Date: 1998-12-18
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Mr. Speaker. in the most fundamental terms. what Americans are fighting for today in Iraq is the truth. We fight for the selfevident truths upon which our Founding Fathers launched the greatest Nation on the planet. Yes. our history is replete with examples of our failure to honor the truth. We have abandoned it plenty of times. but we have never lost sight of what is right in the world. By relying on the protection of divine providence and by renewing of our minds. we have always tried to discern what Is the will of God. what is good and acceptable and perfect. We have always been serious about the truth. Today. there are 115 Americans who are confined behind Federal bars imprisoned by our society. by the law. for failing to tell the truth when it mattered most. when someone elses liberty stood in the balance. Our response has been rather harsh. has it not? In America. we will take away ones liberty and freedom when they lie under oath. Yes. Mr. Speaker. there are Federal prisoners who today serve as proof of this. How confused they must be. How confused all Americans must be to observe this debate. to hear this Congress of the United States say nothing of the 115 people in jail sentenced for committing the Federal high crime of perjury. Yet. Members question with passion the merits of applying the same law to the highest ranking public official in America. On this next point. Mr. Speaker. let us be clear. Our spiritual tradition in America also entails forgiveness. Indeed. the President has asked for forgiveness. and I judge his sincerity to be genuine. As but one American. I forgive him fully. If it is forgiveness the President seeks. I submit it will be freely granted by even the last one of us. but if it is punishment he seeks to avoid. he will be terribly disappointed. Forgiveness is a sacred quality defining the relationship between individuals. Punishment. in this case. is a. civil response to breaking the law. In America. we do both every day. and today should be no exception. So it is upon that custom that the holder of the office of the presidency should be impeached. to ensure that so long as he adorns the great presidential seal and the hallowed flag of the United States of America. he shall deny justice no more. He shall never lie to us again. That. too. is our solemn responsibility and obligation to the American people. Mr. Speaker. most certainly at a time when America is called -upon to lead the world to crush tyranny abroad. we must take inspiration from our brave soldiers whose courage lights the way of truth and provides hope for those in bondage. I want my children to know that when their father lectures them to tell the truth. he means it. And when this United States Congress considers the rule of law. we are serious. But if we fail in our solemn duty to apply the constitutional law of our country today. please. Mr. Speaker. and I beg my colleagues. do not risk the lives of our soldiers any longer. Let us never call upon them to demonstrate their abundant courage until we resolve to give the same of ourselves. Mr. Speaker. my precious remarks were trumicated due to time constrains. I hereby submit my full remarks for the RECORD in the proper context. At this hour. Mr. Speaker. the House has now had under debate. the matter of impeachment for nearly one full business day. All that needs to be said on this subject perhaps has been said. The Articles of Impeachment have been properly proposed. sufficient scrutiny of the Resolution has been rendered. the evidence before us has been well established. succinctly presented. and not one among us so far has raised credible opposition or challenge to the facts. To the charges. Members of the House hold differing opinions about a suitable remedy. Most favor impeachment as defined under Article II Section 4 of the Constitution. Others have invented a lesser remedy of "censure." Some demand only a polite tap on the presidents shoulder. But no one can denythat is. without emasculating the English languagethat President William Jefferson Clinton lied under oath. committed the high crime of perjury. and maintains. as a prosecutable felon. the office of the Presidency. And while most of us at this point have solidified and justified the votes we intend to cast in just a matter of hours. I ask my colleagues to consider the explanation of my vote that I have given to my children now at home in Colorado. I am of the first generation of Americans which has never known the draft. Now imagine that. Ive never had to watch my friends or brothers drafted into thenations defense. Ive never had to hear a friends mother cry upon learning the fatal news of her son. Ive never had to live with the anxiety of wondering if. and when. my number would come up. And the thought of my children being called away seems remote even at the present time. Now thats a powerful statement of freedom. and a powerful testimony to 250 years of colonists. patriots. and American citizens who have defined American valor. And I thank God every day for the liberty I enjoy today. I thank every American veteran. volunteer or otherwise. who has placed his life on the line for my liberty and for that of my children. Today. Mr. Speaker. Im especially thankful for the fine men and women who are fighting for America. half a world away from us here. this very day. and for all their colleagues who maintain peace everywhere else. They represent the best of America. and they understand what it means to be an American. . America is more than our history. America is more than the flag. more than the Constitution. more than sea to shining sea. America is more than the Supreme Court. more than this Congressand more than the President of the United States. Actually. America is a conceptand a simple one at that. America is. and has always been about the Truth. Now theres a concept that has challenged humanity from the Garden of Eden to this very moment. and it will challenge us from here to eternity. In fact. the greatest commandments of all the worlds greatest religions are about the Truth. The Almighty knows the heart of all men. and He knows how we struggle. and fail. and struggle again. to honor the truth. I believe He knows we will all fail on occasion. sometimes very seriously. yet He holds out the assurance of His blessings to any man or woman--or Nationthat genuinely seeks the truth. In the most fundamental terms. what Americans are fighting for today in Iraq is the Truth. We fight for the selfevident truths upon which our forefathers launched the greatest nation on the planet. And yes our history is replete with examples of our failure to honor the truth. Weve abandoned it plenty of times. But weve never lost sight of what is right in the world. By relying on the protection of Divine Providence. and by the renewing of our minds we have always tried to discern what is the will of Godwhat is good and acceptable and perfect. Yes. the reality of tyranny in Iraq has resulted in human degradation. misery. pestilence. and death. and thats what prompts our action in that region today. While soldiers. sailors. and airmen risk their very lives for Life. Liberty. and other selfevident Truths in the Persian Gulf. dont you think we owe them the same kind of courage here at hometo reaffirm that the Declaration they defend is real. that America will not be led by false witness. but by the same truth that sets us apart from the rest of the world? Life. Liberty. and Pursuit of Happiness are the pillars of humanity. and to those truths we have pledged our lives. our fortunes. and our sacred honor. And when we fail. we repair ourselves by fixing our bearing upon what we know to be right. not in some errant direction. We have always been serious about Truth. Today. there are 115 American citizens confined behind federal bars. imprisoned by our societyby the lawfor failing to tell the truth when it mattered mostwhen someone elses liberty stood in the balance. Our response is rather harsh isnt it? In America. we will take away ones liberty and freedom when they lie under oath. Yes my colleagues. there are federal prisoners in federal prison today who serve as proof of this. Perhaps some of them are observing this debate from their cold jail cells. How confused they must be. How confused my children must be. How confused all Americans must be. to observe this debateto hear the United States Congress say nothing of the 115 people in federal jail. sentenced for committing the federal high crime of perjuryyet Members question with passion the merits of applying the same law to the highest ranking public official in America. I cannot recall one Member objecting. on this floor. to the separation of liberty from a single felon convicted of perjury. No speeches fill our Journals. no entry. no extension or remark in the Record. Yet we agonize over the disposition of one Mr. Clinton and his relation to the highest office in the land. Mr. Speaker. unless any single opponent of todays Resolution has risen to the defense of a single convicted. jailed perjurer in this Housethey may all be regarded by their countrymen. with plausibility. as hypocrites. My concern is not for the comfort of felons. but for their souls nonetheless. Because we believe the rule of law to be so. essential in America. we should insist it be applied fairly to the least and greatest among us. and with blind justice. On this next point. Mr. Speaker. let us be clear. Our spiritual tradition in America also entails forgiveness. Indeed. the president has asked for forgiveness. and I judge his sincerity to be genuine. As but one American. I forgive him fully. If irs forgiveness the president seeks. I submit it will be freely granted by even the last one of us. but if its punishment he seeks to avoid. he will be bitterly disappointed. Forgiveness is a sacred quality defining the relationship between individuals. Punishment. in this case. is a civil response to breaking the law. In America. we do both. every day. and today should be no exception. Criminal punishment is about public safety and social order. The reason we incapacitate law breakers is to shield society from an offenders propensities and to ensure the unmolested liberty of lawabiding citizens. And so it is upon that custom that the holder of the office of the Presidency should be impeachedto ensure that. so long as he adorns the great presidential seal and the hallowed flag of the United States of America. he shall deny justice no more. he shall never lie to us again. That too. is our solemn responsibility and obligation to the American people. This is a profound matter which must be resolved now. Mr. Speaker just yesterday. our allies in the British House of Commons took to their Chamber to affirm Englands commitment to use of military force in Iraq. One Member of Parliament sharing Mr. Clintons own political philosophy. said. "Were not being led into battle by Richard the LionHearted. but by Clinton the liar. I am disheartened." Mr. Speaker. my children deserve a president who commands respect in the great halls of democracy around the world. especially among our diplomatic partners. My children deserve a leader whose commitment to his oath is an international bond spanning the widest oceans. And Mr. Speaker. most certainly at a time when America is called upon to lead the world to crush tyranny abroad. we must take inspiration from our brave soldiers whose courage lights the way to truth and provides hope for those in bondage. everywhere. I want my children to know that when their father lectures them to tell the truth. he means it and when the Urited States Congress considers the rule of law we are serious. But if we fail in our solemn duty to apply the constitutional law of our country today. please Mr. Speaker. I beg my colleagues. do not risk the lives of our soldiers any longer. Let us never call upon them to demonstrate their abundant courage until. we resolve to give the same of ourselves."