Lawmaker, Others To Push Oversight, Impeachment At Convention
August 16, 2008
Published August 15, 2008, by
On The Hill.
A group of Democrats, including Rep. Robert Wexler of Florida, will host discussions at the coming Democratic National Convention focusing on oversight of the Bush administration and impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney.
Wexler announced the session in an email sent by the Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) organization. Wexler had already opened a website on oversight and impeachment, at
wexlerwantshearings.com.
Wexler sits on three committees: the House Foreign Affairs Commitee, where he serves as chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe; the House Judiciary Commitee; and the House Financial Services Committee.
At the convention in Denver, Wexler will appear on an Aug. 28 morning panel titled, "The Nation Conversations Series--Restoring and Maintaining our Constitutional Rights," along with Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and Victor Navasky, publisher emeritus of The Nation magazine. An afternoon panel, titled "Constitutional Law and Congress," will feature Ellison, Steve Cobble, fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and PDA advisory board member and Leslie Cagan, national coordinator of United for Peace and Justice.
"As you are likely aware, our shared push for impeachment hearings and genuine accountability has had mixed success: while we have not yet secured hearings, the House of Representatives approved a contempt citation against Harriet Miers and Josh Bolten and the Judiciary Committee has formally recommended the same for Karl Rove," Wexler says in his email. "Last month, a Federal Judge ruled against Miers and Bolten--ordering them to comply with the congressional subpoenas. While the Administration will no doubt appeal, we have won a major legal battle that exposes the flimsy case President Bush has put forward.
"The often slow pace of this process is both frustrating and, in my view, dangerous to our country," Wexler adds. "The idea that the President and Vice President might finish out their terms--without being forced to answer for the illegal use of torture, illegal politicization of the Justice Department, conspiracy to obstruct justice by ignoring congressional subpoenas, and other charges, including the lies that led to the war in Iraq is one I will not even grudgingly accept."
Despite subpoaenas and other confrontations with the Bush admiinistration, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders have long downplayed an intention to pursue impeachment. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) has been unsuccessful in pursuing legislation to move forward on impeachment.
Wexler, Kucinich and several other Democratic House members sent a letter earlier this year to House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.), seeking his support to advance impeachment against Cheney, specifically.
"Impeachment hearings can provide the opportunity to cut through the executive privilege defenses and force this Administration to answer a Congress it has clearly chosen to ignore," the letter to Conyers says. "We know you would agree that as Members of Congress, we can not allow legitimate oversight to be thwarted or such a dangerous precedent to stand."
Congress has a constitutional responsibility to maintain the system of checks and balances and must retain oversight over executive authority whether a Democrat or a Republican occupies the White House, Wexler says in his PDA email today.
"There is no question that over the next three months, there will be great pressure to focus solely on the presidential election. I, myself, am facing two self-funded opponents, one of whom has vowed to spend a million dollars to defeat me," Wexler says. "Please know that I will not back down from the stands I have taken on impeachment and accountability."
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