“The members who have gone before and the people who have set this committee up and the people who have set our Congress up are the ones right now that should be hanging their head in shame. We had two hearings, none of which featured fact witnesses. There’s not a Democrat in this room that should be happy about this.” “The threat of impeachment is the only threat, the only enforcement mechanism that Congress has on a president who would usurp powers and destroy the separation of powers, especially given the Department of Justice’s policy that a president, sitting president, cannot be indicted, and the administration’s assertion that he cannot even be investigated criminally. That leaves only impeachment as a remedy and as a check on presidential power. And if you don’t want a dictatorship, you have to allow Congress to exercise the power of impeachment.” “Impeachment is a crucial part of the Constitution that ensures a democratic government. It was created by the founders as a check to prevent a president from becoming a king. And it is incredible to me to see some of my colleagues bend over backwards to cover up for this president. My sister is a yoga teacher. She doesn’t contort the way some of my Republican colleagues distort the facts, all to protect this president.” “The bottom line is the aid was lawfully delayed and lawfully delivered. And that means that this entire process has been a sham. My amendment — it basically covers and sets forth clearly what the holding or the pause of the Ukrainian aid was about, and they got their money and they got it on time.” “And I don’t want to make light of anybody’s substance abuse issues. I know president’s working real hard to solve those throughout the country, but it’s a little hard to believe that Burisma hired Hunter Biden to resolve their international disputes when he could not resolve his own dispute with Hertz rental car over leaving cocaine and a crack pipe in the car.” “The pot calling the kettle black is not something that we should do. I don’t know — I don’t know what members, if any, have had any problems with substance abuse, been busted in D.U.I. — I don’t know. But if I did, I wouldn’t raise it against anyone on this committee.”