Detroit City Council Passes Impeachment Resolution

Introduced by Council President Pro Tempore Monica Conyers and Council Member JoAnn Watson
By David Swanson

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.