Text of Rumsfeld Articles Of Impeachment as introduced by Mr. Rangel

[benburch]

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:H.RES.629:

Resolved, That Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the Senate: (Introduced in House)

HRES 629 IH

108th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. RES. 629

Impeaching Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 6, 2004

Mr. RANGEL submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

RESOLUTION

Impeaching Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense.

Resolved, That Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the Senate:

Articles of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America in the name of itself and of all of the people of the United States of America, against Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Article I

Donald Rumsfeld, as Secretary of Defense, urged and oversaw the preemptive invasion and occupation of Iraq under the false premise that the United States was in imminent danger of attack from weapons of mass destruction and that Saddam Hussein was involved with al Qaeda in the September 11, 2001 attack against the United States.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald Rumsfeld, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Article II

Donald Rumsfeld, as Secretary of Defense, directed the expenditure of funds in contradiction to appropriations as enacted by using funds appropriated for the action in Afghanistan to plan and develop plans for the invasion of Iraq.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald M. Rumsfeld, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Article III

Donald Rumsfeld, as Secretary of Defense, ignored the recommendations of uniformed leaders at the Pentagon and sent American troops into war undermanned and under-equipped, thus undermining our military efforts in Iraq.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald M. Rumsfeld, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Article IV

Donald Rumsfeld, as Secretary of Defense, contributed to an atmosphere of lawlessness in the administration of United States military prison facilities in Iraq by rejecting United States compliance with the Geneva Convention.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald M. Rumsfeld, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Article V

Donald Rumsfeld, as Secretary of Defense, abdicated his role as the head of the United States military by allowing the breakdown of discipline in the administration of military prison facilities in Iraq, and by ignoring warnings by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald M. Rumsfeld, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Article VI

Donald Rumsfeld, as Secretary of Defense, failed in his responsibility to fully investigate and address the breakdown of discipline and attendant atrocities at those prison facilities.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald M. Rumsfeld, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Article VII

Donald Rumsfeld, as Secretary of Defense, failed in his responsibility to fully inform the President of atrocities committed by United States troops at military prison facilities in Iraq.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald M. Rumsfeld, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Article VIII

Donald Rumsfeld, as Secretary of Defense, misled the Congress and the American people of those atrocities by seeking to suppress information about the misconduct.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald M. Rumsfeld, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Article IX

Donald Rumsfeld, as Secretary of Defense, through his malfeasance as the leader of United States military forces, is responsible for the atrocities committed by United States troops in Iraq.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald M. Rumsfeld, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

[Nlighten1]

1. Will this fly?

We can only hope...more importantly though can they get Rummy a room at the Hague next to Slobodan Milosevic?

[benburch]

5. No idea...

But it needs to be on the record, and now it is.

[Vickers]

2. "ignored the recommendations of uniformed leaders at the Pentagon"

Looks like the brass is on board with this one. Thank God there are still brave, dedicated, patriotic officers!

:thumbsup:

[Jack Rabbit]

3. If Rumsfeld is impeached, Bush should be impeached

One could substitute Rumsfeld's name and preemptive title with Bush's name name and presumptive title in Articles I, II and IX and still have valid grounds for impeachment.

Rumsfeld could only have committed the offenses in Articles III and IV with Mr. Bush's active support or his own neglect to oversee Rumsfeld's activity. At best, Mr. Bush is guilty of a serious crime of omission. Mr. Bush signed the executive orders putting the detention system beyond the scrutiny of any independent investigative body, federal or international, and thereby circumvented the Geneva Conventions and making such crimes possible.

It is my understanding that Mr. Bush also received the warnings of the Red cross described in Article V. If so, then Bush is as culpable as Rumsfeld.

[Vickers]

4. *shhhhhhhhhhh* Baby steps, my friend, baby steps.

;)

[Cleita]

7. If this gets legs, Bush will be eventually forced to resign.

Read about Watergate and the bringing down of Nixon. It started with the most vulnerable one to scapegoat, I believe it was John Dean. (Going on memory now.) Then the VP Spiro Agnew was forced to resign. Scapegoat after scapegoat fell until there was no one else but you-know-who, who resigned rather than be impeached. Now this is brief, just what I remember, cause I don't have time to look up the exact history, but the point of my post is that there is a precedent.

[Jack Rabbit]

9. You are partly correct

Dean was the the designated fall guy. Unfortunately, they didn't clear it with him first. He took the rest of them down.

However, Agnew's crimes were separate and distinct from Watergate. Agnew was guilty of nothing more than good, old fashioned corruption. He was taking kickbacks from contractors for crooked deals made while he was still a county commissioner in Maryland. If Watergate had never happened, Agnew's disgrace would have stood on its own.

[Cleita]

10. Thank you. I was hoping someone would come in with

what really happened. The old memory is getting hazy here and I didn't feel like googling tonight to refresh. But I think this could be a example of what might happen.

[saracat]

6. Charlie Rangel is

absolutely one of the best Congressman we have. No, He IS the best. Look at his voting record. Patrick Kennedy should have come up with this or Pelosi, but it's always Charlie. Thank you Mr. Rangel,You are the only one with real guts.

[Kanary]

11. I'm calling him tomorrow to thank him, and give support

I hope I will be joined by hundreds of DUers.

We need to start taking action, and making our voices heard.

Kanary

[benburch]

12. Great idea!

I'll do it.

[Karenina]

13. Kick!

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[seemslikeadream]

8. Careful Charlie

[Jose Diablo]

14. So begins the final stage of this administration n/t

[Killarney]

15. When is he going to present this to Congress?

[benburch]

16. It is in committee.

It has to be voted out of Judiciary before it goes to the floor.

Unlikely.