A Heartbeat Away - Michael Palmer [69]
“What are we going to do about this, Ursula?” Allaire had asked.
They sat facing each other behind the rostrum, Allaire in the vice president’s chair, and Ellis seated across from him in her own.
“Well, Mr. President, you’ll need to be more specific than that.”
“You know damn well what I’m talking about,” Allaire snapped.
On the House floor, a cordon of Secret Service agents, Sean O’Neil among them, blocked access to the rostrum and ensured a private exchange between the two adversaries.
“Sir, there was evidence presented inside this chamber that suggests you may have condoned or even ordered murder.”
“Well, obviously that’s not the truth, and you know it.”
“All I know is what I saw on that videorecording,” Ellis said. “Answer one question for me, Mr. President.”
“Go on.”
“Did you authorize the military’s use of deadly force?”
Allaire’s eyes narrowed.
“No,” he had said.
“Well then, I’d like to form a special committee to establish independent corroboration of that claim. I assume you’ll vigorously endorse such a measure. Unless, of course, you have something to hide … sir.”
“And just how do you propose going about organizing such a committee, Ursula?”
“Simple, Mr. President,” Ellis had said, her tone syrupy with confidence. “At my last count, we have two hundred and eighty voting members of the House of Representatives, all confined by your orders here inside the House Chamber. You have not made it clear whether or not I have access to the ones who are not here.”
“And your point?”
“Constitutionally speaking, whether or not we get the others, that gives us a quorum to conduct business.”
Allaire went from calm to livid in a blink.
“You want to hold an official House vote in the middle of this crisis? Are you insane?”
“With all due respect, sir, if your intention is to maintain order, you’ll need to reestablish trust. I believe this is the best way to proceed in doing that.”
“Let me get this straight,” Allaire said. “The purpose of this special committee of yours is to investigate me?”
Ellis could almost feel the man’s desire to wrap his hands around her throat. The notion made her smile.
“Oh, not you specifically, Mr. President. The committee will focus on Senator Mackey’s tragic death. Naturally, I’d expect your full cooperation when the committee calls key witnesses to testify under oath. Yourself included.”
“And if I refuse my support?”
Ellis did not hesitate to respond, although given the jubilation she was feeling, it took effort to maintain an outward expression of gravity.
“In that case,” she said, “I’d request that the House Judiciary Committee consider evidence of wrongdoing. The Constitution does grant us the authority to impeach you for high crimes and misdemeanors. I’d say that murder falls under the former of those transgressions. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Ms. Ellis,” Allaire said, “given the threat to our nation posed by these circumstances, what you are doing borders on treason.”
“We have only one Constitution, sir, and I will be only one of those committed to protecting it.”
The anger on Allaire’s face had quickly yielded to stoicism.
“Conduct your hearing and call your vote,” he said. “You’ll have my support.”
“Thank you, Mr. President.”
Leland Gladstone crafted the first draft of the resolution to form the special committee. Ellis edited much of it. Still, she was impressed that her precocious aide’s prose demonstrated a remarkably mature acumen for the craft of politics. Multiple possible interpretations for every statement. Copies of the resolution were made in the media room, and were distributed to each voting member. Then Ellis called the quorum together. The measure passed with near unanimous support.
Ellis appointed herself chairperson, which did not violate House rules given the committee’s lack of a legislative agenda. Her next task was to select the fourteen committee members from a candidate pool of more than five times that number. The resolution called for equal representation from both parties, though Ellis’s presence ensured that deadlocks would be broken