By David Swanson, 5/16/07
A resolution calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to impeach
President Bush and Vice President Cheney was passed today by the
unanimous vote of the Detroit City Council. The resolution was
recommended by the Detroit & Michigan Chapter of the National
Lawyers Guild ( http://www.michigannlg.org
) in coalition with other citizen activist organizations, including
Latinos Unidos, Veterans for Peace, Michigan Welfare Rights
Organization, the Gray Panthers and MI Impeach.org ( http://www.miimpeach.org).
The Co-Sponsors of the resolution were Council President Pro Tempore
Monica Conyers and Council Member JoAnn Watson, and passed in the Name
of Full Council. Conyers’ husband, Rep. John Conyers, chairs the U.S. House Judiciary Committee.
Here is a list of other cities that have already taken this step: http://impeachpac.org/resolutions-list
Here is the text of the Detroit resolution as passed:
Resolution to Impeach President George W. Bush and Vice-President Richard B. Cheney
Introduced by Council President Pro Tempore Monica Conyers and Council Member JoAnn Watson
Passed in the Name of the Full Council, Wednesday, May 16, 2007
WHEREAS, George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney conspired with others
to defraud the United States of America by intentionally misleading
Congress and the public regarding the threat from Iraq in order to
justify a war in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 371;
and
WHEREAS, George W. Bush has admitted to ordering the National
Security Agency to conduct electronic surveillance of American
civilians without seeking warrants from the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Court of Review, duly constituted by Congress in 1978, in
violation of Title 50 United States Code, Section 1805; and
WHEREAS, George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney conspired to commit
the torture of prisoners in violation of the “Federal Torture Act”
Title 18 United States Code, Section 113C, the UN Torture Convention
and the Geneva Convention, which under Article VI of the Constitution
are part of the “supreme Law of the Land”; and
WHEREAS, George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney acted to strip
American citizens of their constitutional rights by ordering indefinite
detention without access to legal counsel, without charge and without
the opportunity to appear before a civil judicial officer to challenge
the detention, based solely on the discretionary designation by the
President of a U.S. citizen as an “enemy combatant”, all in subversion
of law; and
WHEREAS, In all of this George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney have
acted in a manner contrary to their trust as President and Vice
President, subversive of constitutional government to the great
prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury
of the people of the City of Detroit and of the United States of
America; and
WHEREAS, Petitions from the country at large may be presented by the
Speaker of the House according to Clause 3 of House Rule XII;
Be it resolved that George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney, by such
conduct, warrant impeachment and trial, and removal from office and
disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit
under the United States;
Be it resolved further by the City of Detroit, 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
activities of the George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney, to the end that
they may be impeached and removed from such office.
Be it resolved further, that the Clerk of the City of Detroit be,
and is hereby, instructed to certify to the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, under the seal of the City of Detroit, a copy of this
resolution and its adoption by the City of Detroit, as a petition, and
request that this petition be delivered to the Office of the Clerk and
entered in the United States Congressional Journal. The copies shall be
marked with the word “Petition” at the top of the document and contain
the original authorizing signature of the City Clerk, Janice M. Winfrey.