GOP Surprise Move to Hear Cheney Impeachment Resolution

By Anastacia Mott Austin

House Republicans gambled, and won, this week after a call-the-bluff move in which they voted to give floor time to a resolution calling for the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney.

The measure was brought forth by Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), and the 11-page report read, in part, that Cheney had "in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the office of vice president, purposely manipulated the intelligence process to deceive the citizens and Congress of the United States by fabricating a threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction to justify the use of the U.S. Armed Forces against the nation of Iraq in a manner damaging to our national security interests."

Initially the Republicans had voted against the idea of allowing the measure to proceed to the floor, where it would have secured an hour’s worth of House time in a debate. But knowing full well that a vote to impeach Cheney would not fly (after Democratic leaders had already clearly confirmed this a number of times), the Republicans began changing their votes, in order to try to embarrass the Democrats by forcing the issue onto a floor debate.

"We’re going to help them out, quipped Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas). "We’re going to give them their day in court."

The final vote in support of a floor debate about the merits of the resolution was 251-162.

However, a second vote on a motion by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer(D-MD) to send the resolution to the Judiciary Committee rather than immediately discuss it was passed 218-194, essentially waylaying it.

Political experts say that the Republicans would welcome a public show revealing how few Democrats would actually support the impeachment of the Vice President, saying that such an action is only promoted by the far left fringe.

But Dennis Kucinich is serious. He had 22 co-sponsors of the bill, and read the articles of impeachment measure aloud on the House floor. "In all of this, Vice President Richard B. Cheney has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as Vice President, and subversive of constitutional government, to the prejudice of the cause of law and justice and the manifest injury of the people of the United States," read Kucinich. "Wherefore Richard B. Cheney, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office."

And there were a fair number of Democrats who voted to have the issue heard on the floor. "I believe that it is important that we hold our leaders responsible for their acts and their failures to act," said Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas).

Kucinich took advantage of chamber rules and presented his articles as a privileged resolution. Under the guidelines, a privileged resolution may be brought forward by any member of the House and is required to be heard within two days of its presentation.