William F. Smith: “Mr. Speaker, let us return to the Constitution. Members of this House of Representatives have a solemn task specifically…”

“Mr. Speaker, let us return to the Constitution. Members of this House of Representatives have a solemn task specifically assigned to us by the authors of that Constitution. Whatever happens today, whether the President is impeached or not, our Nation is going to endure. We are a strong people and we have a Constitution that works. A quarter of a century ago, we arrived at a similar point. President Clinton's defenders say this is not Watergate. They are right to the extent that the underlying behavior does not involve the bungled break-in of a campaign headquarters; rather, it involves a reckless relationship in the White House itself with a young employee that the President hardly knew. President Nixon did not lie repeatedly to a Federal judge and then to a grand jury of citizens charged with discovering the truth. President Clinton did. But President Clinton, like President Nixon, did obstruct justice by encouraging others to lie, and both abused their offices by violating their oath to uphold the laws of our country. The President has escaped accountability for his actions time after time.”