Watergate Impeachment Hearings. House Judiciary Committee, July 27, 1974
Watergate Impeachment Hearings. House Judiciary Committee, July 27, 1974
Watergate Impeachment Hearings. House Judiciary Committee, July 27, 1974.
Watergate Impeachment Hearings. House Judiciary Committee, July 27, 1974
Peter Rodino (D - New Jersey). The question is Jack Brooks (D - Texas). Mr. Chairman? Peter Rodino (D - New Jersey). The gentleman from Texas, Mr. Brooks. Jack Brooks (D - Texas). I move the previous question on the Sarbanes substitute as amended. Walter Flowers (D - Alabama). Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to proceed for minutes. Peter Rodino (D - New Jersey). Will the gentleman withhold? Jack Brooks (D - Texas). I withhold the motion until that time, yes sir. Peter Rodino (D - New Jersey). Without objection, it is so ordered.
Watergate Impeachment Hearings. House Judiciary Committee, July 27, 1974
Walter Flowers (D - Alabama). Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, my colleagues on this committee. In approaching this grave matter I said long ago that I will be guided by the facts and the Constitution and my own conscience. I honestly believe that I have been faithful to that commitment. I know for certain that I have nothing to gain politically or otherwise from what I must do here, but after weeks of searching through the fact and agonizing over the Constitutional requirements, it is clear to me what I must do. And I emphasize that this is my own personal decision, what I must do. I don t presume to influence any other person and I recognize that there can be differences on this grave matter.
Watergate Impeachment Hearings. House Judiciary Committee, July 27, 1974
Walter Flowers (D - Alabama). In this regard, Mr. Chairman, let me say just a few words. There are many people in my district, who will disagree with my vote here. Some will say that it hurts them deeply for me to vote for impeachment. I can assure them that I probably have enough pain for them and me. I have close personal friends who strongly support President Nixon. To several of these close friends who somehow I hope will hear and see these proceedings, I say that the only way I could vote for impeachment would be on the realization, to me anyway, that they, my friends, would do the same thing if they were in my place on this unhappy day and confronted with all of the same facts that I have. And I have to believe that they would or I would not take the position that I do.
Watergate Impeachment Hearings. House Judiciary Committee, July 27, 1974
Walter Flowers (D - Alabama). Now, Mr. Chairman, I am prepared to vote on this article of impeachment but before so doing, I want to address my colleagues on this committee and particularly my colleagues on this side of the aisle, my Democratic colleagues. Make no mistake, my friends, one of the effects of our action here will be to reduce the influence and power of the Office of the President. To what extent will be determined only by future action in the House or in the Senate. We have heard some eloquent statements and I honestly believe there has been more sincere thought and soul searching put forward on this terrible proposition than on anything else have ever been connected with in any way. This is an extremely difficult vote for most of us but let s face it, it s less difficult for or some than others. Some have had to reflect on whether they could or would vote to impeach a President of their own party, a Democrat, if you will, if the facts justified it. I hope they never have that chance. I hope not one of us ever has to look into another matter of impeachment again. But I suggest to my friends here that they don t have to wait 107 years to vote on the next impeachment to prove responsibility. They will undoubtedly have many instances as time goes on to prove their capacity to make those hard decisions that will have to come before this Congress or the next, or the next.
Watergate Impeachment Hearings. House Judiciary Committee, July 27, 1974
Walter Flowers (D - Alabama). And I agree that Congress should exert itself. That s what we re doing here. But we will and should be judged by our willingness to share in the many hard choices that must be made for our Nation, such as allocation of scarce resources, such as management of the forces of inflation and recession, such as balancing priorities and controlling the spending of the taxpayers money. In the weeks and months ahead I want my friends to know that I ll be around to remind them when some of these hard choices are up and we will be able to judge then how responsible we call be with our newly found congressional powers.