The public hearings in the impeachment inquiry started with an opening statement by House Intelligence Committee Chairman, Adam Schiff. Here’s part of what he said:

“If we find that the President of the United States abused his power and invited foreign interference into our elections or if he sought to condition, coerce, extort or bribe an ally into conduct investigations to aid his re-election campaign and did so by withholding official acts, the White House meeting or hundreds of millions of dollars of needed military aid, must we simply get over it? Is this what Americans should now expect from their president? If this is not impeachable conduct, what is? Does the oath of office, itself, requiring that our laws be faithfully executed, that our president defend the constitution that balances the powers of its branches, setting ambition against ambition so we become no monarchy still have meaning? These are the questions we must ask and answer.”

Watch the full statement above.