Fact
Sheet - Call to Censure the President and Administration Officials
July 24, 2007
On Sunday, July 22, Senator Feingold announced
that he will introduce two censure resolutions condemning
the President, Vice President and possibly other administration
officials for misconduct relating to the war in Iraq and for
their repeated assaults on the rule of law. Below are some
of the ways that these resolutions can both hold the President
and his administration accountable, and allow Congress to
focus on the many other pressing issues facing the country:
Censure is a measured approach
Senator Feingold believes that the President
and the Vice President may well have committed impeachable
offenses. That does not mean, however, that multiple House
impeachments and Senate trials are required or the right thing
for the country. But while it may not be best for this country
for Congress to engage in a protracted impeachment process,
Congress can and should take formal action to condemn the
President and members of the administration who are responsible
for some of the worst wrongdoing, and worst abuses of power,
in our nation's history.
Censure
allows members of both parties to hold the administration
accountable
These resolutions give both Democrats and
Republicans the opportunity to formally condemn the President
and members of his administration for their wrongdoing. These
resolutions are a chance to show the American people that
members of both parties recognize the way this administration
has weakened the country.
Censure isn’t a time-consuming
legislative process
While an impeachment conviction needs the
support of two-thirds of senators, a censure resolution can
be passed by a simple majority of the Senate. And censure
does not require the weeks or months that House impeachments
and Senate trials would take. Censure could be passed in the
same amount of time it takes to pass any other legislation.
Censure allows the Senate to formally condemn the President
without distracting from the Senate’s other business, including
efforts to get our troops out of Iraq and to protect the rule
of law.
Censure’s support in
Congress
Many of Senator Feingold’s colleagues share
the public’s frustration and anger at this administration’s
disregard for the law and misconduct relating to the war in
Iraq. He plans on working with his colleagues to draft the
actual language of these censure resolutions.
Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin said of Senator Feingold’s
call for censure, “I think it’s appropriate for us to take
the censure resolution up. It is short of impeachment, but
it’s an important debate.” Senator after senator, from both
parties, has come down to the floor of the Senate to speak
about the injustices committed by this administration. This
is Congress’ chance to put its formal condemnation of the
President and members of the administration into the pages
of history.
Senator Feingold will work to build support as he did with
his legislation to use Congress’s power of the purse to end
our military involvement in Iraq. When he first proposed the
idea, it had just a handful of supporters. But he worked to
build support and now that position is supported by a majority
of Democrats in the Senate.
Censure for the historical record
The passage of these resolutions would make clear, not only
to the American people today, but also to future generations,
how this president and this administration failed the country.
History should show that this Congress formally condemned
the malfeasance of this President and his administration.
|
