Jeremiah Smith: “Mr. Chief Justice, thank you very much. I would certainly give more than a penny for your thoughts on this matter. But I…”

“Mr. Chief Justice, thank you very much. I would certainly give more than a penny for your thoughts on this matter. But I am afraid we will probably never know. Mr. Chief Justice, I have been proud to be a U.S. Senator ever since that day over 8 years ago when I took the oath of office and my colleague, Senator Byrd, told me that I was the 1,794th person to serve in the U.S. Senate. During my tenure in the Senate, I have learned to respect my colleagues even when I strongly disagree with them on the issues of the day. I have challenged colleagues on issues and maybe at times even criticized their votes. But I have never challenged a colleague's motives and I never will. I respect each and every one of you and the high office you hold. I consider it a great honor to serve in this body, and serve with some giants here--Senator Helms, Senator Thurmond, Senator Byrd, to name a few. I remember when I came to the floor of the Senate and signed that book as No. 1,794. Senator Byrd reminded me of the significance of that. And I have never forgotten it. I also sit at the desk of Daniel Webster. It is a constant reminder that I am just a temporary steward occupying this seat in the U.S. Senate. It is also a reminder that we will move on. But the Constitution will not move on. The Constitution will endure forever. Our role here in this proceeding is to preserve the Constitution and the Presidency. Yes--even if it means we have to remove the President.”