Welcome to Words Matter with Katie Barlow and Joe Lockhart.

And now Katie's final word.

Barbara Jordan was a lawyer, educator, politician, and a leader of the Civil Rights Movement.

A Democrat and Houston native, Jordan was the first African-American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction and the first Southern African-American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives.

In 1994, President Clinton awarded Barbara Jordan the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

On July 25th, 1974, Congresswoman Jordan delivered a televised opening statement as the House Judiciary Committee began consideration of articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon.

It is regarded by historians as one of the greatest speeches in all of American history.

Congresswoman Jordan offered a passionate and powerful defense of the United States Constitution.

A document she noted did not include people like her when it was written and completed in 1787.

She also provided thoughtful and well-documented explanations of our system of checks and balances, which were designed to stop any politician from abusing their power.

She stuck to the facts and the law and noted the seriousness and the solemn duty she and her fellow members were about to undertake.

As she quoted extensively from the founders, Congresswoman Jordan explained that those who had drafted and ratified the Constitution anticipated actions like Nixon's and had created the check of impeachment to guard against such executive overreach and abuse of office.

So this week we give Congresswoman Barbara Jordan the final word.

I recognize the Channel Lady from Texas as Jordan the purpose of general debate not to exceed a period of 15 minutes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, I join my colleague Mr. Rangel in thanking you for giving the junior members of this committee the glorious opportunity of sharing the pain of this inquiry.

Mr. Chairman, you are a strong man and it has not been easy, but we have tried as best we can to give you as much assistance as possible.

Earlier today we heard the beginning of the preamble to the Constitution of the United States.

We the people, it's a very eloquent beginning, but when that document was completed on the 17th of September and 1787 I was not included in that we the people.

I felt somehow for many years that George Washington and Alexander Hamilton just left me out by mistake.

But through the process of amendment interpretation and court decision I have finally been included in we the people today I am an inquisitor and I probably would not be fictional and would not overstate the solomness that I feel right now.

My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is completed, it is total and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution.

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