On the recordDecember 18, 2019
We live in the greatest democracy in the world, and I am convinced that the overwhelming majority of Americans are good, decent people who work hard and play by the rules. But then, we have people who have no respect for the law, people who have little regard for the rules, people who spend a lot of their time trying to figure out how to game the system. Law enforcement officers call them habitual offenders. The more they get away with, the more likely they are to engage in misconduct. Some say it takes courage to hold powerful people accountable, but I see it differently. I see it as a sense of duty, a regular part of my job as a Member of Congress. However, habitual offenders usually don't sneak up on you. They usually telegraph their intentions time and time again. On July 27, 2016, in my home State of Florida, then-candidate Trump said, ``Russia, if you are listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails,'' thereby inviting foreign interference into U.S. elections. Then, the day after the special counsel testified before Congress, the President, feeling undeterred and emboldened, called President Zelensky and pressured him to help him rig the elections and chose to hold much-needed military aid over our ally's head until the President's demands were met. Now, I served 12 years on the hostage negotiations team, and I know that pressure and demands come in many forms. In this scheme, we had both. I have enforced the laws, and now I write the laws.…
