Holding the Administration Accountable By Senator Russ Feingold Milwaukee Journal Sentinel July 29, 2007 For some time, increasing numbers of Americans have expressed outrage at the misconduct of the president and his administration, and now the public's long-simmering anger has reached the boiling point. Everywhere I go in Wisconsin and elsewhere, as people decry the war in Iraq and this administration's blatant disregard for the rule of law, the bottom line is the same. Americans want to hold the president and the administration accountable for misleading our country into and subsequently mismanaging a disastrous war and for undermining our basic constitutional freedoms and separation of powers. Many have coalesced around a call to impeach the president and the vice president for their wrongdoing. I believe that the president and the vice president may well have committed impeachable offenses. That does not mean, however, that putting the country through two impeachment trials and distracting Congress from its other work, including trying to undo this administration's misconduct, is required or the right thing for the country. Congress should exercise its discretion by not pursuing impeachment. But that doesn't mean Congress should avoid taking formal action to condemn the president and members of the administration, who are responsible for some of the worst wrongdoing and worst abuses of power in our nation's history. To hold the president and his administration accountable, I plan to introduce two censure resolutions in the Senate, and Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) will introduce companion resolutions in the House of Representatives. These will be broad resolutions, one of which will address the war in Iraq, including the administration's efforts to mislead the nation into and during the war, while the other condemns the administration's abuse of the rule of law. The first resolution will condemn the president and others in his administration for involving the United States in the Iraq war under false pretenses and for perpetuating these claims, as well as numerous others, long after we invaded Iraq. In addition, this administration, in an attempt to justify this Iraq mistake, has repeatedly distorted the situation on the ground in Iraq. Rather than rely on the available intelligence, the administration exaggerated the threat posed by Saddam Hussein, overstated the case that he had weapons of mass destruction - particularly nuclear weapons - and falsely implied he had a relationship with al-Qaida and links to Sept. 11. That misconduct, coupled with inadequate planning and management, has resulted in a devastating war that has weakened our national security and cost more than 3,600 American lives. The president and his administration must be held to account for the needless toll this war has taken on our country and on so many American families. The second resolution will focus on the administration's repeated assaults on the rule of law. The president, attorney general and others have shown flagrant disregard for statutes, treaties and the Constitution in their drive to consolidate more and more power in the executive branch. Among the abuses of the rule of law that this censure resolution will address are the illegal warrantless wiretapping program at the National Security Agency, the administration's interrogation policy, its extreme positions on treatment of detainees that have been repeatedly rejected by the Supreme Court and its refusal to recognize and cooperate with Congress' legitimate responsibility to conduct oversight. I have not yet formally introduced these censure resolutions. Before I do, I will work with my colleagues to determine exactly what should be included, as well as seeking input from my constituents and the American people. More than a year ago, I introduced a resolution to censure the president for breaking the law with his warrantless wiretapping program and for misleading the public and Congress before and after the program was revealed. In January 2007, facing mounting litigation and a newly invigorated, Democratic Congress, the administration finally brought the program within the FISA statute. This time, I am taking a broader approach because evidence of the administration's misconduct, misleading statements and abuses of power has only mounted since then. While I don't support impeachment proceedings, I share the public's deep anger at this administration's refusal to acknowledge or answer for its repeated and serious wrongdoing. These two resolutions give Congress a way to condemn the administration's actions without taking time and energy away from the other critically important work before us. Their passage would also make clear, not only to the American people today, but also to future generations, how this president and this administration misserved the country. History will judge them and us by our actions, so we must formally condemn the malfeasance of this president and his administration. Censure is a measured approach that both holds this administration accountable and allows Congress to focus as much energy as we can muster on ending the war in Iraq and protecting the rule of law.