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like father, like son
Source Dan Scanlan
Date 04/07/04/20:12

U.S. Representative Henry Gonsalez (Democrat, Texas), introducing
articles of impeachment against George H. W. Bush.
(Could it be used today by U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich without alteration?)

January 16, 1991

Mr Speaker, it is with great sadness, yet great conviction, that I
introduce today a Resolution of Impeachment of President Bush. At a
time when our nation is deeply divided over the question of war, we
find ourselves on the brink of a world war of such magnitude that our
minds cannot fully comprehend the destruction which is allowed to be
leveled. The position we are in is a direct result of the actions of
one man and the reaction to another.

The Iraqi people are as opposed to war as are the American people,
the difference is that the Iraqi people have no choice but to support
their country's leader, but the American people not only have the
right to oppose and speak out in disagreement with their President,
but they have the responsibility to do so if our democracy is to be
preserved.

Today I exercise this constitutional right and responsibility to
speak out in opposition to war in the Middle East and in support of
removal of our nation's chief executive. When I took the oath of
office earlier this month, as I had numerous times before, I swore to
uphold The Constitution. The President's oath was the same - to
uphold the Constitution of The United States. We did not pledge an
oath of allegiance to the President, but to The Constitution which is
the highest law of the land.

The Constitution provides for removal of the President when he has
committed high crimes and misdemeanors, including violations of the
principles of The Constitution. President Bush has violated these
principles. My resolution has five articles of impeachment. First,
the President has violated the equal protection clause of The
Constitution. Our soldiers in the Middle East are overwhelmingly poor
white, black, and Mexican American. They may be volunteers
technically, but their volunteerism is based on the coercion of a
system that has denied violable economic opportunities to these
classes of citizens. Under The Constitution all classes of citizens
are guaranteed equal protection, and calling on the poor and
minorities to fight a war for oil to preserve the lifestyles of the
wealthy is a denial of the rights of these soldiers.

Article II states that the President has violated the Constitution,
federal law and the United Nations Charter by bribing, intimidating
and threatening others, including the members of the United Nations
Security Council, to support belligerent acts against Iraq. It is
clear that the President paid off members of the U.N. Security
Council in return for their votes in support of war against Iraq. The
debt of Egypt was forgiven; a $140 million loan to China was agreed
to; the Soviet Union was promise $7 billion in aid; Colombia was
promised assistance to its armed forces; Zaire was promised military
assistance and partial forgiveness of it's debt; Saudi Arabia was
promised $12 billion in arms; Yemen was threatened with the
termination of support; and the U.S. finally paid off $187 million of
its debt to the United Nations after the vote the President sought
was made. The vote was bought, and it will be paid for with the lives
of black and Mexican-Americans.

Article III states that the President has conspired to engage in a
massive war against Iraq employing methods of mass destruction that
will result in the killing of tens of thousands of civilians, many of
whom will be children. No civilian lives have yet been lost, that we
know of, but when we start using the weapons of mass destruction that
are in place for this war, there is no doubt that thousands of
innocent civilians will lose their lives. As killings occur, the
principles laid down in the Nuremburg trial will be applicable. Their
deaths will not only be a moral outrage, but they will constitute a
violation of international law.

Article IV states that the President has committed the United States
to acts of war without congressional consent and contrary to the
United Nations Charter and international law. From August, 1991,
through January.1991, the President embarked on a course of action
that systematically eliminated every option for peaceful resolution
of the Persian Gulf crisis. Once the President approached Congress
for a declaration of war, 500,000 American soldiers' lives were in
jeopardy-rendering any substantive debate by Congress meaningless.
The President has not received a declaration of war by Congress, and
in contravention of the written word, the spirit, and the intent of
the views of Constitution had declared that he will go to war
regardless of the views of Congress and the American people. Congress
abdicated its responsibility, but the President violated the
Constitution. I am dismayed with the Congressional leadership, but I
am frightened by the President's unwillingness to uphold his oath of
office in protecting and preserving the Constitution.

Article V states that the President had conspired to commit crimes
against the peace by leading the United States into aggressive war
against Iraq in violation of Article 2 (4) of the United Nations
Charter, the Nuremberg Charter, other international instruments and
treaties, and the Constitution of the United States. Again, there is
a violation of law by a President who, believing he is king, decides
for the country - unilaterally - that war is the answer.

Mr. Speaker, it is sad day for our country, and it will be an even
sadder day once the fighting begins. President Bush must be stopped -
a divided Congress, reflecting a divided country, is no way to
conduct a war. The preservation of lives is at stake, and the
preservation of our country - our democracy - is at stake, as well. I
urge my Colleagues to support this Resolution, and stand up to the
President on behalf of the soldiers who will die, the civilians who
will be massacred, and the Constitution that will be destroyed if
this country goes to war in the Middle East.

Henry Gonzales, U.S. Representative, Texas

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