英语演讲稿:Statement on the Articles of Impeachment是一篇优秀的英语演讲稿,下面来欣赏一下小编为大家推荐的英语演讲稿:Statement on the Articles of Impeachment吧!.
发布时间：2017-03-06
thankyou,mr.chairman.
mr.chairman,ijoinmycolleaguemr.rangelinthankingyouforgivingthejuniormembersofthiscommitteethegloriousopportunityofsharingthepainofthisinquiry.mr.chairman,youareastrongman,andithasnotbeeneasybutwehavetriedasbestwecantogiveyouasmuchassistanceaspossible.
earliertoday,weheardthebeginningofthepreambletotheconstitutionoftheunitedstates:"we,thepeople."it'saveryeloquentbeginning.butwhenthatdocumentwascompletedontheseventeenthofseptemberin1787,iwasnotincludedinthat"we,thepeople."ifeltsomehowformanyyearsthatgeorgewashingtonandalexanderhamiltonjustleftmeoutbymistake.butthroughtheprocessofamendment,interpretation,andcourtdecision,ihavefinallybeenincludedin"we,thepeople."
todayiamaninquisitor.anhyperbolewouldnotbefictionalandwouldnotoverstatethesolemnnessthatifeelrightnow.myfaithintheconstitutioniswhole;itiscomplete;itistotal.andiamnotgoingtosithereandbeanidlespectatortothediminution,thesubversion,thedestruction,oftheconstitution.
"whocansoproperlybetheinquisitorsforthenationastherepresentativesofthenationthemselves?""thesubjectsofitsjurisdictionarethoseoffenseswhichproceedfromthemisconductofpublicmen."¹andthat'swhatwe'retalkingabout.inotherwords,[thejurisdictioncomes]fromtheabuseorviolationofsomepublictrust.
itiswrong,isuggest,itisamisreadingoftheconstitutionforanymemberheretoassertthatforamembertovoteforanarticleofimpeachmentmeansthatthatmembermustbeconvincedthatthepresidentshouldberemovedfromoffice.theconstitutiondoesn'tsaythat.thepowersrelatingtoimpeachmentareanessentialcheckinthehandsofthebodyofthelegislatureagainstandupontheencroachmentsoftheexecutive.thedivisionbetweenthetwobranchesofthelegislature,thehouseandthesenate,assigningtotheonetherighttoaccuseandtotheothertherighttojudge,theframersofthisconstitutionwereveryastute.theydidnotmaketheaccusersandthejudgers--andthejudgesthesameperson.
weknowthenatureofimpeachment.we'vebeentalkingaboutitawhilenow.itischieflydesignedforthepresidentandhishighministerstosomehowbecalledintoaccount.itisdesignedto"bridle"theexecutiveifheengagesinexcesses."itisdesignedasamethodofnationalinquestintotheconductofpublicmen."²theframersconfidedinthecongressthepowerifneedbe,toremovethepresidentinordertostrikeadelicatebalancebetweenapresidentswollenwithpowerandgrowntyrannical,andpreservationoftheindependenceoftheexecutive.
thenatureofimpeachment:anarrowlychanneledexceptiontotheseparation-of-powersmaxim.thefederalconventionof1787saidthat.itlimitedimpeachmenttohighcrimesandmisdemeanorsanddiscountedandopposedtheterm"maladministration.""itistobeusedonlyforgreatmisdemeanors,"soitwassaidinthenorthcarolinaratificationconvention.andinthevirginiaratificationconvention:"wedonottrustourlibertytoaparticularbranch.weneedonebranchtochecktheother."
"nooneneedbeafraid"--thenorthcarolinaratificationconvention--"nooneneedbeafraidthatofficerswhocommitoppressionwillpasswithimmunity.""prosecutionsofimpeachmentswillseldomfailtoagitatethepassionsofthewholecommunity,"saidhamiltoninthefederalistpapers,number65."wedivideintopartiesmoreorlessfriendlyorinimicaltotheaccused."³idonotmeanpoliticalpartiesinthatsense.
thedrawingofpoliticallinesgoestothemotivationbehindimpeachment;butimpeachmentmustproceedwithintheconfinesoftheconstitutionalterm"highcrime[s]andmisdemeanors."oftheimpeachmentprocess,itwaswoodrowwilsonwhosaidthat"nothingshortofthegrossestoffensesagainsttheplainlawofthelandwillsufficetogivethemspeedandeffectiveness.indignationsogreatastoovergrowpartyinterestmaysecureaconviction;butnothingelsecan."
commonsensewouldberevoltedifweengageduponthisprocessforpettyreasons.congresshasalottodo:appropriations,taxreform,healthinsurance,campaignfinancereform,housing,environmentalprotection,energysufficiency,masstransportation.pettinesscannotbeallowedtostandinthefaceofsuchoverwhelmingproblems.sotodaywearenotbeingpetty.wearetryingtobebig,becausethetaskwehavebeforeusisabigone.
thismorning,inadiscussionoftheevidence,weweretoldthattheevidencewhichpurportstosupporttheallegationsofmisuseoftheciabythepresidentisthin.we'retoldthatthatevidenceisinsufficient.whatthatrecitaloftheevidencethismorningdidnotincludeiswhatthepresidentdidknowonjunethe23rd,1972.
thepresidentdidknowthatitwasrepublicanmoney,thatitwasmoneyfromthecommitteeforthere-electionofthepresident,whichwasfoundinthepossessionofoneoftheburglarsarrestedonjunethe17th.whatthepresidentdidknowonthe23rdofjunewastheprioractivitiesofe.howardhunt,whichincludedhisparticipationinthebreak-inofdanielellsberg'spsychiatrist,whichincludedhowardhunt'sparticipationintheditabeardittaffair,whichincludedhowardhunt'sfabricationofcablesdesignedtodiscreditthekennedyadministration.
wewerefurthercautionedtodaythatperhapstheseproceedingsoughttobedelayedbecausecertainlytherewouldbenewevidenceforthcomingfromthepresidentoftheunitedstates.therehasnotevenbeenanobfuscatedindicationthatthiscommitteewouldreceiveanyadditionalmaterialsfromthepresident.thecommitteesubpoenaisoutstanding,andifthepresidentwantstosupplythatmaterial,thecommitteesitshere.thefactisthatonyesterday,theamericanpeoplewaitedwithgreatanxietyforeighthours,notknowingwhethertheirpresidentwouldobeyanorderofthesupremecourtoftheunitedstates.
atthispoint,iwouldliketojuxtaposeafewoftheimpeachmentcriteriawithsomeoftheactionsthepresidenthasengagedin.impeachmentcriteria:jamesmadison,fromthevirginiaratificationconvention."ifthepresidentbeconnectedinanysuspiciousmannerwithanypersonandtherebegroundstobelievethathewillshelterhim,hemaybeimpeached."
wehaveheardtimeandtimeagainthattheevidencereflectsthepaymenttodefendantsmoney.thepresidenthadknowledgethatthesefundswerebeingpaidandthesewerefundscollectedforthe1972presidentialcampaign.weknowthatthepresidentmetwithmr.henrypetersen27timestodiscussmattersrelatedtowatergate,andimmediatelythereaftermetwiththeverypersonswhowereimplicatedintheinformationmr.petersenwasreceiving.thewordsare:"ifthepresidentisconnectedinanysuspiciousmannerwithanypersonandtherebegroundstobelievethathewillshelterthatperson,hemaybeimpeached."
justicestory:"impeachment"isattended--"isintendedforoccasionalandextraordinarycaseswhereasuperiorpoweractingforthewholepeopleisputintooperationtoprotecttheirrightsandrescuetheirlibertiesfromviolations."weknowaboutthehustonplan.weknowaboutthebreak-inofthepsychiatrist'soffice.weknowthattherewasabsolutecompletedirectiononseptember3rdwhenthepresidentindicatedthatasurreptitiousentryhadbeenmadeindr.fielding'soffice,afterhavingmetwithmr.ehrlichmanandmr.young."protecttheirrights.""rescuetheirlibertiesfromviolation."
thecarolinaratificationconventionimpeachmentcriteria:thoseareimpeachable"whobehaveamissorbetraytheirpublictrust."4beginningshortlyafterthewatergatebreak-inandcontinuingtothepresenttime,thepresidenthasengagedinaseriesofpublicstatementsandactionsdesignedtothwartthelawfulinvestigationbygovernmentprosecutors.moreover,thepresidenthasmadepublicannouncementsandassertionsbearingonthewatergatecase,whichtheevidencewillshowheknewtobefalse.theseassertions,falseassertions,impeachable,thosewhomisbehave.thosewho"behaveamissorbetraythepublictrust."
jamesmadisonagainattheconstitutionalconvention:"apresidentisimpeachableifheattemptstosubverttheconstitution."theconstitutionchargesthepresidentwiththetaskoftakingcarethatthelawsbefaithfullyexecuted,andyetthepresidenthascounseledhisaidestocommitperjury,willfullydisregardthesecrecyofgrandjuryproceedings,concealsurreptitiousentry,attempttocompromiseafederaljudge,whilepubliclydisplayinghiscooperationwiththeprocessesofcriminaljustice."apresidentisimpeachableifheattemptstosubverttheconstitution."
iftheimpeachmentprovisionintheconstitutionoftheunitedstateswillnotreachtheoffenseschargedhere,thenperhapsthat18th-centuryconstitutionshouldbeabandonedtoa20th-centurypapershredder.
hasthepresidentcommittedoffenses,andplanned,anddirected,andacquiescedinacourseofconductwhichtheconstitutionwillnottolerate?that'sthequestion.weknowthat.weknowthequestion.weshouldnowforthwithproceedtoanswerthequestion.itisreason,andnotpassion,whichmustguideourdeliberations,guideourdebate,andguideourdecision.
iyieldbackthebalanceofmytime,mr.chairman.