At the turn of the new year, we dubbed 2007 "The Year of Accountability." So, let it begin.
Two announcements were released today concerning upcoming oversight and investigative hearings in Congress on Bush Administration policy. If you can imagine such a thing.
In the House, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee --- the one which would lead the way concerning any Articles of Impeachment for a sitting U.S. President or Vice-President --- announced today that hearings would be held next Wednesday in the committee on "Presidential Signing Statements under the Bush Administration: A Threat to Checks and Balances and the Rule of Law?" (Complete media release, with details, scheduled witnesses, etc. at end of this article.)
In the Senate, Russ Feingold (D-WI) will chair Judiciary Committee hearings on "Congress's Power to End a War." In a media advisory just released, (posted in full below) Feingold refers to Congress's "power of the purse to redeploy our troops safely from Iraq so that we can refocus on the global terrorist networks that threaten our national security."
"This hearing will help inform my colleagues and the public about Congress’s power to end a war and how that power has been used in the past," Feingold is quoted in the release. As well, he promises to to introduce new legislation to do exactly that in the Senate. "I will soon be introducing legislation to use the power of the purse to end what is clearly one of the greatest mistakes in the history of our nation’s foreign policy," the senator said.
Neither of the Constitutionally mandated oversight hearings will be held in a basement broom closet, but rather in proper Congressional Hearing Rooms.
UPDATE 8:22pm PT White House says they "will cooperate." Of course they will.
The complete media releases from Conyers and Feingold, with dates, times, locations, and expected witnesses, follow below...
Contact: Jonathan Godfrey (202) XXX-XXXX
NOTICE OF OVERSIGHT HEARING
"Presidential Signing Statements under the Bush Administration: A Threat to Checks and Balances and the Rule of Law?"
TIME
10:15am
DATE
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
PLACE
2141 Rayburn
Confirmed Witnesses:
Karen Mathis, ABA President
Mickey Edwards, Former Republican Congressman
Professor Charles Ogletree, Harvard Law School
John Elwood, Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel of DOJ
Nicholas Rozenkranz, Georgetown University
##110-JUD-012507##
Contact: Zach Lowe - (202) XXX-XXXX
Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, January 30th, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold will chair a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled, “Exercising Congress’s Constitutional Power to End a War.” Earlier this month, Feingold, Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, became the first Senator to call on Congress to use its power of the purse to redeploy our troops safely from Iraq so that we can refocus on the global terrorist networks that threaten our national security. Feingold proposed this action after President George Bush announced plans to escalate our military involvement in Iraq despite the objections of members of both parties, military and foreign policy experts, and the American people.
“Congress holds the power of the purse and if the President continues to advance his failed Iraq policy, we have the responsibility to use that power to safely redeploy our troops from Iraq,” Feingold said. “This hearing will help inform my colleagues and the public about Congress’s power to end a war and how that power has been used in the past. I will soon be introducing legislation to use the power of the purse to end what is clearly one of the greatest mistakes in the history of our nation’s foreign policy.”
Witnesses at the hearing will include:
- Louis Fisher, Library of Congress
- Prof. Walter Dellinger, Duke University School of Law, former Solicitor General of the United States
- Prof. David Barron, Harvard Law School
- Prof. Robert Turner, University of Virginia Law School
Who:
U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on the Constitution
What:
Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing --- “Exercising Congress’s Constitutional Power to End a War.” Feingold will chair the full committee hearing.
Where: SD - 226
When: Tuesday, January 30th – 10:00 am ET
Senator Feingold’s remarks from yesterday’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting regarding the need to end our involvement in Iraq can be viewed and heard here: http://feingold.senate.gov/~feingold/statements/07/01/20070124.htm.
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