The Legendary Barbara Jordan on Impeachment

Words Matter

Riley Fessler

News, Government

4.6 • 2.8K Ratings

🗓️ 8 February 2021

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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. 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. Congresswoman Jordan 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. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/words-matter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Words Matter with Katie Barlow.
0:12.0	Welcome to Words Matter, I'm Katie Barlow.
0:15.0	Our goal is to promote objective reality.
0:18.0	As a wise man once said, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, not their own facts.
0:24.0	Words have power and words have consequences.
0:33.0	Barbara Jordan was a lawyer, educator, politician, and a leader of the Civil Rights Movement.
0:39.0	A Democrat and Houston native, Jordan was the first African-American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction
0:47.0	and the first Southern African-American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives.
0:53.0	In 1994, President Clinton awarded Barbara Jordan the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
0:59.0	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.
1:12.0	It is regarded by historians as one of the greatest speeches in all of American history.
1:18.0	Congresswoman Jordan offered a passionate and powerful defense of the United States Constitution.
1:24.0	A document she noted did not include people like her when it was written and completed in 1787.
1:31.0	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.
1:41.0	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.
1:49.0	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.
2:06.0	So this week, we give Congresswoman Barbara Jordan the final word.
2:11.0	I recognize the General Lady from Texas, as Jordan, the purpose of general debate, not to exceed a period of 15 minutes.
2:22.0	Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
2:24.0	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.
2:35.0	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.
2:48.0	Earlier today, we heard the beginning of the preamble to the Constitution of the United States.
	...

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