Censure of Senator Joseph McCarthy

Rough draft Mr. President - I shall support the motion of the Senator from Vermont. I shall take only a few minutes to give my reasons for so doing. Mr. President, I support the motion of censure of the Senator from Wisconsin not because of his personal character or because of his private views about human affairs. I support this motion because of his official degradation of a power of the Senate by which he has gravely injured the United States and the Senate of the United States. Here at home, the prestige and position of the Senate has been lowered in the estimation of our people. Abroad, the power and influence of the United States -- which in large part depends upon the respect in which we are held — are gravely weakened because of the Senator from Wisconsin. The power which he has abused is a vital power of the Senate -- the power of investigation and inquiry. This power lies at the heart of the Senate's legislative role. To weaken it and to bring it into disrepute strikes at the legislative process and power itself. -1