U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES'
VOTE TO ADVANCE THE PRESIDENTIAL
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY ABOUT THE
PUBLIC PHASE.
THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZES THE
CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENT COMMITTEE TO CONDUCT
OPEN HEARINGS AND ALLOWS THE
PRESIDENT AND HIS ATTORNEYS TO
CROSS-EXAMINE WITNESSES ONCE
TAKEN UP BY THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE.
THAT COMMITTEE WOULD THEN WRITE
ANY ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT TO
BE VOTED ON BY THE HOUSE.
FOR HIS PART, PRESIDENT TRUMP
AGAIN DECLARES THIS AS A WITCH
HUNT AND REPUBLICANS CALLED THE
VOTE A SOVIET-STYLE PROCESS.
THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER CALLS THE
PROCESS TRANCE PARENTS TRANSPARENT AND OPEN.
THE VOTE WAS ALMOST ALL ALONG
PARTY LINES.
IN WISCONSIN ALL DEMOCRATS VOTED
AGAINST, REPUBLICANSVOTED--
--
>> JOINING US NOW IS RON KIND.
SOME WONDERED WHETHER YOU WOULD
VOTE ANY ON THIS DISTRICT.
WHY DID YOU VOTE IN FAVOR?
>> FIRST OF ALL, I'VE ALWAYS
BEEN IN FAVOR OF A FULL,
THOROUGH INVESTIGATION TO GET TO
THE BOTTOM OF THESE EXTREMELY
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS.
AS A FORMER SPECIAL PROSECUTOR
HERE IN WISCONSIN, I KNOW IT'S
IMPORTANT TO GATHER ALL THE
FACTS, ALL A THE EVIDENCE SO WE
KNOW WHAT AN APPROPRIATE REMEDY
SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
I ALSO REMIND PEOPLE I VOTED IN
FAVOR OF OPENING UP THE CLINTON
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY BACK THEN
BECAUSE I VIEW MY ROLE AS A
COEQUAL ROLL OF GOVERNMENT
SERIOUSLY.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS
PLAYING BY THE RULES.
IF WE DON'T DO IT, NO ONE ELSE
DO.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE DO GO
FORWARD ON THE INVESTIGATION,
GATHER THE INFORMATION IN
REGARDS TO THIS MATTER.
>> AS TO THE CLINTON
IMPEACHMENT, IN THE END YOU
VOTED AGAINST THAT.
AM I RIGHT?
>> I DID.
THAT'S CORRECT.
>> WHAT POLITICAL CONCERNS DO
YOU HAVE, THOUGH, WITH VOTING TO
PROCEED TO THE PUBLIC PHASE
GIVEN YOUR DISTRICT?
>> TRUTH?
ZERO.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN MAKE
POLITICAL CALCULATIONS WITH
SOMETHING AS SERIOUS AS THIS.
IMPEACHMENT NEEDS TO BE A LAST
RESORT, A LAST OPTION.
IT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY REMEDY
THAT THE FATHERS PUT IN THE
CONSTITUTION IN ORDER TO CHECK
UNCHECKED PRESIDENTIAL POWER AND
THE ABUSE OF THAT POWER.
AND I WOULD HOPE AT THE END OF
THE DAY THAT WE ALL CAN AGREE AS
AMERICANS THAT NO PRESIDENT
SHOULD BE SHAKING DOWN ANOTHER
FOREIGN GOVERNMENT TO GET THEM
TO DO A POLITICAL HIT JOB ON
THEIR RIVAL.
THAT'S THE BASIS OF THE
ALLEGATION, THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
WAS USING THE WITHHOLDING OF
MILITARY ASSISTANCE THAT
CONGRESS ALREADY APPROPRIATED
AND WHERE OUR NATIONAL SECURITY
IS DIRECTLY IN INVOLVED SINCE
UKRAINE WAS INVADED BY RUSSIA
AND WITHHELD A WHITE HOUSE
VISIT.
THERE'S A STORY THAT CAME OUT
THAT SAID THEY WERE THEY ARE WITHHOLDING
ASSISTANCE TO UKRAINIAN FOR THE
SAME REASON, TO GET THEM TO DO A
POLITICAL INVESTIGATION AGAINST
THE BIDEN FAMILY.
THAT IS DEEPLY TROUBLING TO ALL
AMERICANS.
>> WHAT HAVE YOUR CONSTITUENTS
SAID TO YOU ABOUT IMPEACHMENT OF
THE PRESIDENT AND THE PROCESS?
>> WELL, I THINK THEY APPRECIATE
THE GRAVITY OF THE ALLEGATIONS.
I'VE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF
LISTENING SESSIONS.
MOST OF THEM HAVEN'T EVEN READ
THE FOUR-PAGE WHISTLE-BLOWER
COMPLAINT.
THAT'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT POINT.
THIS WAS INITIATED BY
NONPARTISAN CAREER INTELLIGENCE
OFFICIALS WORKING IN THE WHITE
HOUSE WHO ARE DEEPLY DISTURBED
BY WHAT THEY HEARD AND SAW THE
PRESIDENT DOING WITH THIS
FOREIGN GOVERNMENT.
THAT'S WHAT INITIATED THIS
ENTIRE INVESTIGATION, NOT SOME
POLITICAL WITCH HUNT.
AND THOSE ARE SERIOUS
ALLEGATIONS.
I DON'T THINK ANY MEMBER OF
CONGRESS SHOULD TAKE LIGHTLY OR
TURN THEIR BACK TO.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE HAD
WITNESSES COME FORWARD NOW, TO
CORROBORATE WHAT WAS IN THE
WHISTLE-BLOWER.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN.
AND SOON THAT WILL BE A PUBLIC
HEARING SO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
CAN BE PRIVY TO THIS TESTIMONY
FIRSTHAND.
>> IN YOUR MIND IS QUID PRO QUO,
WITHHOLDING UKRAINIAN AID UNLESS
THAT COUNTRY INVESTIGATED JOE
BIDEN, A NECESSARY ELEMENT FOR
IMPEACHMENT?
>> I DON'T BELIEVE IT IS.
IT'S CERTAINLY NOT IN THE
CONSTITUTION.
JUST THE FACT THAT ANY PRESIDENT
-- LISTEN.
ANY PRESIDENT THAT IS ASKING A
FOREIGN GOVERNMENT TO DO
SOMETHING, THERE'S AN INHERENT
POWER IMBALANCE TO BEGIN WITH.
IT'S HARD FOR ANOTHER GOVERNMENT
TO SAY NO TO THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA BECAUSE OF OUR
ECONOMIC AND MILITARY WEIGHT.
I'VE NEVER THOUGHT THERE WAS A
VALID AMOUNT, THAT THERE HAD TO
BE A SHOWING OF SOME QUID PRO
QUO, SOMETHING FOR SOMETHING.
BUT CLEARLY THE EVIDENCE IS
POINTING IN THAT DIRECTION, THAT
HE WAS WITHHOLDING THE MILITARY
AID.
JUST REMEMBER, THAT AID WAS
FINALLY RELEASED A FEW DAYS
AFTER THE WHISTLE-BLOWER REPORT
CAME OUT.
THERE WAS PRESSURE ON THE WHITE
HOUSE TO DO IT THEN BECAUSE
EVERYTHING WAS BLOWING UP ON
THEM.
IT'S CLEAR NOW FROM THE
TESTIMONY WE'VE HEARD FROM A LOT
OF THE NONPARTISAN PROFESSIONAL
PEOPLE IN THE WHITE HOUSE WITH
FIRSTHAND INFORMATION THAT
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON
HERE.
SO IT IS TROUBLING.
AND I DID NOT GO TO CONGRESS TO
IMPEACH THIS PRESIDENT OR ANY
PRESIDENT.
THE LAST THING ON OUR MINDS.
BUT, AGAIN, IF THE CONGRESS
DOESN'T STEP FORWARD AND ACT AS
A COEQUAL BRANCH AND ASSUME OUR
CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO
KEEP AN EYE ON THE PRESIDENT AND
WHAT HE'S DOING, NO ONE ELSE
WILL.
AND HE WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH
UNFETTERED, UNCHECKED POWER,
WHICH COULD PROVE DANGEROUS TO
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
>> YOU TOUCHED ON THIS BRIEFLY,
BUT WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO
REPUBLICANS WHO CALL THIS MERELY
A WITCH HUNT OR A SOVIET-STYLE
PROCESS?
>> WELL, IT'S FUNNY THAT THEY'RE
NOT ARGUING ABOUT THE FACTS AND
THE EVIDENCE, THAT THEY'RE
ATTACKING THE PROCESS.
THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE THIS SEEM
IT'S JUST A POLITICAL ADVENTURE.
YET THERE'S BEEN NO REBUTTAL AT
ALL WITH THE UNDERLYING
WHISTLE-BLOWER REPORT OR THE
CORROBORATING WITNESSES AND
THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OF THEM NOW
COMING FORWARD WITH FIRSTHAND
INFORMATION.
NOW, YOU CAN ARGUE WHETHER YOU
THINK THIS RISES TO THE LEVEL OF
AN IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE, BUT TO
DENY THOSE FACTS AND TO TRY TO
DIVERT AND OBSTRUCT ATTENTION
FROM IT I THINK IS VERY
DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT SETS A
DANGEROUS SIGNAL TO THIS
PRESIDENT AND FUTURE PRESIDENTS
THAT IT'S FAIR GAME, THAT WE CAN
ASK FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS TO
MEDDLE IN OUR ELECTION PROCESS.
THAT WAS THE ONE THING OUR
FOUNDERS FEARED THE MOST, WAS
OUTSIDE FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN
OUR DOE MESS STICK DOMESTIC AFFAIRS.
WE HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO SEEMS TO
BE COURTING THAT, NOT JUST
UKRAINE, BUT RUSSIA AND CHINA
AND HE'S ASKED AUSTRALIA AND
GREAT BRITAIN TO CONDUCT
INVESTIGATIONS AGAINST SOME OF
HIS RIVALS.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE ARGUMENT THAT
DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO UNDO THE
RESULTS OF THE 2016 ELECTION OR
PREEMPT THE NEXT ONE?
>> WELL, AGAIN, FRED, IT WASN'T
OUR CALL TO START THIS
INVESTIGATION.
THIS WAS BASED ON A
WHISTLE-BLOWER COMPLAINT FROM
INTELLIGENCE CAREER OFFICERS IN
THE WHITE HOUSE THAT BROUGHT IT
TO OUR ATTENTION.
AND IT WOULD BE I THINK
EXTREMELY IRRESPONSIBLE IF WE
DIDN'T LOOK INTO THESE
ALLEGATIONS, IF WE DIDN'T
INTERVIEW WITNESSES TO FIND OUT
WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE.
SO, AGAIN, THEY'RE TRYING TO
MAKE THIS INTO SOME POLITICAL
FOOTFOOTBALL, BUT WE'RE RESPONDING
TO A NONPARTISAN WHISTLE-BLOWER
COMPLAINT AND IT WAS OUR DUTY TO
FOLLOW UP ON THAT AND I THINK IT
WOULD BE UNPATRIOT PARTICULAR IF
WE DIDN'T DO IT.
>> THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING
US.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> WE ASKED REPUBLICANS IN THE
WISCONSIN DELEGATION TO JOIN US.
THEY DECLINED.
HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE MEMBER
REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE JAMES
SENSENBRENNER RELEASED ON
STATEMENT ON THE RESOLUTION
SAYING, QUOTE, AN UNFAIR PROCESS
CAN ONLY LEAD TO AN UNFAIR
RESULT AND THIS ENTIRE PROCESS,
HE SAYS, HAS BEEN FUNDAMENTALLY
UNFAIR TO THE PRESIDENT.
JUST AS NO AMERICAN INCLUDING
THE PRESIDENT IS ABOVE THE LAW,
NO ONE IS BELOW IT, EITHER.
YET SPEAKER PELOSI AND CHAIRMAN
SCHIFF CONTINUE TO ROB THE
PRESIDENT OF HIS DUE PROCESS
RIGHTS.
THE RULES OUTLINED IN TODAY'S
RESOLUTION HE SAYS FALL
EMBARRASSINGLY SHORT AND WILL
DAMAGE THE CREDI