Madam Speaker,  Last week, the House considered a privileged resolution, offered by the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Kucinich, to impeach the Vice President.  I supported an effort to refer that measure to committee where it can get the attention it deserves.

Having served on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I have repeatedly condemned how the Administration presented evidence to Congress and the American public to justify military action against Iraq.  In October 2002, I voted against the resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq in part because of concerns about the intelligence we were given.  It is Congress’s responsibility to investigate the Administration’s claims and actions, not only to understand to what extent the White House cherry-picked evidence to support a course of action, but also to prevent intelligence from being manipulated by policymakers in the future.  Congress has held numerous hearings into these complex questions, and we will continue to be aggressive in fulfilling our oversight duties.

Frustration with the Administration among the American public has become palpable, with some calling for the impeachment of senior elected officials.  While I share the deep dissatisfaction that people have with the way our nation is being led, we must be extremely cautious about how best to chart a new course.  Impeachment is one of the strongest Constitutional powers granted to Congress, and its exercise must be governed by the laws of this nation and the rules of this House.  While I respect the intentions of the gentleman from Ohio in offering his resolution, I believe that it would be premature for the Members of the House to vote on a matter of such gravity without the benefit of hearings and with imperfect information.   For that reason, I supported its referral to committee.

When the American people elected a Democratic majority last November, we promised to lead the country in a new direction.  We saw how the nation’s priorities had been ignored for twelve years under Republican rule in Congress, and we vowed to promote change.  In the last eleven months, we have made tremendous progress – increasing the minimum wage, implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, restoring fiscal accountability to the federal budget, expanding access to higher education, investing in clean and renewable energy, and much, much more.  We built on those successes just last week, when we passed a middle-class tax relief package that would prevent 23 million Americans from being harmed by the alternative minimum tax, as well as an appropriations bill that would make long overdue investments in health care, medical research, education programs and veterans health care.  Also, for the first time, the Bush Administration is not getting a free pass from a rubber stamp Congress.  We have aggressively investigated the activities of the executive branch, and through our oversight efforts, we have held the Administration accountable for a number of its failures.

The will of the American people had been ignored for far too long, but this Congress has promised to address our nation’s most urgent needs.  I will keep working to ensure that we pursue policies that reflect the priorities of all Americans so that we can put our country on the right path once again.