several instances of people going to prison following convictions for perjury involving lies under oath, under sexual circumstances. The average citizen knows that he or she must not lie under oath. Ms. Christine sims of rockville , maryland wrote to the Judiciary Committee two weeks ago said i too was called upon to give answers under oath and during a civil proceeding. Truthful answers to those questions would be embarrassing to me. What i knew exposed me to criticism and had a potential to ruin my life, particularly as it related to my children, whom i love very much. In short, i was scared to tell the truth. However, i did just that. I could not lie, when i was sworn to tell the truth, no matter the risk or degree of temptation to take the easy way out. Parts of my life have been difficult since, because elements of that testimony have been used to scorn me. But i as a common citizen was compelled by my conscience to tell the truth. Yes, our nation is founded on law, and not the whim of men. We are not ruled by kings or emperors and there is no divine right of president s. A president is an ordinary citizen vested with the power to govern and sworn to preserve, protect, and defend the u. S. Constitution. Inherent in that oath is a responsibility to live within its laws, with no higher or lower expectations than the average citizen. Just like ms. Sims. When the president appeared at the deposition of ms. Jones and secondly before the federal grand jury, he was sworn to a second oath. To tell the truth, whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you god. This according to witnesses to the Judiciary Committee before the special counsel, he did not do. For this, i will vote to impeach the president of the United States. And asked that his case be considered by the United States senate and the other body of this Great Congress uphold their responsibility to render justice on these most serious charges. But to the president , i would say sir, you have done great damage to this nation over this and while your defenders are contending that further impeachment proceedings would only protract and exacerbate the damage to this say that you have the power to terminate that damage and heal the wounds that you have created. You, sir, may resign your post. [shouting] [gavel] the house will be in order. And i can only challenge you in such fashion if i am willing to heed my own words. To my colleagues, my friends, and most especially my wife and family, i have hurt you all deeply and i beg your forgiveness. I was prepared to lead our narrow majority as speaker, and i believe i had it in me to do a fine job. But i cannot do that job or be the kind of leader i would like to be under current circumstances. So i must set the example that i hope president clinton will follow. I will not stand for speaker of the house on january 6, but i rather shall remain as a backbencher in this congress that i dearly love for approximately six months until the 106th congress, whereupon i shall vacate and ask my governor to call a special election to take my place. I think my constituents for the ank my constituents for the opportunity to serve them. I hope they will not think badly of me for leaving. I thank my staff for all of their tireless work on my behalf. I thank my wife most especially for standing by me. I love her very much. God bless america. [applause]