Alexandria (VA) Democratic Committee Backed Impeachment

Please add the Alexandria Democratic Committee (Virginia) to list of local Democratic Party Committes that passed Impeachment Resolutions. Passesd at full Committee meeting December 3, 2007. Text of the resolution is below.

RESOLUTION OF THE ALEXANDRIA DEMOCRATIC
COMMITTEE (“ADC”) CALLING FOR INVESTIGATIVE ACTION
BY THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
REGARDING ALLEGED UNLAWFUL
ACTIONS BY THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT

WHEREAS the American people require and expect their highest officials to follow all laws of the land, in particular the oath taken by them upon assuming the powers of office “to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States;” and

WHEREAS, President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney have misled Congress and the public by citing unsubstantiated threats from the nation of Iraq to justify war against that nation; used false and fraudulent representations to influence the public and the deliberations of Congress with regard to authorization of a pre-emptive war against Iraq; manipulated prewar intelligence; failed to ensure that prisoners of war were treated humanely according to the terms of the Geneva Convention; and subjected prisoners to indefinite detention without charge and denied U.S. citizens their constitutional right to counsel and judicial relief; and

WHEREAS, President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney authorized and directed electronic surveillance of Americans without seeking warrants, as required by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (“FISA”) from the FISA Court of Review, duly constituted by Congress in 1978; and

WHEREAS, President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney have arrogated excessive power to the executive branch in violation of basic constitutional principles of the separation of powers by issuing “signing statements” that claim that the executive branch may disregard laws enacted by the Congress when the President or his subordinates deem it appropriate; and

WHEREAS, failure to challenge the above cited abuses of executive authority (“Alleged Unlawful Acts”) would constitute dangerous precedents; and
WHEREAS, many citizens of Alexandria are concerned and outraged by the executive branch of our federal government abusing its power, deceiving America’s citizens, endangering our civil rights, and bringing widespread international discredit on our nation; and

WHEREAS, no American citizen or official is above the law; and

WHEREAS, the funding for the war in Iraq has contributed to the massive federal budget deficit, reversing the pattern of the previous decade, that places the economic future of the United States in great peril, combined with the questionable use of funds in a number of no-bid contracts to favored contractors to the detriment of the national budget; and

WHEREAS, if after proper and thorough investigation, the illegality of the charges against President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney is confirmed, their conduct warrants consideration of their removal from office; and

WHEREAS, this situation cannot be resolved without the investigation of these acts by the United States Congress, which is duly authorized to do so.

WHEREAS, House Resolution 333 has been introduced in the United States House of Representatives which resolution calls for the impeachment of the Vice President.

WHEREAS, the ADC is mindful that removal from office of the President and/or the Vice President is a most serious constitutional remedy of last resort, but believes that the above cited actions warrant careful official investigation.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Committee of the City of Alexandria, Virginia calls upon the United States House of Representatives to establish from among its members a select committee to investigate these Alleged Unlawful Acts and other matters cited above and make recommendation to the full House with all possible speed as to whether or not the impeachment of President George W. Bush and/or Vice President Richard B. Cheney is warranted; and be it further

RESOLVED to instruct the Clerk of the ADC to send certified copies of this resolution to the Honorable James Moran, the U.S. Representative from the 8th District of Virginia, the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, the Honorable John Conyers.

Approved by the full Committee meeting on December 3, 2007.