to the distinguished speaker of the house generally from california ms pelosi the gentleman from california is shielded one minute thank you ma'am speaker i thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership man speaker and his and will address to our predecessors in congress and 862 president abraham lincoln spoke of the duty of the patriot in an hour of decisive crisis for the american people fellow citizens he said we cannot escape history we will be remembered in spite of ourselves no personal significance or in significance can spare one or another of us the fiery trial to which we pass will light us down an honor or dishonor to the lattice latest generation we even we here he said hold the power

and bear the responsibility in the bible same paul wrote think on the sting we must think on what lincoln told us we even here even ash here hold the power and bear the responsibility way you are not i hold in trust the power that derives most directly from the people of the united states and we bear the responsibility to fill that oath that we all swear before god and before one another the oath to defend the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic so help us god. we know that we face enemies of the constitution we know we experience the insurrection that violate that the sanctity of the people's capital and attempted to overturn the duly recorded will of the american people and we know that the

president of the united states inside that this insurrection this armed rebellion against our common country he must go he is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love since a presidential election in november and election the president lost he has repeatedly held about the lied about the alice come out self-serving doubt about democracy and unconstitutionally shaw to influence state officials to repeal reality and then came that day a fire we all experienced the president must be impatient dr believe the president must be convicted by the senate a constitutional remedy that will ensure that their public will be safe from this man that was so resolutely determined to tear down the things that we hold dear and

that hold us together it gives me no pleasure should say this it breaks my heart it should break your heart should break all of our hearts for your presence in this hollow chamber is testament to our love for x. one tree for america and she had faith in the work of our founders to create a more perfect union. that was insurrectionists were not patriots they were not part of a political base to be catered to on 9 ish they were domestic terrorists and justice must prevail but they did not appear out of a vacuum they were sent here sent here by the president with words such as a cry to fight like hell. words matter truth matters accountability matters and is public as are stations to him the president saw the insurrectionists not as the face the focus of freedom as they are but as

a means to a terrible goal the goal of his personally clinging to power the goal of thorton the will of the people the goal of ending in a fiery and bloody clash nearly 2 and a half centuries of our democracy this is not theoretical and this is not motivated by partisanship i stand before you today as an officer of the constitution a speaker of the house of representatives i stand before you as a wife a mother a grandmother a daughter a daughter whose father proudly served in this congress thomas telethons wrote you're from maryland one of the 1st italian americans to serve in the congress and i stand here before you today as an old list of things a citizen of the united states of america with my voice and my vote

with a place for all of you democrats and republicans i ask you to search your soul and answer these questions is the president's war on democracy in keeping with the constitution were his words and insects and so rex unary mob a high crime and misdemeanor do we not have the duty to our oath to do all we transfusion we can to protect our nation and our democracy from the appetites and ambitions of a man who has self evidently demonstrated that he is a vital threat to liberty to self-government and to the rule of law. i country is divided we all know that there are allies abroad in the land spread by a desperate president if you have his power slipping away we know that too but i know this is well that we here in this house have

a sacred obligation to stand for truth to stand up for the transfer to sion to stand as guardians of the republic in a speech he was prepared to give in dallas on friday november 22nd 1963 president john f. kennedy was to say we in this country and this generation are by destiny rather than choice the watchmen on the walls of world freedom we ask therefore that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility that we may be worthy president kennedy was assassinated before he could deliver those words to the nation but they resonate more even now and our time in this place let us be worthy of our power and responsibility that when lincoln thought

was the world's last best hope the united states of america may long survive my fellow members my fellow americans we cannot escape history let us embrace our duty fulfill our oath and honor the trust of our nation and we pray that god will continue to bless america and thank you ma'am so you can your last. shall mention new york reserve. the gentleman from ohio was recognized and the speaker you myself sometimes i may consume the gentleness for thank you madam speaker 19 minutes. 19 minutes 4 years ago on inauguration day january 20th 27001000 minutes into president trump's administration at 121000 pm the washington post headline was campaign to impeach president trump has begun and now with just one leak week left there are still trying in 7 days there will be

a peaceful transfer of power just like there has been every other time in our country but democrats are going to teach president trump again this doesn't unite the country there's no way this helps the nation deal with the tragic and terrible events of last week that we all condemn and republicans have been consistent we've condemned all the violence all the time we condemned it last summer we condemned last week we should be focused on bringing the nation together instead democrats are going to impeach the president for a 2nd time one week one week before he leaves office why why politics and the fact that they want to they want to cancel the president the president who cut taxes the president reduce regulations the president prior to that had the greatest economy lowest unemployment 50 years the president got us out of there and put the embassy in jerusalem brought hostages home from north korea

put 3 great justices on the supreme court gave us a new nafta agreement the abraham accords the covert vaccine and who built the wall it's about politics this is about getting the president of the united states they spied on his campaign before he was elected 19 minutes into his presidency they started the impeachment push 3 year moller investigation 1000 lawyers 40 agents $500.00 witnesses $2500.00 subpoenas $40000000.00 to find nothing impeachment round one based on an anonymous whistleblower with no firsthand knowledge he was biased against the president who worked for joe biden and now it's impeachment round 2 it's always been about getting the president no matter what. it's an obsession and obsession that is now broadened it's not just about impeachment anymore it's about canceling as i've said canceling the president and anyone that disagrees with them the ayatollah can tweet the president can't

democrats can object on january 6th 2017 but republicans aren't allowed to object on january 6th 2021 democrat saying is a myth republicans condemn all violence all the time the double standard has to stop and frankly the attack on the 1st amendment has to stop and stop and think about it do you have a functioning 1st and then that when the cancel culture only allows one side to talk when you can even have a debate in this country this great country the greatest country ever needs to stop because if it continues if it continues it won't just be republicans who get canceled it won't just be the president the united states cancel culture will come for us all america is a great country the greatest country ever and seems to me that we need to think about how great the people of this nation really are think about what we accomplished in the past and begin to come together as leaders who represent so

many great folks across our districts think about this think about this in 1803 kitty hawk north carolina 2 guys fly this thing they called a plane a 100 feet barely got off the ground barely got off the ground amazing thing 44 years later chuck yeager breaks the sound barrier in 44 years we go from 2 guys find a contraption they call a plane a few 100 feet to chuck yeager breaking the sound barrier and 22 years after that 22 years after that another american steps on the moon. think about it in one lifetime in 66 years 2 guys find a 100 feet to putting a man on the moon that's what this country is capable of that's all we can do and we as the congress who represent the people who did that should start leading

to start understanding what really is going on here so i hope i hope we defeat this i hope we can begin to come together and recognize the greatness of the of the american people and focus on the things they want to focus on i yield back our time john and mary is reserved for. the gentleman from new york is recognized and the speaker i have myself 3 minutes gentleman from new york is frankly thanks for 3 minutes man a speaker we all saw it coming months in advance president trump was basis lee and deliberately whipping his supporters into a frenzy weeks before the riot he used his bully pulpit to spread lies about the election he told his supporters that the results were fraudulent he implored them again and again to help him stay in power and he convinced them that accepting the outcome of the election poses an existential threat to their families and their

freedoms we have a duty to observe madam speaker that racism played a direct role in this incitement the president's violent rhetoric is always at its most fevered pitch when he is talking about the civil rights and civic aspirations of black americans and other minority communities on january 6th at a rally that was large angry and widely reported to be armed the president's lies and violent rhetoric reached their crescendo. at that rally the president took the stage after reiterating the false so that we won this election and we wanted by a landslide he told the crowd that if you don't fight like hell you're not going to have a country anymore and then he urged the mob to walk down pennsylvania avenue to prevent the congress from confirming the election of an illegitimate president on that day president trump unleashed the force of

a mob on this the people's house he encouraged that attack with the explicit intent to disrupt the joint session of congress and attack to threaten the safety of the vice president the speaker of the house and the president pro tem of the senate the next 3 officers in the line of succession and look at what that violence has wrought at least 6 dead offices ransacked the sanctity of our capitol breached for the 1st time in 2 centuries whole ways littered with broken glass the battle flags of a long dead confederacy and the debris we have come to associate with the drum campaign mr speaker madam speaker i have faith in the resiliency of our government we will bring the rioters to justice their accomplices in this house will be held responsible but today we must focus on the greatest threat 1st president trump who incited this riot and who remains

a grave danger to the nation as we were in the senate when we tried him for his 1st impeachment. president trump has made clear in word and deed that he will persist in such conduct if he is not removed from power he poses a continuing threat to our nation to the integrity of our elections and to our democratic order he must not remain in power one moment longer not one moment longer the danger is too great we must impeach i reserve the balance of my time to research the balance of the time the gentleman from the ohio is recognized i thank you madam speaker i would yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from california mr mclean gentleman from california is recognized for 2 minutes the gentleman from california is recognized for 2 minutes ago 4 minutes to give me i mean really the gentleman from ohio and control of the time on that side of the aisle wishes to yield 4 minutes to the challenge from california for act yes the gentleman from

california is recognized for 4 minutes thank you madam speaker you know i didn't like the president's speech on january 6th a there i don't he was wrong to assert that the vice president and congress can pick and choose which electoral votes to count he was wrong to set such a confrontational tone in a politically tense situation but what did he actually say his exact words were quote i know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard unquote that's impeachable that's called freedom of speech now you also threaten to oppose candidates in future elections and by the way that was directed at republicans like me who resolved to uphold the constitutional process and protect the electoral college well so what that's called politics if we

impeached every politician who gave a fiery speech to a crowd of partisans this capitol would be deserted. that's what the president did that is all he did he specifically told the crowd to protest peacefully and patriotically and the vast majority of them did but every movement has a lunatic fringe suppressing free speech is not the answer holding rioters accountable for their actions is the answer and we are and if we'd prosecuted b.l.m. and t. for rioters across the country with the same determination these last 6 months this incident may not have happened at all now short of declaring war the power of impeachment is the most solemn and consequential act that congress can take to use it in this manner in the heat of the moment with no hearings no due process many

members phoning in their votes after a hastily called debate exactly one week before a new president is take office trivializes this power to the point of caricature the democrats have won everything in sight the house the senate and the presidency in a republic that calls for magnanimity by the victors only in a banana republic does it call for vengeance benjamin franklin warned us that passion governs and she never governs wisely in our passions this week we've set some dangerous new precedents that will haunt us for years to come yesterday we redefined intemperate speech as a physical incapacity requiring remove all from office today we define it as a high crime and misdemeanor. well the moment any member of this body gives an

impassioned speech and the lunatic fringe of their movement takes license from it be prepared to answer to this new president that we established today now i could cite plenty of provoking of speeches made by democrats that directly preceded violence this summer but we've already had enough of that you know after 600000 americans had perished in the civil war abraham lincoln appealed to the better angels of our nature he said with malice toward none with charity for all let us bind up the nation's wounds those words were so important to the unity of our nation there are inscribed in marble at the lincoln memorial i cannot think of a more petty vindictive and gratuitous act then to impeach an already defeated president oh wait before he has to leave office president elect biden has promised

to heal the nation becomes a hollow mockery of the harsh reality of this on concern constitutional act that god help by a country expired. to challenge cannot have researched. the child then turned new york is recognized and now you one minute to the general lady from california of his love for the gentlewoman from california strike you guys for one minute. madam speaker i'm the only member of congress who's been involved in all 3 of the last presidential impeachments those were long proceedings today we don't need a long investigation to know the president incited right wing terrorists to attack the congress to try to overturn constitutional government the actions were in public plain as day his actions are the most serious offense against our constitution and our country they are impeachable acts the founders devised the

impeachment clause to protect against a president who would threaten constitutional order if we don't act now to the impeachment clause would essentially be meaningless faced with these facts if we don't impeach to protect our country we will fail our own oath to protect and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies foreign and yes don't mess take we have no choice we must be fired god bless america gentleman from new york desserts i reserve the gentleman from the house recognized thank you man speaker your 2 minutes of jam from arizona mr dix the gentleman from arizona is recognized friction minutes it is with were ness in a certain unhealthy morbid curiosity that i watched the beast attempt to devour president donald trump again the craving to crush president trump as never been

satisfied not through investigations not through false allegations and not even through an impeachment that was wholly without merit and the timing of this impeachment makes little sense your candidate your candidate will take of us in a few hours and a president topple relinquish the levers of power to president elect biden but your craving was never by victory nor was the even a trump defeat you believe that your hunger will be finally satiated by impeaching this president with a. completion of his full term of office you don't merely seek victory but you seek obliteration of your nemesis the thirst for trance destruction will not be slaked however even if you're successful today and where the senate to convict president trump yours will be a pyrrhic victory for instead of stopping that from train his movement will grow stronger for you will have made him a martyr surely you are aware of this and that is why you allies in the media seek to censor conservative voices your chums that sit on the boards of corporate america yes the same companies that the left vilifies promise to starve republicans

from achieving their donations but i bet that the groundswell of support for president trump and his policies will not go away you see the movement he started is based on building an incredibly robust economy on a foundation of lower taxes and fewer regulations that has the wonderful effect of putting more people to work than ever it is built upon a strong military that is extricated from endless wars it provides border security america 1st trade agreements mideast peace and stability those are the things the american people want your for your appetite will be temporarily temporarily assuaged while you will no doubt continue to chase after leaders of this movement but your appetite will be unfulfilled i urge you please do not and then mixing metaphors here attempt to douse the remaining burning embers of this movement with gasoline no one wants that i urge you please to reconsider the reckless action in which you engage today on this time has expired gentlemen from all i have researched the gentleman from new york

a speck of bennett speak right now yield one minute to the gentleman from california mr shift john in california is recognized for one minute one week ago the president incited an insurrection against congress to prevent the peaceful transition of power it was the most dangerous moment for democracy in a century today we invoked the remedy the founders provided for just such a lawless president impeachment more important today we begin the long road to rest or. aeration america has been through a civil war world wars a great depression pandemics mccarthyism and now a trumpets and white nationalist insurrection and yet our democracy endures it endures because at every juncture every pivotal moment when evil threaten to overtake good patriotic american step forward to say enough this is one of those moments to preserve this sacred place the citadel of democracy for ourselves

and for posterity let us say enough enough i yield back. you know their act the gentleman from new york preserves the challenge from the house recognized thank you madam speaker i yield to mr the gentleman from texas come the gentleman from texas is recognized for 2 minutes. here's a quote i just don't even know why there aren't more uprisings all over the country and maybe there will be or sadly the domestic enemies of our voting system and honoring our constitution are right at 1600 pennsylvania avenue with their allies in congress of the united states we were called enemies of the state those are all quotes from our speaker now on our side we didn't take those to be impeachable because we we didn't believe she surely meant that but by the democrats taking this

action you're telling me no when we say those we actually main do incite violence that's what this action is saying look i just looked on the history channel it says these words if the judiciary committees talk about impeachment 5 sufficient grounds its members right and pass articles of impeachment which then go to the full house for a vote. half of all the impeachment ever conducted ever voted for occurred under this speaker you're setting a precedent that says very clearly because this impeachment is going to work but it's it is setting the precedent unlike a year ago when we said luggage shouldn't go through intel it should go through judiciary committee forget that now the message is if you have a whale and you want to just go after a president just go straight to the floor known best to get ation no judiciary

committee go straight to the floor use it is a political weapon as you wish there is so dangerous what you're doing forgetting all the president's yes we can argue back and forth but you're using this is a weapon and you're destroying this little experiment in self government and a years time on it's time has expired it needs i just an ideal back to challenge from research to challenge from new york as fact in a speaker i now you one minute to the distinguished general 80 from that's a chooses ms clark the gentleman from massachusetts recognized for one minute. separatists in abolitionists lucy stone stated if we speak the truth fearlessly we shall add to our number those who will turn the scale to the side of equal and full justice in all things the truth is president trump incited

a violent attack against the united states government the truth is president trump spent his presidency and flaming hate white supremacy anti-semitism and violence the truth is he was enabled by all those who perpetuated the lie that the most secure election in our nation's history was stolen the truth is that these seditious actions left left 5 day our capital besieged our security threat and and our democracy hanging in the balance and the truth is a vote to impeach is our resound ing declaration that the government of the people by the people for the people i meant shall not perish from the earth element from the earth pushes trees are there the gentleman from ohio is recognized thank you madam speaker you have one minute to the gentleman from california mr rice the gentleman from california is recognized for one minute think about

a speaker the last speaker said that for 4 years the president did all these terrible insightful things including anti semitism i take exception with that but i think it's important that we embrace one thing that was said yes the president has been consistent for the last 4 years during his campaign i even. well representing another candidate said that the president had political tourette's he said what was on his mind without a filter i don't think that's being debated here today we all know that's true what's being debated is whether with 167 hours left until he leaves office is he a clear and present danger and it clearly is it the president has acted substantially the same for 4 years he has rallied to his base and he has in fact

called for peaceful protest as he did just a few days ago the fact is today we are trying to punish the president at least some are for 4 years of what he did not for what happened last week what happened last week was that was the result of an archivist he came loaded a challenge to house and with weapons with that i yield back time it's fair to john went from i have reserved a challenge from new york is like and it's big right now you know what it is 800 g.m.t. that it's 1 o'clock in the also day in washington d.c. where an unprecedented session is underway right now on capitol hill the u.s. house of representatives has begun debating whether to impeach president donald trump for a 2nd time and they will cost their historic vote in the coming hours democrats accuse trump of encouraging his supporters to attack the capitol building a week ago and they're hoping to challenge him with incitement if insurrection and we'll hear more from the house shortly but 1st

a speak to steve clemons who is host of al-jazeera is the bottom line and the washington editor at large for the hill joy.