IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1509 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the next president 
of the United States should immediately work to reverse damaging and 
illegal actions taken by the Bush/Cheney Administration and collaborate 
with Congress to proactively prevent any further abuses of executive 
branch power. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 26, 2008 
Ms. BALDWIN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Armed 
Services, Foreign Affairs, and Select Intelligence (Permanent Select), for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the next president of the United States should imme-
diately work to reverse damaging and illegal actions 
taken by the Bush/Cheney Administration and collabo-
rate with Congress to proactively prevent any further 
abuses of executive branch power. 
Whereas over the past several years, serious questions have 
been raised about the conduct of high ranking Bush/Che-
ney Administration officials in relation to some of the 
most basic elements of our democracy: respect for the 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:44 Sep 28, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1509.IH
HR1509
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
•HRES 1509 IH 
rule of law, the principle of checks and balances, and the 
fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights; 
Whereas the Bush/Cheney Administration misled the Amer-
ican public and the U.S. Congress regarding the threat 
of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and alleged, despite 
all evidence to the contrary, a relationship between Iraq 
and al Qaeda, and this deceit dragged our country into 
a preemptive and unjustified war that has taken the lives 
of more than 4,000 United States troops, injured 30,000 
more, and will cost our nation more than a trillion dol-
lars; 
Whereas the Bush/Cheney Administration undermined na-
tional security by manipulating and exaggerating evi-
dence of Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities despite no 
real evidence that Iran had the intention or capability of 
attacking the United Sates, and then deliberately 
downplayed the December 2007 National Intelligence Es-
timate that reported with ‘‘high confidence’’ that Iran 
stopped developing nuclear weapons in 2003 because of 
international pressure; 
Whereas the Bush/Cheney Administration has undertaken a 
broad assault on civil liberties through the suspension of 
habeas corpus and claiming the power to declare any per-
son an ‘‘enemy combatant,’’ blatantly ignoring the Gene-
va Convention protections that the United States helped 
create, ratify, and which carry the weight of law; 
Whereas the Bush/Cheney Administration endorsed the tor-
ture and rendition of prisoners in violation of stated 
American policy and values, as well as international law, 
and then destroyed videotapes which may have substan-
tiated such torture; 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:44 Sep 28, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1509.IH
HR1509
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
•HRES 1509 IH 
Whereas the Bush/Cheney Administration violated the Fourth 
Amendment and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act 
of 1978 by spying on Americans without a court order 
or oversight; 
Whereas the Bush/Cheney Administration abused the state 
secrets privilege in recent legal challenges regarding 
warrantless wiretapping, torture, and rendition, and this 
administration’s use of the state secrets privilege has 
been to the detriment of the rights of private litigants 
harmed by egregious misconduct, as well as Americans’ 
trust in the judicial system; 
Whereas Bush/Cheney Administration officials have consist-
ently impeded congressional investigations into allega-
tions of wrongdoing by refusing to comply with congres-
sional subpoenas; 
Whereas Bush/Cheney Administration claims that senior 
presidential advisers are immune from congressional sub-
poenas have impeded congressional oversight, undermined 
the rule of law, damaged our democracy, and have been 
rejected by a United States district court; 
Whereas United States Attorneys pursued politically moti-
vated prosecutions in violation of the law, and allegedly 
at the direction of the Bush/Cheney Administration; 
Whereas Bush/Cheney Administration officials in the Depart-
ment of Justice systematically violated the law and com-
mitted misconduct in basing hiring decisions for career 
prosecutor positions, detailees to senior Department of-
fices, and immigration judgeships on the applicants’ po-
litical affiliations and views; 
Whereas it appears Bush/Cheney Administration officials in-
tentionally revealed the identity of Valerie Plame Wilson 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
04:31 Sep 28, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1509.IH
HR1509
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
•HRES 1509 IH 
as a covert agent of the CIA for political retribution, and 
then intentionally obstructed justice by disseminating 
false information through the White House press office; 
Whereas President Bush has shown contempt for the legisla-
tive branch and disregard for the law through the exces-
sive expansion of presidential power in misusing signing 
statements that declare his intent to ignore provisions of 
legislation he has signed into law; 
Whereas Bush/Cheney Administration officials have system-
atically shielded from access and destroyed public docu-
ments relevant to the conduct of the administration by 
utilizing nongovernmental email accounts for official com-
munications; 
Whereas Vice President Cheney has consistently placed self- 
interest over serving the American people, exemplified by 
his claim that the Office of the Vice President is not an 
entity within the executive branch for the alleged purpose 
of shielding the activities of his office from public scru-
tiny; 
Whereas President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and other 
Bush/Cheney Administration officials have been pre-
sented with ample opportunities to collaborate with Con-
gress and reverse the above listed damaging and abusive 
actions; 
Whereas despite these opportunities, they instead choose to 
show contempt for the Constitution and the legislative 
branch, compelling Americans and Congress to look to 
the next administration for executive branch account-
ability; 
Whereas on November 4, 2008, Americans will elect the next 
president of the United States; 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:44 Sep 28, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR1509.IH
HR1509
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
•HRES 1509 IH 
Whereas on January 20, 2009, the next president of the 
United States will stand before the American people and 
take an oath of office, swearing to ‘‘. . . preserve, pro-
tect and defend the Constitution of the United States’’; 
Whereas this commitment and obligation is so fundamental 
to our democracy that our Nation’s founders proscribed 
this oath in our Constitution; 
Whereas no President or Congress has the authority to over-
ride that document, whereby ‘‘We the People’’ conferred 
upon the branches of government limited and defined 
power, and provided for meaningful checks and balances; 
and 
Whereas the actions taken by the next president of the 
United States will impact the conduct of future presi-
dents, perhaps for generations: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that the next President of the United States 
should take the necessary steps to do the following: 
(1) AFFIRM
OUR
NATION’S
COMMITMENT
TO 
UPHOLDING
THE
CONSTITUTION
OF
THE
UNITED 
STATES.—The next president must immediately and 
publicly reaffirm our Nation’s commitment to the 
rule of law, the principle of checks and balances, re-
spect for the legislative process, and the funda-
mental freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights. 
(2) FULLY INVESTIGATE BUSH/CHENEY ADMIN-
ISTRATION OFFICIALS’ ALLEGED CRIMES AND HOLD 
THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANY ILLEGAL ACTS.—The 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
04:31 Sep 28, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR1509.IH
HR1509
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
•HRES 1509 IH 
next President must cooperate fully with congres-
sional oversight efforts to establish an independent 
investigation, as well as to address potential statute 
of limitation concerns, in order to hold all Bush/Che-
ney Administration officials accountable for any 
crimes they may have committed. 
(3) HOLD ACCOUNTABLE BUSH/CHENEY ADMIN-
ISTRATION OFFICIALS WHO SHOWED OR SHOW CON-
TEMPT FOR THE LEGAL DUTY TO COMPLY WITH 
CONGRESSIONAL
SUBPOENAS.—The next President 
must fully support Congress’ constitutionally rooted 
right of access to the information it needs to per-
form its legislative and oversight functions enun-
ciated in Article I of the Constitution. 
(4) HOLD ACCOUNTABLE BUSH/CHENEY ADMIN-
ISTRATION OFFICIALS WHO DISCLOSED THE IDEN-
TITY OF ANY COVERT INTELLIGENCE AGENT.—The 
next President must cooperate fully with congres-
sional efforts to ensure that the disclosure of the 
identity of any United States intelligence agent 
could give rise to criminal liability. 
(5) HOLD ACCOUNTABLE BUSH/CHENEY ADMIN-
ISTRATION
OFFICIALS
WHO
PURSUE
POLITICALLY 
MOTIVATED
PROSECUTIONS.—The next President 
must cooperate fully with congressional efforts to re-
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:44 Sep 28, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR1509.IH
HR1509
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
•HRES 1509 IH 
store faith in the American justice system by inves-
tigating and censuring any officials who engage in 
misconduct in Federal office. 
(6) ENSURE THAT ANY BUSH/CHENEY ADMINIS-
TRATION
OFFICIAL
GUILTY
OF
A
WAR
CRIME
IS 
PROSECUTED
UNDER
THE
WAR
CRIMES
ACT
AND 
THE ANTI-TORTURE ACT.—The next President must 
cooperate fully with congressional efforts to repeal 
the redefinition of grave abuses of Common Article 
3 included in the Military Commissions Act of 2006, 
which limits the scope of the original War Crimes 
Act and makes this repeal retroactively operable to 
the beginning of the invasion of Iraq. The next 
President must also cooperate fully with congres-
sional investigations into the lack of prosecutions 
under the War Crimes Act and the Federal Anti- 
Torture Act despite countless allegations of serious 
violations. 
(7) AFFIRM
THAT
IT
IS
THE
SOLE
LEGAL 
RIGHT OF CONGRESS TO DECLARE WAR.—The next 
President must cooperate fully with congressional ef-
forts to tighten the standards for when a declaration 
of war is required for military action. 
(8) CRIMINALIZE LYING TO CONGRESS AND THE 
AMERICAN PUBLIC ABOUT THE REASONS FOR GOING 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:44 Sep 28, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR1509.IH
HR1509
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
•HRES 1509 IH 
TO WAR.—The next President must cooperate fully 
with congressional efforts to strengthen Federal per-
jury laws to prohibit the issuance of false state-
ments, concealment, or false documentation in any 
matter related to a presidential request for a dec-
laration of war. 
(9) RESTORE THE WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS AS 
AN ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLE OF OUR DEMOCRACY.— 
The next President must reaffirm our Nation’s trea-
ty obligations under the Geneva Conventions and en-
sure all individuals held by the United States have 
access to the courts to petition for a writ of habeas 
corpus. 
(10) ENSURE TORTURE IS UNIFORMLY PROHIB-
ITED UNDER UNITED STATES LAW.—The next presi-
dent must cooperate fully with congressional efforts 
to codify anti-torture language and approve uniform 
standards for interrogation techniques applicable to 
individuals under control or custody of the United 
States Government. 
(11) ENSURE RENDITION IS UNIFORMLY PRO-
HIBITED UNDER UNITED STATES LAW.—The next 
president must cooperate fully with congressional ef-
forts to outlaw torture ‘‘outsourcing’’ by prohibiting 
the direct or indirect transfer or return of persons 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:44 Sep 28, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR1509.IH
HR1509
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
•HRES 1509 IH 
by the United States for the purpose of detention, 
interrogation, trial, or otherwise to a country listed 
by the Secretary of State as supporting torture, 
cruel, or degrading treatment used in detention or 
interrogation of individuals. 
(12) IMMEDIATELY CLOSE THE GUANTANAMO 
BAY DETENTION CAMP.—The next President must 
do everything in his power to ensure that all sus-
pected terrorists held at Guantanamo are imme-
diately tried in fair judicial proceedings and are not 
subjected to trial by secret evidence. He must also 
engage the international community to ensure the 
release of innocent detainees. 
(13) ENSURE
THAT
AMERICANS
CAN
BRING 
CLAIMS
AGAINST
THEIR
GOVERNMENT.—The next 
President must guarantee that the state secrets 
privilege shall not constitute grounds for dismissal of 
a case or claim and instead require independent ju-
dicial review of claims of state secrets privilege by 
executive branch officials. 
(14) IMMEDIATELY TAKE AFFIRMATIVE STEPS 
TO
PROTECT
ALL
BUSH/CHENEY
ADMINISTRATION 
DOCUMENTS.—The next president must also publicly 
reaffirm that the Office of the Vice President is part 
of the executive branch. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:44 Sep 28, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR1509.IH
HR1509
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
•HRES 1509 IH 
(15) PUBLICLY REVIEW POTENTIAL ABUSES OF 
THE
PRESIDENTIAL
PARDON
PROCESS.—The next 
president must collaborate fully with Congress to in-
vestigate the granting of presidential pardons and 
articulate comprehensive standards to guide future 
presidential pardons. 
(16) REFORM
THE
USE
OF
PRESIDENTIAL 
SIGNING
STATEMENTS.—The next president must 
commit to providing all signing statements for publi-
cation, affirm Congress’ right to participate in court 
proceedings regarding the constitutionality of any 
presidential signing statements, and ensure that 
Congress can obtain testimony from administration 
officials who may attempt to claim executive privi-
lege to explain or justify any signing statements. 
Æ 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:44 Sep 28, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR1509.IH
HR1509
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS