Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 30, 1974 (2/2)
Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 30, 1974 (2/2)
Impeachment Hearings. House Judiciary Committee, July 30, 1974. Cambodia Bombing Article of Impeachment
Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 30, 1974 (2/2)
Title screen "Impeachment Hearings". Paul Duke introduces debate on the Cambodia Bombing Article of Impeachment.
Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 30, 1974 (2/2)
Harold Donohue (D - Massachusetts). The time of the gentleman from Maine has expired. The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from California, Mr. Edwards, for 6 minutes and 15 seconds. Don Edwards (D - California). Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Conyers says this is a troubling section. As a new matter, if this were brought to us for the first time, the totally unauthorized war by the President, when there was no outside danger to the country would be the grossest misbehavior, clearly impeachable. Unfortunately, in this particular case, this is not historically accurate. The raids were a part of the undeclared war that began years before the Vietnam War. President Johnson was chiefly responsible for the huge escalation. I recall the first vote on the Vietnam War in the House on May 4, 1965, for $700 million of special appropriations, and only six of us voted against it. The Vietnam War had wide Congressional approval for entirely too many years. And then after that, quite a number of Democrats worked very hard for Senator Eugene McCarthy. Chiefly on behalf of Senator McCarthy because he said that he would end the war in Vietnam, while President Johnson made no such commitment. I might add as an aside that during those very difficult years, and they were very difficult years for the people who were working to get the United States disengaged from this war, we had very little help, no help whatsoever from a private citizen in New York, the lawyer, Mr. Richard Nixon.
Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 30, 1974 (2/2)
Don Edwards (D - California). But it is time to send the message to future Presidents and this President about undeclared wars. Congress alone has the power. The President does not have the power and it is an impeachable offense to wage an undeclared war. But since shortly before I came here in 1963, we had the Bay of Pigs which was an American invasion of Cuba, undeclared, clandestine. We had in 1965 the huge escalation in Vietnam. Dominican Republic, the American marines landed, for the last time, I hope, in Latin America, and the last time I hope anywhere, where someone feels that we have to invade a small country to keep our order. And then Cambodia, and the Cambodian incursion and the bombing in 1969 which was a massive deception of the American people. It is common to say that Prince Sihanouk was a part, of the deal, that he had agreed to it. I have never yet seen a statement from Prince Sihanouk to the effect that, this is true. General Wheeler says that at he had intimations or something like that from Prince Sihanouk. The only information I can find is from the Senate hearings back in 1969 quoting Prince Sihanouk at a press conference on March 28, 1969, in Phnom Penh. He said, and I will shorten it: "I wish to reaffirm that I have always been opposed to the bombings that we have no other means than we have been using so far to shoot at the US aircraft." And in the rest of the statement he vehemently and indignantly denies the allegation that he is a part of any agreement for the American to be bombing the country for which he is responsible.
Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 30, 1974 (2/2)
Don Edwards (D - California). It is a problem, and certain selected members and the members who were chosen to be told about the bombing in Cambodia were very carefully selected. They were selected so that they would keep quiet about it, apparently. And in the Senate hearings, Senator Symington said I have been on this committee, this is my 21st year. I knew nothing whatsoever about the secret bombing in Cambodia. I put up money, and apparently nobody knew about this except maybe two or three Senators at the most. If we are asked to appropriate money for one thing, and it is used for another, regardless of its effectiveness, that puts us in a pretty difficult position. I think personally it is unconstitutional because you dropped over 100,000 tons on this country and I had no idea that you dropped even one. Nor did the other members of this committee, except those chosen few, all of whom, I might add, all supported the war, which I did once and later changed in 1967."
Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 30, 1974 (2/2)
Don Edwards (D - California). But Mr. Chairman, overriding everything else is our responsibility in connection with the Constitution. And these proceedings we always get back to this basic document that is supposed to determine how we behave ourselves in this country and how we are supposed to govern this country and how Congress is supposed to behave, and the executive department is supposed to behave. It gives to Congress alone, not to the executive department, not to the President, not to the Pentagon, the power to make war. And the Presidents are not supposed to make war without going to Congress first and getting permission by an act of Congress.
Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 30, 1974 (2/2)
Don Edwards (D - California). And I am going to support the amendment and the article offered by the gentleman from Michigan. He has been a leader in this important area of our national life for a long time. I compliment him for his leadership, and I urge an aye vote. Yes, I yield to the -
Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 30, 1974 (2/2)
John Conyers (D - Michigan). I appreciate his comments, and I would like to contribute this supplemental point of information. Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia, during the last 27 months of his regime, filed 109 protests to the United Nations against the bombing. So that there cannot be argued that there is no information as to whether he acquiesced or not. Furthermore, just ask yourselves, have you ever heard of anybody approving getting bombed, a leader or a citizen? I think that is an absurd suggestion to begin with. Now, in connection with the possibility that we may have wittingly or unwittingly ratified the President's conduct in Cambodia. I d like to point out to you that the consideration of this article will determine whether or not we ratify the President's conduct. This is the first time, gentlemen and ladies, that this matter has been before the Congress and it is before this committee.