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It's hard to impeach Cheney

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FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2008 (8:55 PM)

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It's hard to impeach Cheney

(I'm feeling aggravated)

Mr Wexler of Florida asked the US House of Representatives to take this forward in January 2008, and I haven't heard a peep since.

[Congressional Record: January 15, 2008 (House)]
[Page H8]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr15ja08-86]

BEGIN IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS ON RESOLUTION OF IMPEACHMENT OF VICE
PRESIDENT

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Wexler) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. WEXLER. Madam Speaker, on November 7, 2007, this House voted to
refer Congressman Kucinich's resolution of impeachment of Vice
President Cheney to the House Judiciary Committee. As a member of the
Judiciary Committee, I now ask that we immediately begin impeachment
hearings.
The issues at hand are far too serious to ignore. Dick Cheney faces
credible allegations of abuse of power that if proven may well
constitute high crimes and misdemeanors.
Did the Vice President manipulate intelligence to push this Nation
into war based on false pretense?
Did the Vice President unmask a covert CIA agent for political
purposes?
Did the Vice President order the illegal surveillance of Americans
and the illegal use of torture?
These questions must be answered.
Just recently, former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan
revealed that the Vice President and his staff purposely gave him false
information to report to the American people, a clear obstruction of
justice.
This administration has undermined the checks and balances of our
government by brazenly ignoring congressional subpoenas and recklessly
claiming executive privilege. Impeachment hearings are the only way to
force the Bush administration to answer questions and tell the truth.
Congress must take the first step by enforcing the subpoenas against
Harriet Miers and the President's Chief of Staff and hold them in
contempt of Congress. In this time, at this moment, Congress must stand
for the truth. If we fail to act, history may well judge us complicit
in the alleged crimes of Vice President Cheney.
Madam Speaker, a growing chorus of Americans are calling for
accountability. The response from Congress thus far has been silence
and denial.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Florida is reminded to
refrain from personal references toward the Vice President.
Mr. WEXLER. Madam Speaker, not long ago I launched a Web site in
support of my call for hearings. The people responded en masse. After
only 4 weeks, over 189,000 Americans have registered their support for
hearings, names I now hold in my hand. These frustrated and patriotic
Americans come from all 50 States and share one common goal:
accountability for the Bush-Cheney administration and a rebirth of
Congress as an equal branch of government.
So many have been working on this cause before me. Groups like
Democrats.com, AfterDowningStreet.org, CodePink, ImpeachBush.org,
Impeach for Peace and others. All told, there have been well over 1
million signatures urging us to take action.
Tomorrow, I will deliver these names to my colleagues on the
Judiciary Committee with a letter to my friend Chairman Conyers calling
for hearings. I will ask my colleagues to sign this letter. In
addition, tomorrow, and continuing every day for months, I will publish
in the Congressional Record several thousand names of supporters who
have signed up.
History demands that we take action, because the case against Vice
President Cheney is far stronger than the illegalities surrounding
Watergate. When compared to the partisan and petty allegations made
against President Clinton by Ken Starr and the GOP Congress, the true
gravity of the case against the Vice President appears in its
devastating clarity. In fact, in the history of our Nation, we have
never encountered a moment where the actions of a President or a Vice
President have more strongly demanded the use of the power of
impeachment.
I have heard the arguments that it is too late, that we have run out
of time, and that we don't have the votes. While today there may not be
enough votes to impeach, it is premature to think that such support
would not exist after hearings. Let us remember that it wasn't until
after hearings began that the Watergate tapes emerged. Who knows what
facts will comfort when the full truth is told in this case?
Arguing that it is too late signals to future administrations that in
the waning months in office they are immune from constitutional
accountability. Hold hearings which will put the evidence on the table,
and the evidence alone must determine the outcome.

Category: News and Politics

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