Ray LaHood

I believe the President should be held accountable for his reckless acts, however impeachment is not the appropriate punishment in this instance.

I urged the President to come before the American people, admit that he committed perjury and indicate that he was prepared to face the consequences.

I believe a case could be made for impeachment if the President stopped carrying out his responsibilities, ceased his efforts on behalf of the American people and allowed the national security of the United States to be jeopardized.

I believe that the Founding Fathers intended impeachment to be a last resort against a corrupt and dangerous executive who poses a threat to the nation, not a routinely utilized method for attacking an executive whom congressional…

I ask those of you who sincerely believe in limiting Federal power, in elevating the role of the individual and of individual responsibility, do you really want to impeach a popularly elected President to teach our children a lesson?

I believe the reason for the partisan split on each article of impeachment came about because the impeachment standard was never defined and the Republican leadership stated it was up to each member to vote their conscience.

I believe that our failure to conduct so much as a cursory examination before launching an impeachment proceeding is an abdication of our responsibility under Article II of the Constitution of the United States.

I request that for my colleagues attention, an editorial by one of the leading dairy newspaper in my congressional district, The Journal News'', dated December 15, 1998, entitled Impeachment Vote,'' Be inserted at this point in the Record

I believe my constituents deserve an explanation of why I cast my vote for the impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton.

I believe it reaches constitutional proportions when the denial of civil rights is directed by the President of the United States.

I believe President Clinton failed to act with the moral and ethics appropriate to his office or a person.

I believe that President Clinton committed the crimes that he is charged with, and therefore violated his oath of office to faithfully execute the laws.

I urge you: do not cheapen the constitutional test for impeachment.

I urge my colleagues to vote against impeaching President Clinton.

I urge you to vote against the impeachment of the President.

I believe, that the President's conduct--while reprehensible and inexcusable--does not rise to the level of impeachment and therefore the House should censure the President.

I think President Clinton should be severely censured; and the censure should be imposed here in the well of the House.

I think President Clinton should be censored, censored severely, and the censure should be imposed right here in the well of the House.

I believe we must step back from the partisanship of the moment and place impeachment in the context of our system of government, as established in the Constitution.

I believe the facts clearly show that William Jefferson Clinton deliberately sought to obstruct the judicial process in a civil rights case and committed deliberate and pervasive perjury before a federal grand jury and to the Congress.

I believe the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives should allow the 435 members of the House an opportunity to vote on a strongly worded resolution of censure--one that condemns the actions of the President and imposes a…

I believe that a Senate trial of Impeachment with the attendance utilization of resources would hurt our District by diverting the focus of the 106th Congress from critical issues such as job creation and economic development, farm relief…

I urge my colleagues, for the sake of the institution of the Presidency and for what I believe is in the best interest of this country, to reject the articles of impeachment and to censure the President of the United States for his…

I believe that all of us recognize the seriousness of President Clinton being charged with violations against the Constitution.

I believe that short-term inconvenience of the Senate trial is insignificant compared with the long-term damages to the rule of law and the constitution that not voting for impeachment would cause.