Trump has abused the powers of the presidency in that using the powers of his high office, President Trump solicited the interference of a Foreign Government, ukraine, in the 2020 United States president ial election. He did so through a scheme or course of conduct that included soliciting the government of ukraine to publicly announce investigations that would benefit his reelection, harm the election prospects of a political opponent, and influence the 2020 United States president ial election to his advantage. President trump also sought to pressure the government of ukraine to take these steps by conditioning official United States government acts of significant value to ukraine on its Public Announcement of the investigations. President trump engaged in this scheme or course of conduct for corrupt purposes in pursuit of personal political benefit. In so doing, President Trump used the powers of the presidency in a manner that compromised the National Security of the United States and undermined the integrity of
the United States democratic process. He thus ignored and injured the interests of the nation. President trump engaged in this scheme or course of conduct through the following means. One, President Trump, acting both directly and through his agents within and outside the United States government, corruptly solicited the government of ukraine to publicly announce investigations into, a, a political opponent, former Vice President joseph r. Biden jr. , and b, a discredited theory promoted by Russia Alleging that ukraine rather than russia interfered in the 2016 United States president ial election. Two, with the same corrupt motives, President Trump acting both directly and through his agents within and outside the United States government conditioned two official acts on the Public Announcements that he had requested, a, the release of 391 million of United States taxpayer funds that congress had proposed on a bipartisan basis for the purpose of providing vital military and security
assistance to ukraine to oppose russian aggression and which President Trump had ordered suspended, and b, a Head Of State meeting at the white house which the president of ukraine sought to demonstrate continued United States support for the government of ukraine in the face of russian aggression. Three, faced with the public revelation of his actions, President Trump ultimately released the military and Security Assistance to the government of ukraine but has persisted in openly and corruptly urging and soliciting ukraine to undertake investigations for his personal political benefit. These actions were consistent with President Trumps previous invitations of foreign interference in United States elections. In all of this, President Trump abused the powers of the presidency by ignoring and injuring National Security and other Vital National interests to obtain an improper personal political benefit. He has also betrayed the nation by abusing his high office to enlist a foreign power in
corrupting democratic elections. Wherefor, President Trump has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with Self Governance in the rule of law. President trump thus warrants impeachment by trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold any office of honor, trust, or profit in the United States. Article 2, obstruction of congress. The House Of Representatives shall have the sole power of impeachment and the president ial be removed from office on impeachment for and conviction of treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors. In his conduct of the office of president of the United States and in violation of his constitutional oath, faithfully to execute the office the 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 j. Trump has directed the defiance of subpoenas issued by the House Of Representatives pursuant to its sole power of impeachment. President trump has abused the powers of presidency in a Matter Offensive to and subversive of the constitution in that the House Of Representatives has engaged in an Impeachment Inquiry focused on President Trumps corrupt solicitation of the government of ukraine to interfere in the 2020 United States president ial election. As part of this Impeachment Inquiry, the committees undertaking the investigation served subpoenas seeking documents and testimony deemed vital to the inquiry from various executive Branch Agencies and offices and current and former officials. In response, without lawful cause or excuse, President Trump directed executive Branch Agencies, offices, and officials not to comply with those
subpoenas. President trump thus interposed the powers of the presidency against the Lawful Subpoenas of the House Of Representatives and assumed to himself functions and judgments necessary to the exercise of the sole power of impeachment vested by the constitution in the House Of Representatives. President trump abused the powers of his high office through the following means. One, directing the white house to defy a lawful subpoena by withholding the production of documents sought therein by the committees. Two, directing other executive Branch Agencies and offices to defy Lawful Subpoenas and withhold the production of documents and records from the committees in response to which the department of state, office of management and budget, department of energy, and Department Of Defense refused to produce a single document or record. Three, directing current and former executive Branch Officials not to cooperate with the committees in response to which nine administration
officials defied subpoenas for testimony, namely mick mulvaney, robert blair, john eisenberg, michael ellis, preston griffith, russell vought, michael toughie, and t. Ulrich brechbuhl, part of the president s efforts to encourage foreign interference in United States elections. By these actions the president sought to arrogate to himself the right to determine the nature of an Impeachment Inquiry into his own conduct as well as the unilateral prerogative to deny any and all information to the House Of Representatives and the exercise of its sole power of the impeachment. In the history of the republic no president has ordered the complete defiance of an Impeachment Inquiry or sought to obstruct so comprehensively the ability of the House Of Representatives to investigate high crimes and misdemeanors. This abuse of office served to cover up the president s own
repeated misconduct and to seize and control the power of impeachment and thus to nullify a vital constitutional safeguard vested solely in the House Of Representatives. In all of this, President 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. Wherefore, President Trump by such conduct has demonstrated he will remain a threat to the constitution if allowed to remain in office and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with selfgovernance and the rule of law. President trump thus warrants impeachment, trial, removal from office, and disqualification to enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit of the United States. Pursuant to House Resolution 767, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by
the committee on judiciary is adopted. The resolution shall be debatable for six hours equally divided and controlled by the chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee On The Judiciary or their respective designees. The gentleman from new york, mr. Nadler, and the gentleman from georgia, mr. Collins, each will control three hours. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. Nadler. Madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on h. Res 765. Without objection, so ordered. I recognize the speaker of the house. The Distinguished Gentlelady is recognized. I extend my gratitude to Chairman Schiff who will be
presiding later in the day. My colleagues, this morning and every morning when we come together, members rise and pledge allegiance to the flag. Every day all across america, children in school, members of the military, officials and those civically engaged, also pledge allegiance to the flag. Let us recall what that pledge says. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america and to the republic, to the republic, for which it stands. One nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The republic for which it stands is what we are here to talk about today. A republic, if we can keep it. We gather today Under The Dome of this temple of democracy to
exercise one of the most solemn powers that this body can take, the impeachment of the president of the United States. No member regardless of party or politics comes to congress to impeach a president. But every one of us as our first act as a member of congress stood on this Historic House floor before our beautiful American Flag and raised our hands in this oath. I do solemnly swear that i will support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, so help me god. For 230 years, members have taken that sacred oath which makes us custodians of the constitution. When our founders declared independence and established a new nation, they crafted a system of government unlike one ever seen before, a republic, starting with the sacred wordsWe The People. For centuries, americans have fought and died to defend democracy for the people. But, very sadly now, our founders vision of a republic is under threat from actions from the white house. That is why today as speaker of the house i solemnly and sadly open the debate on the impeachment of the president of the United States. If we do not act now, we would be derelict in our duty. It is tragic that the president s reckless actions make impeachment necessary. He gave us no choice. What we are discussing today is the established fact that the president violated the constitution. It is a matter of fact that the president is an ongoing threat to our National Security and the integrity of our elections, the basis of our democracy. Hundreds of historians, legal scholars, and formal prosecutors, regardless of
party, have stated that the president committed impeachable offences. Since today is a National Civics lesson, though a sad one, i submit these documents for the record and commend them for students to study. Without objection, so ordered. Thank you, Madam Speaker. What we are discussing today is the established fact that the president , again, violated the constitution. It is a matter of fact that the president is, again, an ongoing threat to our National Security. And the testimony of decorated war heroes, distinguished diplomats, and patriotic career public servants, some of the president s own appointees, over the past weeks, have told us this. The president used the power of his Public Office to obtain an improper personal political benefit at the expense of americas National Security. When a president weakens a democratic ally that is advancing American Security interests by fighting an
american adversary, the president weakens america. This abuse of power also jeopardizes the integrity of our elections. All americans agree that American Voters should choose our president , not some Foreign Government. The founders understood that it is profoundly corrosive for our democracy for a president to invite interference in our elections. As george washington, our nations patriot under whose gaze we stand today, warned, history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government. George washington. Sadly, the American People have witnessed further wrongs of the president which necessitate the second article of impeachment, obstruction of congress. When the president s wrongdoing was revealed, he launched an
unprecedented, indiscriminate, and categorical campaign of defiance and obstruction. Never before in the history of our nation have we seen a president declare and act as if he is Above The Law. The president even goes so far as to say and act on this absurdity when he says, article 2 says i can do whatever i want. No, it doesnt. That recklessness is a profound violation of the constitution and our republic which endured because of our system of separation of powers, three coequal branches, each a check and balance on the other, a republic, again, if we can keep it. The founders great fear of a rogue or corrupt president is the very reason why they enshrined impeachment in the constitution. As one founder, William Davey of north carolina, warned, unless the constitution contained an Impeachment Provision, a president might spare no efforts
or means whatever to get himself reelected. Another founder, george mason, insisted that the president who procured his appointment in the first instance through improper and corrupt acts might repeat his guilt and return to power. We in congress, article 1, the legislative branch, must stand up and make clear to the American People and to all people that this body still stands by the principles enshrined in the constitution and defended by generations of americans. Last week, in observance of the 75th Anniversary of the battle of the bulge, members traveled to that Hallowed Ground to express our gratitude to the heroes of freedom who sacrificed everything to secure victory of freedom over tyranny, not just for america, but for the world. The veterans of that battle, who
were there, in their 90s, told us how after the war was won, the europeans whom they liberated would ask, why did you risk for us, you dont know us, and give your lives to save us . Were not americans. And our men would say, we came here to fight for you, not because you are americans, but because we are americans. As our beloved chairman elijah cummings, our north star, said when announcing this course of action, quote, i want History Books to show that i was among those in the Hou