{"id":4076,"date":"2007-01-25T14:16:43","date_gmt":"2007-01-25T22:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bradblog.com\/?p=4076"},"modified":"2007-01-26T02:26:00","modified_gmt":"2007-01-26T10:26:00","slug":"and-the-hearings-begin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bradblog.com\/?p=4076","title":{"rendered":"And the Hearings Begin…"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the turn of the new year, we dubbed 2007 “The Year of Accountability.” So, let it begin.<\/p>\n

Two announcements were released today concerning upcoming oversight and investigative hearings in Congress on Bush Administration policy. If you can imagine such a thing.<\/p>\n

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.<\/i>)<\/p>\n

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<\/i>) 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.”<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

Neither of the Constitutionally mandated oversight hearings will be held in a basement broom closet<\/a>, but rather in proper Congressional Hearing Rooms.<\/p>\n

UPDATE 8:22pm PT<\/i> White House says<\/a> they “will cooperate.” Of course they will.<\/p>\n

The complete media releases from Conyers and Feingold, with dates, times, locations, and expected witnesses, follow below…<\/i><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For Immediate Release: January 25, 2007
\nContact: Jonathan Godfrey (202) XXX-XXXX<\/p>\n

House Judiciary Committee<\/p>\n

NOTICE OF OVERSIGHT HEARING<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

“Presidential Signing Statements under the Bush Administration: A Threat to Checks and Balances and the Rule of Law?”<\/center><\/p>\n

TIME<\/b><\/u>
\n10:15am<\/p>\n

DATE<\/b><\/u>
\nWednesday, January 31, 2007<\/p>\n

PLACE<\/b><\/u>
\n2141 Rayburn<\/p>\n

By Direction of the Chairman <\/p>\n

Confirmed Witnesses:
\nKaren Mathis,<\/b> ABA President
\nMickey Edwards,<\/b> Former Republican Congressman
\nProfessor Charles Ogletree,<\/b> Harvard Law School
\nJohn Elwood,<\/b> Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel of DOJ
\nNicholas Rozenkranz,<\/b> Georgetown University <\/p>\n

##110-JUD-012507##<\/center><\/div>\n

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE “\u201c January 25, 2007
\nContact: Zach Lowe – (202) XXX-XXXX<\/p>\n

***Media Advisory***<\/b><\/center><\/p>\n

FEINGOLD TO CHAIR JUDICIARY HEARING ON CONGRESS’S POWER TO END A WAR<\/b><\/center><\/p>\n

Washington, D.C. “\u201c 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.”\u009d 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. <\/p>\n

“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,”\u009d 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.”\u009d<\/p>\n

Witnesses at the hearing will include:<\/p>\n