Impeachment Resolution
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
As you know, we have been working towards getting the States involved with impeachment. Recently, I was asked to wear my attorney hat and provide legal counsel to the good people at Democrats.com, AfterDowningStreet.org, ImpeachBush.tv, and ImpeachCentral.com. Together, we have been working toward getting a State resolution brought before the US House of Representatives pursuant to Section 603 of the US House Rules.Well, here is a sample resolution. It is written by Richard Matthews.
"WHEREAS, United States House of Representatives rules allow for setting a federal impeachment in motion by charges transmitted from the legislature of a State or territory; and
"WHEREAS, The State of Florida and the former territory of Mississippi have established precedent by referring such charges to Congress, which in each case resulted in Congress ordering a Committee to investigate and report on the charges, and which in one case resulted in the impeachment of Judge Charles Swayne of Florida; and
"WHEREAS, George W. Bush, President of the United States, has so conducted himself and his office as to cause the people of the State to doubt his integrity and to believe that his official actions as president have constituted High Crimes and Misdemeanors having repeatedly and intentionally violated and ignored the United States Constitution and other laws of the United States; and
"WHEREAS, George W. Bush has ordered the federalization and deployment of this state's National Guard members overseas and thus has exceeded the authority granted in the provision of the United States Constitution that Congress shall have the power to "provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the laws of the Union, to suppress insurrections and repel invasions," reserving to the State Assembly, the State Senate, and the Governor of this state the authority to direct the training and arming of members of the state's National Guard for defense of the state; and
"WHEREAS, The federalization and deployment of National Guard members has rendered the National Guard force unable to carry out its state activities effectively and thus deprived the state of its Constitutional power to keep the National Guard for defense of the state; and
"WHEREAS, George W. Bush has allowed stop-loss orders that violate the mutual understanding between Californians in the Armed Forces including the National Guard and the state and nation they agreed to serve; and
"WHEREAS, George W. Bush has admitted that he willingly and repeatedly directed unwarranted surveillance of U. S. persons, in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of the United States; and
"WHEREAS, George W. Bush committed a felony under 18 U.S.C. 1001 by withholding information from Congress about doubts in the intelligence community about Bush's justification for war; and
"WHEREAS, George W. Bush committed a felony under section 1001 by providing information to Congress he knew or should have known to be false, including the claim that Iraq was seeking uranium from Niger and the claim that Iraq gave aid and comfort to the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; and
"WHEREAS, George W. Bush committed a felony under section 1001 by providing information to Congress he knew or should have known to be false, including the claim that the cost of the Medicare bill would not exceed the limits Congress intended; and
"WHEREAS, George W. Bush committed felonies under 18 U.S.C. 641 and 643 by embezzling funds authorized for use in the war in Afghanistan and diverting it to an as-yet unauthorized build-up towards war in Iraq; and
"WHEREAS, George W. Bush committed felonies, namely espionage, fraud, or obstruction of justice, through involvement in the cover-up of the leak of Valerie Wilson's identity; and
"WHEREAS, George W. Bush has committed an act of terrorism under 18 U.S.C. 2339A by ordering the kidnapping of President Aristide, a violation of 18 U.S.C. 956; and
"WHEREAS, George W. Bush has approved of torture under the name of stress and duress, has denied the applicability of existing laws and treaties against torture, and has indicated in his signing statement of H.R. 1815 his future intention to continue to disregard such laws and treaties; and
"WHEREAS, George W. Bush has repeatedly acted to expand the power of a unitary executive in violation of the principle of balance of power; and
"WHEREAS, the administration of the United States' invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq has resulted in the waste of assets, through incompetence, insufficient oversight, insufficient planning, and no-bid contracts; and
"WHEREAS, George W. Bush, though the above actions has denied the citizens of this state of their rights and their safety; now, therefore, be it
"Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of this state, jointly, That our Senators and Representatives in the United States Congress be, and they are hereby, requested to cause to be instituted in the Congress of the United States proper proceedings for the investigation of the governance of the Executive Branch by George W. Bush as President of the United States, and of his acts and doings as such, to the end that he may be impeached and removed from such office; and be it further
"Resolved, That the secretary of state of this state be, and is hereby, instructed to certify to each Senator and Representative in the Congress of the United States, under the great seal of this state, a copy of this resolution and its adoption by the legislature of this state."
