Impeachment Trial

Floor Speech

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Mr. GREEN of Texas. And still I rise, Mr. Speaker, because I love my country. I rise today to address the trial that will start in the Senate, the trial to impeach the President of the United States of America.

This trial, Mr. Speaker, will not end until the last person has testified. In a sense it is like an opera, and, as you know, Mr. Speaker, the opera isn't over until there is a song that is sung; and until the last witness sings, the opera isn't over, this political opera as it were.

There are witnesses who must be heard. I believe that there are 51 Senators who will find agreement with what I have said. I believe that there are Senators who understand that when they take that oath, they have to step outside of the normal rhetoric that they may have espoused. I think they have to stand on the Constitution, and I think the Constitution requires them to hear all of the relevant and material evidence.

There are documents that should be heard. There are witnesses that must be heard. I believe that the Senators will vote such that documents and witnesses that have not been produced will be produced and the witnesses will be heard.

I believe that this is one of the seminal moments in time for the Members of the Senate, and I think they will understand that this is not just about this time, it is about all time. It is about what historians will say about this date, about the days that will follow.

It really is about who we are and what we stand for in the eyes of the world. Because it is not just about the Members of the House examining what is going on; the people of our country, and, indeed, the people of the planet Earth are viewing this, and they are doing so with great anticipation. They fully expect that the United States that has been a champion for liberty and justice for all, the United States that has the Statue of Liberty, the United States of America that stands for freedom around the world, that the United States of America will live up to its billing, will live up to what we have said, will live up to what we have done in the past, and will allow all evidence to be presented. I believe this.

I also believe that if all of the evidence is properly presented, no one can say that there wasn't a fair trial. The verdict may not be something that I would agree with, but there will have been a fair trial. If you don't do this, then it is not a fair trial. It is just a fake trial.

If you don't do this, there is no need to have the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court present if all you are going to do is receive reports from the House, that is just a briefing. You don't need the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court there with all of the majesty of the court. You don't need it.

I say have a trial, not a briefing. If we only have a briefing, this will be justice delayed if not denied. There is a court of appeals and that court of appeals will assemble in November of this year because the Senate itself is on trial. The court of appeals in November will make decisions as to whether or not the Senate has governed itself under the Constitution and has presented itself such that it should continue with its current makeup. The people of this country will have the last word.

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