Julie Johnson: “today is a solemn day. The Congress has considered an impeachment inquiry only two other times in our Nation's history.…”

“today is a solemn day. The Congress has considered an impeachment inquiry only two other times in our Nation's history. It is not a task that we take lightly. I believe it is our constitutional duty to begin an impeachment inquiry based on the evidence delivered to the Judiciary Committee by Judge Starr. I believe that the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Henry Hyde, has been committed to a fair and judicious process, and we will continue to follow his lead. Article 2, section 1 of our Constitution contains the oath of office that the President must take before entering office. It states: ``I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.'' This body voted today to investigate whether the President has broken this oath by committing perjury and obstructing justice. I, too, took an oath to uphold the Constitution when I entered the military and I have taken that oath as a State representative and as a U.S. Congressman. Each time, I took it as a serious obligation. The American people deserve answers to the many questions about the conduct of this President and today we have begun the process of finding those answers.”