Sample Letter to City Council or Town Council

Organization's letterhead

Name
Address

Date

Dear __________________

On behalf of the [organization] and the [number] citizens of the City of [name] who have signed the enclosed petition, we would like to recommend for your consideration a resolution.

[number] Charlottesville citizens have signed the following petition:

• PETITION TO IMPEACH
We, the undersigned, urge the Charlottesville City Council to pass a Resolution calling for
THE IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH AND VICE-PRESIDENT RICHARD B. CHENEY
We believe the following charges warrant impeachment proceedings:
Lying to and withholding information from Congress and the American people about the need to invade Iraq.
• Ordering the federalization and deployment of National Guard troops overseas (a violation of Constitutional law).
• Admitting to directing unwarranted surveillance of U.S. persons ( a violation of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act).
• Approving the use of torture thus denying the applicability of existing laws and treaties against torture.
• Violating the principle of “balance of power” by expanding the powers of the executive.
• Spending billions of dollars on an illegal war: funds that could have been allocated to states and municipalities.

Dozens of cities have passed resolutions on impeachment in recent weeks, and dozens more are in the works. In addition, a number of state legislatures have introduced similar resolutions. An up-to-date list is here:
http://www.impeachpac.org/resolutions-list

Please consider as a starting point this draft resolution:

Resolution to Impeach President George W. Bush
and Vice President Richard B. Cheney

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 ________insert_your_City/Town/State___________ 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 _________ , 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 _________ be, and is hereby, instructed to certify to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, under the seal of the City of _____________, a copy of this resolution and its adoption by the City of _________, 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 _________.

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More related information is here: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/resolutions

Please contact [organization] if we can be of any assistance.

In Peace,

[names]