Alberto Gonzales - Resignation - Calls For Resignation

Calls For Resignation

A number of members of both houses of Congress publicly said Gonzales should resign, or be fired by Bush. Calls for his ousting intensified after his testimony on April 19, 2007. But the President gave Gonzales a strong vote of confidence saying, “This is an honest, honorable man, in whom I have confidence.” The President said that Gonzales’s testimony “increased my confidence” in his ability to lead the Justice Department. Separately, a White House spokeswoman said, “He’s staying”.

On May 24, 2007, Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) of the Senate Judiciary Committee announced the Democrats' proposed no-confidence resolution to vote on whether "Attorney General Alberto Gonzales no longer holds the confidence of the Senate and the American People." (The vote would have had no legal effect, but was designed to persuade Gonzales to depart or President Bush to seek a new attorney general.) A similar resolution was introduced in the House by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA).

On June 11, 2007 a Senate vote on cloture to end debate on the resolution failed (60 votes are required for cloture). The vote was 53 to 38 with 7 not voting and 1 voting "present" (one senate seat was vacant). Seven Republicans, John E. Sununu, Chuck Hagel, Susan Collins, Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe, Gordon Smith and Norm Coleman voted to end debate; Independent Democrat Joseph Lieberman voted against ending debate. No Democrat voted against the motion. Not voting: Biden (D-DE), Brownback (R-KS), Coburn (R-OK), Dodd (D-CT), Johnson (D-SD), McCain (R-AZ), Obama (D-IL). Stevens (R-AK) voted "present."

University of Missouri law professor Frank Bowman has observed that Congress has the power to impeach Gonzales if he willfully lied or withheld information from Congress during his testimony about the dismissal of U.S. Attorneys. There was no evidence to support the allegation that Gonzales willfully lied or withheld information. Thus, according to the standard established by Professor Bowman, Congress had no basis, authority, or power to vote on this resolution.

Congress has impeached a sitting Cabinet member before; William W. Belknap, Ulysses S. Grant's Secretary of War, was impeached in a unanimous vote by the House in 1876 for bribery, but the Senate fell just short of the votes necessary to convict him. Belknap had resigned before the House vote, and several Senators who voted to acquit him said they did so only because they felt the Senate lacked jurisdiction.

On July 30, 2007, MSNBC reported that Rep. Jay Inslee announced that he would introduce a bill the following day that would require the House Judiciary Committee to begin an impeachment investigation against Gonzales. There were many, however, who supported Gonzales. One commentator wrote, “Attorney General Alberto Gonzales shouldn’t go quietly. In fact, he shouldn’t go at all. The Latino Coalition issued a press statement in March 2007 announcing their continued and unwavering support of Alberto Gonzales saying, “we strongly oppose what is nothing but patently political calls for the resignation of Alberto Gonzales. He has been, and continues to be, a leading example to all in the Hispanic community of what we can accomplish through hard work and by keeping true to our dreams.” The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association wrote expressing support for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, “Attorney General Gonzales is a man held in high regard by the men and women of Federal law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day to keep our nation safe. He is a strong law enforcement leader who is willing to listen to those of us out on the street every day serving and protection our nation. Mr. President, I urge you to convince Attorney General Gonzales to remain in his current position as our nation’s chief law enforcement officer. Our nation and the men and women who carry the badge and the gun need his leadership.”

Partial list of Members of Congress calling for departure

Democrats calling for departure:

  • Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Majority Leader: "It's foolishness if (President Bush) hangs on to him"
  • Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Vice-Chairman of Senate Democratic Conference, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee: "doesn't accept or doesn't understand that he is no longer just the president's lawyer," "carrying out the political wishes of the President" (first member of either chamber to call for ouster)
  • Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee: "I don't think he can be effective"
  • Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee: "I think we'd be better off if he did (resign), but that's a judgment the president is going to have to make"
  • Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA): "perplexed by the attorney general's testimony," "he has served as the president's lawyer, not our nation's"
  • Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY): "buck should stop somewhere"
  • Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT): "egregious lapses in judgment"
  • Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee: "I believe he should step down. ... the nation is not well served by this"
  • Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee: "his resignation is long overdue"
  • Sen. John Kerry (D-MA): "there must be accountability from the top down"
  • Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR): "serious breach between the Justice Department and Congress"
  • Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL): "lost his credibility"
  • Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL): "subverted justice to promote a political agenda"
  • Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR): "when the Attorney General lies to a United States Senator … it's time for that Attorney General to go"
  • Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee: "he had a hard sell to make to me, and he didn't make it"
  • Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO): "I believe it is in the best interest of our Nation for the Department of Justice to get a fresh start with a new Attorney General."
  • Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Speaker of the House of Representatives:"has lost the trust of the American people"
  • Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV): "shredded his credibility"
  • Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA): "has not been forthcoming"
  • Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), member of the House Judiciary Committee: told Gonzales in House testimony that it "makes me ill to see what has happened" to the Justice Department, and that "I don't think you're the one to fix it"

Republicans calling for Gonzales to leave:

  • Sen. John E. Sununu (R-NH), first Republican to call for ouster: "If I were the president, I would fire the attorney general"
  • Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR): ouster "would be helpful"
  • Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee: told Gonzales at hearing that "the best way to put this behind us is your resignation"; had earlier described affair as "idiocy"
  • Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): "very disappointed in his performance", "it would be best for Gonzales to quit"
  • Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), member of Senate Judiciary Committee: "If he and the President decide that he cannot be an effective leader moving forward, then he should resign."
  • Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN): "deeply concerned"
  • Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), ranking Republican on Senate Judiciary Committee: called failure to step down "bad for the Justice Department"
  • Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE): "lost the moral authority to lead"
  • Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA): "the president should have an attorney general who is less a personal friend and more professional in his approach"
  • Rep. Paul Gillmor (R-OH): "lightning rod"
  • Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-MI): "he's hurt the President by what he's doing … he's damaged himself and the President"
  • Rep. Jon Porter (R-NV): "egregiously mishandled," "we need to restore confidence"
  • Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV): "it's become a distraction"
  • Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE): "I trusted him before, but I can't now"
  • Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL), House Republican Conference Chairman, 1st top House Republican to call for ouster: "time for fresh leadership"
  • Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO): "a series of leadership failures"

In addition, several Republicans were critical of Gonzales, without calling for his resignation or firing:

  • Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), member of Senate Judiciary Committee: "the way this has been handled has been deplorable"
  • Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), chairman of National Republican Senatorial Committee: "incompetence," "they blew it"
  • Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), member of Senate Judiciary Committee: "He has said some things that just don't add up"
  • Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME): "I do not think he has served the president well"
  • Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), member of House Judiciary Committee: "could die by a thousand cuts"

Republican Senators Trent Lott and Orrin Hatch expressed support for Gonzales, although Hatch conceded that Gonzales had "bungled."

Others
Those calling for Gonzales's resignation included Presidential contenders from both parties:
Republican Senator McCain and Representative Tancredo
Democratic New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Senators Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, and Obama.

Read more about this topic:  Alberto Gonzales, Resignation

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