Just One Member of Congress
Needed To Start Impeachment
by Alicia Cerretani
Feb. 23—In his Feb. 21 interview with LaRouche PAC, Prof. Francis Boyle of the University of Illinois made the point strongly, that it would only take one Member of Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings against Barack Obama.
Noting that the Republicans control the House of Representatves, and that "they can impeach Obama tomorrow, if they want to," Professor Boyle explained:
"I think all we need is one courageous Member of Congress—probably a Republican—willing to introduce a Bill of Impeachment into Congress as soon as possible—into the House—and to get the ball rolling. I think there is a lot of support for it, once it's in there."
Boyle noted that he is experienced in these matters, having been counsel to Rep. Henry Gonzales (D-Tex.) when Gonzales introduced a Resolution of Impeachment against President George H.W. Bush. All we need is one Member of Congress, Boyle emphasized, "and that Member can even do it orally." He noted that there is a special procedure under which a Congressman can get up on the House floor and read Articles of Impeachment right then and there, if that's what he or she wants to do.
Impeachment Takes Priority
Indeed, as Chapter 14 of Volume 3 of Deschler's Precedents of the House of Representatives states, impeachment proceedings have been initiated either by dropping a resolution into the hopper, or by offering charges on the floor under a question of Constitutional privilege. If a Member raises a question of Constitutional privilege, the Member must offer a resolution directly calling for impeachment, not just an investigation. Such a privileged resolution takes precedence over all other business, and the Member introducing it is entitled to an hour for debate.
At that point, the House may refer the matter to the appropriate committee, but it is not required to do so.
Boyle says that, given the emergency nature of the situation, the House could impeach Obama directly, and send the matter to the Senate for trial, without even holding hearings. He suggested three matters which are so clear cut, that they could constitute Articles of Impeachment without needing hearings. There are:
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Obama's illegal and unconstitutional war against Libya without Congressional authorization;
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Obama's murdering U.S. citizens in violation of the Fifth Amendment, and threatening to murder more; and
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Obama's threatening war against Syria.
These issues are very clear under the Constitution, Boyle asserted, and the House could schedule an up-or-down vote on impeachment directly, without hearings, and then move the matter to the Senate. And given the urgency of the situation and the danger of nuclear war over Ukraine or Syria, this is what Boyle advises should be done.
Put Them on the Spot
There should be no shortage of Members of Congress prepared to take such action, if they "put their money where their mouth is," so to speak. At least 11 Republican Congressman have spoken publicly of the need for impeaching Obama, and there is presently a bill before the U.S. Congress, the so-called STOP bill (H.Res 442), which purports to "Stop This Overreaching Presidency," and has already garnered over 100 sponsors.
H.Res 442, introduced last December, asserts, correctly, that President Obama has "frequently overstepped the limits placed on executive branch power by the Constitution"; that he refuses to faithfully execute laws; and that he is establishing "what is in effect an imperial presidency." Yet, instead of initiating impeachment proceedings, as provided for under that Constitution for such threats to our government, the resolution merely mandates the House of Representatives to file a civil suit against the President in the U.S. District Court "for declaratory or injunctive relief" for three specific instances of overreach cited.
Given the imminent danger represented by Obama's British-determined foreign and economic policy, one gets the strong sense that this bill is an electoral plank, not a serious effort.
Similarly, with the calls for impeachment that some Congressmen have raised.
There are at least 11 Congressmen who have gone on the record in favor of Obama's impeachment. One of those, Steve Stockman (R-Tex.), has stated that he is considering introducing Articles of Impeachment against Obama. If the other ten Congressmen, three of whom are also from Texas, were to join with Stockman in announcing their intention to introduce Articles of Impeachment against Obama, the ball would be rolling.
The list of the core potential initiators of impeachment proceedings in the House is as follows:
In addition to Stockman:
- Blake Fahrenthold (R-Tex.);
- Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah);
- Kerry Bentivolio (R-Mich.);
- Bill Flores (R-Tex.);
- Paul Broun (R-Ga.);
- Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.);
- Steve King (R-Iowa);
- Michele Bachman (R-Minn.);
- Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.); and
- Ted Yoho (R-Fla.).
The Test of Seriousness
Over the last week, LaRouche PAC and its supporters have confronted close to a dozen Congressmen, including some of the loudest mouths against Obama's abuses of power. The latter include Rep. Darrel Issa (R-Calif.), who has apparently led the charge in confronting Obama on both the Benghazi attack and Fast and Furious gun-running.
At a Feb. 18 town meeting Issa was holding in New Hampshire, LaRouche PAC organizers demanded that Issa, who chairs the powerful House Oversight Committee, move for impeachment, given Obama's abuses of power and moves toward provoking thermonuclear conflict in the very short term. Issa openly opposed impeachment, qualifying by saying it's never off the table, but that, like the government shutdown, it's unnecessary and detracts from the "real" business of the House, which is using a scalpel to cut away government excess, and getting the courts to weigh in on the scope of Executive power and Executive orders
Clearly, for many Congressmen, there is a matter of fear. But, as LaRouche candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for Senate in Texas, Kesha Rogers, has shown, including through her two previous Democratic primary victories when she ran for Congress, a huge proportion of the American population not only hates what Obama stands for, but will respond to real leadership.
Latest reports show that in the range of 60-77% of the American people hate what Obama stands for, but they have no voice. The survival of the nation depends upon at least one Congressman standing up for principle—immediately.
