ABC NEWS SPECIAL REPORT: HOUSE IMPEACHMENT VOTE
{TAPE 2 OF 3} (TV)
Summary
Continued from T:55934. This special report features a live broadcast of the House debate on the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. Interspersed throughout the telecast are comments and reports by news anchor Peter Jennings and by ABC News correspondents and analysts. Highlights of the debate include the following: Minority Whip Rep. David Bonior (D-Mich.) argues that a vote to impeach runs counter to the will of the people, and says the House should end the damaging proceedings; Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, states that, according to the Constitution, Congress has the power to impeach, not censure, and that to condone the president's violation of his oath is to undermine American justice; Rick Boucher of the House Judiciary Committee moves to recommit the resolution; and House Minority Leader Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.) insists that censure is an appropriate, publicly supported response to a crime largely concerned with morality. Next, Gerald Solomon, chairman of the Rules Committee, makes a point of order against the motion to recommit. The House then engages in parliamentary procedure as each side presents its case to Speaker Pro Tempore Ray LaHood, who decides whether to allow a vote on censure. Several representatives, such as Rep. Joe Moakley (D-Mass.), argue in favor of censure in accordance with historical precedents; others, such as Rep. Edward Pease (R-Ind.), argue that substituting censure for impeachment is a violation of the Constitution. The Speaker Pro Tempore concludes with a ruling to table the motion to recommit, which Gephardt appeals, leading to a House vote that conclusively ends the possibility of censure. Interspersed in the House debate are the following comments and reports from ABC News: Iraqi U.N. ambassador Nizar Hamdoon reports on the damage that U.S. air strikes have caused, and suggests that Iraq will not cooperate until sanctions are lifted; John McWethy outlines U.S. goals in the campaign against Iraq; Tony Cordesman explains the difficulty of assessing damage after bombing and analyzes the strategies of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein; George Stephanopoulos notes that Democrats are urging for Livingston to reconsider his resignation; Bill Kristol hypothesizes on the reasons for his resignation; Jeffrey Toobin speaks about the Senate's ability to assume control of the impeachment trial or avoid one altogether; Michael Beschloss discusses the image of the president; Steve Osunsami solicits opinions from ordinary citizens in Atlanta; and Cokie Roberts talks about changes in the House due to technology. No commercials. Continues with T:55938.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: December 19, 1998 11:02 AM
- RUNNING TIME: 2:03:19
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:55936
- GENRE: News; Specials
- SUBJECT HEADING: Impeachment; U S - Foreign relations - Iraq; U S - Presidency; U S Congress; U S House Judiciary Committee
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1998
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Peter Jennings … Anchor
- Sam Donaldson … Reporter
- John McWethy … Reporter
- Steve Osunsami … Reporter
- Cokie Roberts … Reporter
- Tony Cordesman … Commentator
- Michael Beschloss … Commentator
- George Stephanopoulos … Commentator
- Bill Kristol … Commentator
- Jeffrey Toobin … Commentator
- David Bonior
- Rick Boucher
- Bill Clinton
- Richard Gephardt
- Nizar Hamdoon
- Saddam Hussein
- Henry Hyde
- Ray LaHood
- Bob Livingston
- Edward Pease
- Gerald Solomon