Maxwell Frost: “the decision we are faced with today is of singular importance. We are being asked to overturn the results of a…”

“the decision we are faced with today is of singular importance. We are being asked to overturn the results of a presidential election under a procedure that is fundamentally unfair, and at a time that is contrary to the strategic national interests of the United States. There are three issues involved here today: the unfairness of this proceeding, the timing of this action, and the merits of whether or not to impeach the President. Let us start with the fundamental unfairness of this proceeding. The Republicans have denied the House the opportunity to vote on censuring the President, even though a clear majority of the American public believes the President should be censured for his conduct but not removed from office. Leading members of the Republican Party, former President Gerald Ford, former Senator Bob Dole, have urged the censure option, but we are being denied the opportunity to even consider it today. There is no fairness on this floor today. Second, the Republican majority, by starting this proceeding today, while we are engaged in military action against Saddam Hussein, sends entirely the wrong message to Saddam and to the rest of the world.”