Rep. Al Green (D-TX) used the famous photo of a crying immigrant girl that was widely used by members of the media and Democrats as an example of family separations at the border while he spoke in favor of impeachment on Wednesday.
"This is the question posed in 1787 by George Mason at the constitutional convention: shall any man be beyond justice? Madame Speaker, if this president is allowed to thwart the efforts of Congress with a legitimate impeachment inquiry, the president will not only be above the law, he will be beyond justice," Green said as the photo stood next to him featuring an "Impeach Now" caption.
"We can not allow any person to be beyond justice in this country. In the name of the democracy, and on behalf of the republic, and for the sake of the many who are suffering, I will vote to impeach and I encourage my colleagues to do so as well. No one is beyond justice in this country," he added.
The two articles of impeachment the House will be voting on Wednesday, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, are not related to the photograph.
The photograph and its later political use, including a TIME magazine cover, were revealed to have been used under false pretenses as the girl was never separated from her mother while they were in U.S. custody.
Reuters reported in 2018 the girl's father recognized his daughter from all the media attention. The moment Getty Images photographer John Moore took the photo was when the girl's mother put her down so U.S. border patrol could search the mother after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. She was then picked back up and they both were taken to a facility.
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