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Old 06-16-2005, 03:50 AM   #1 (permalink)
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Are House Democrats Reacting Appropriately to Republican "One Party" Rule?

Democrats are reacting to being shut out of "the people's house", by Republican leaders in the House of Representatives by attempting to hold their own hearings, since Republican House judiciary committee chairman Sensenbrenner refuses to allow Democrats to choose any witnesses to testify at house hearings. (Sensenbrenner's priority seems to be <a href="http://judiciary.house.gov/newscenter.aspx?A=517">writing letters</a> of protest to DNC chairman Howard Dean to object to Dean's recent inflammatory remarks, instead of actually using the judiciary committee to represent the interests of the American people.)

Do you agree with this response? If you disagree, what do you suggest that Democrats should do to attempt to represent the constituents of their home districts, and to attempt to hold the executive branch of government accountable? Is it better foi the citizenry to simply succumb to one party rule with congress reduced to the role of a "rubber stamp" of approval of the executive branch agenda?
Quote:
http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/expo...me/061405.html
Judiciary GOP pulls the plug on Conyers 'forums' June 14, 2005
By Albert Eisele and Jeff Dufour

If the Financial Services Committee is the best in the House when it comes to bipartisan comity, then the Judiciary Committee may well be the worst.

In December, ranking Democrat John Conyers (Mich.) began holding “forums” — gatherings with all the trappings of official hearings — after Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) refused to hold hearings on topics Conyers requested. The forums have been held in smaller committee rooms, often with C-SPAN coverage and formal witness lists.

In a sign of how far relationships on the committee have soured, majority staff recently announced a new policy to deny any request from a committee Democrat for the use of a committee hearing room.

Majority spokesman Jeff Lungren said the Republicans have given Democrats three opportunities to make clear that the forums are not official committee business. Nevertheless, Lungren said, in at least one case, members were addressing Conyers as “Mr. Chairman.”

“They were unwilling or unable to make those changes,” Lungren said. “At this point, if they want to hold these forums, they’ll have to find some other place to do it.”

Sean McLaughlin, deputy chief of staff for Sensenbrenner, recently wrote to a minority staffer in more pointed language.

“I’m sitting here watching your ‘forum’ on C-SPAN,” McLaughlin wrote. “Just to let you know, it was your last. Don’t bother asking [for a room] again.”

A committee source said committee Democrats are still planning to hold the forums when they find other available space.
Quote:
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/After_...ng_S_0615.html

After fracas, Conyers heads back to Capitol with Downing Street

UPDATE: C-SPAN 3 TO CARRY HEARINGS
The hearing will be broadcast live on <a href="http://www.cspan.org/">C-SPAN 3</a> Thursday.

Conyers' release follows. The event will be held at HC-9 The Capitol at 2:30 PM ET Thursday; the room is one that can be reserved by the Democratic leadership.

CONYERS TO HOLD DEMOCRATIC HEARING ON DOWNING STREET MEMO AND LEAD UP TO IRAQ WAR

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Thursday June 16, 2005, Rep. John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member of House Judiciary Committee, and other Democratic Members will hold a Democratic hearing to hear testimony concerning the Downing Street Minutes and the efforts to cook the books on pre-war intelligence.

On May 1, 2005 a Sunday London Times article disclosed the details of a classified memo, also known as the Downing Street Minutes, recounting the minutes of a July 2002 meeting of Prime Minister Tony Blair that describes an American President already committed to going to war in the summer of 2002, despite contrary assertions to the public and the Congress. The minutes also describe apparent efforts by the Administration to manipulate intelligence data to justify the war. The June 16th hearing will attempt to answer the serious constitutional questions raised by these revelations and will further investigate the Administration's actions in the lead up to war with new documents that further corroborate the Downing Street memo.

Directly following the hearing, Rep. Conyers, Members of Congress, and concerned citizens plan to hand deliver to the White House the petition and signatures of over a half million Americans that have joined Rep. Conyers in demanding that President Bush answer questions about his secret plan for the Iraq war.

WHAT: Democratic hearing on Downing Street Minutes and Pre-war intelligence

WHEN: Thursday, June 16, 2005, 2:30pm

WHERE: HC-9 The Capitol

(Overflow Room - 430 S. Capitol Street, The Wasserman Room)

WITNESSES: Joe Wilson, Former Ambassador and WMD Expert, Ray McGovern, 27-year CIA analyst who prepared regular Presidential briefings during the Reagan administration, Cindy Sheehan, mother of fallen American soldier, John Bonifaz, constitutional lawyer
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