Henry Hyde Duty Quotations

Let me be clear about this, ... We are not here today to decide whether or not to impeach Mr. Clinton. We are not here to pass judgment on anyone. We are here to ask and answer this one simple question: based upon what we now know, do we have a duty to look further, or to look away?

Today it's our responsibility and our constitutional duty to review those materials referred to us and recommend to the House of Representatives whether the matter merits a further inquiry.

...Resolved, that William Jefferson Clinton, president of the United States ... in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has willfully corrupted and manipulated them judicial process of the United States for his personal gain and exoneration,

I wish it never happened, ... I wish this sad chapter wasn't opened, but you have to do your duty, whether it's pleasant or whether it's onerous, and I think America needs some reassurance that people do have principles and do have a conscience and are going to vote their principles and their conscience.

There are many voices telling us to halt this debate, that the people are weary of it all, ... There are other voices suggesting we have a duty to debate the many questions raised by the circumstances in which we find ourselves, questions of high consequence for constitutional government.... What is the significance of a false statement under oath? Is it essentially different from a garden variety lie? A mental reservation? A fib? An evasion? A little white lie? Hyperbole?

The President's grand jury testimony and televised address have raised renewed speculation about future actions of the Congress and the House Judiciary Committee in particular. If the Independent Counsel has any substantial and credible information that may constitute grounds for impeachment, he has an explicit statutory duty to send a report to the House. If and when the Independent Counsel sends such a report, it is reasonable to expect answers to many as yet unanswered questions. It is our Constitutional duty to provide a fair, full and independent review of these facts in their proper context. Until then, we simply should not speculate about how the House would proceed.

We fulfilled our oath of office to discharge our duty according to the Constitution and when elected officials do that, democracy works,