I just recieved an email from John Conyers saying that he is urging the House to vote on a Contempt of Congress resolution against the White House and Harriet Miers. He says that their stonewalling is unacceptable, and he is "not prepared to allow this administration to operate above the law."
Sounds like he's got he might have some votes to back him up.
Details below the fold...
[Edit #1: thanks to BehereBenow for pointing out that Conyers' statement mentions he is "hopeful" the House will vote on this issue. That's a call to action, folks. We need to contact members of the House, write our local papers, call our local newsrooms, and remind them all that the President is not above the law - We The People demand that he stops stonewalling and complies with the authority of Congress.]
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[Edit #2 12:36pm ET: I have added contact information for Conyers, members of the HJC, and the House to the bottom of the post. Please start making some calls, sending emails or faxes, and get your voice heard on this issue. We should press the House to vote on this important action.]
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Here's the actual letter:
Dear (me):
I wanted to take the opportunity to update you on the status of the contempt of Congress resolution in the House of Representatives.
As you may know, the Judiciary Committee passed a resolution before the August recess holding the White House and Harriet Miers in contempt of Congress for their failure to provide documents and appear before the committee as legally required by subpoena.
The information we have received to date from the Justice Department from our U.S. Attorneys investigation indicates the White House played a central role in the firing of the nine federal prosecutors. Yet, the White House has stonewalled and consistently refused to cooperate with inquiries into this matter.
At the heart of our investigation is the evidence uncovered suggesting that the nine U.S. Attorneys were fired for politically-motivated reasons, while others may have been retained because they were pursuing partisan investigations.
We have also discovered that job candidates' political contributions and affiliations were considered in hiring decisions for nonpartisan positions in the Department of Justice. Our job has been made more difficult by apparent misleading testimony from the Attorney General and other Department of Justice officials.
This politicization of our judicial system cannot be tolerated. Our citizens have a right to expect that federal prosecutions will be conducted in a fair and nonpartisan manner.
There are many steps we can take in this confrontation with the White House. Some are more extreme than others. What we must first do is get the facts that show who made these decisions in the White House. Only once we have this evidence can we adequately pursue justice.
What is now required is for the House to pass these contempt of Congress citations and pursue legal action against the White House and Harriet Miers for their failure to meet the requirements of the subpoenas. Hopefully this contempt of Congress resolution will soon have a vote on the floor of the House. I am not prepared to allow this administration to operate above the law.
Thank you for your continued support for a better democracy.
Your Friend,
John Conyers, Jr.
Terrific news. I knew Conyers was getting his ducks in a row, and he would not walk away from this fight.
I'm writing Congressman Conyers to thank him for taking this action. I expect he will not allow this administration to continue to operate above the law.
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Contact members of Congress to Demand a Vote:
Contact John Conyers via email
Contact members of the House Judiciary Committee via email
Write your Representative
Call Congress at (202) 224-3121
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Please don't forget the importance of contacting your local papers about this issue. It becomes news if We, The People make it news.