Posted on 07/11/2014 7:13:47 AM PDT by PoloSec
Texas Republican Rep. Steve Stockman filed a resolution calling for the arrest of former IRS official Lois Lerner over the Internal Revenue Service nonprofit targeting scandal Thursday.
Lerner, alongside the IRS, are under investigation for unfairly scrutinizing conservative nonprofits for tax-exempt status.
“Asking the Justice Department to prosecute Lois Lerner for admittedly illegal activity is a joke,” Stockman said. “The Obama administration will not prosecute the Obama administration. How much longer will the House allow itself to be mocked? It is up to this House to uphold the rule of law and hold accountable those who illegally targeted American citizens for simply having different ideas than the President.” (RELATED: Lerner Warned Colleagues In 2013: Congress Will Ask For Our Emails)
Stockman’s resolution instructs the House’s Sergeant at Arms — its chief law enforcement officer — to arrest Lerner on charges of contempt of Congress. The Sergeant at Arms is directed by the House speaker, currently Ohio Republican John Boehner.
The House voted to hold Lerner in contempt for refusing to testify before Congress in May by a vote of 231-187. (RELATED: Lerner Did Print Out ‘Some’ Emails, After All)
Congress does have the power to arrest individuals held in contempt — a fact recently referenced by the popular show “House of Cards,” when the Senate Sergeant at Arms was directed to arrest absent senators. The power is, however, used very rarely.
Stockman’s resolution accuses Lerner of “refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena duly issued by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, thereby obstructing the Congress in the lawful exercise of its constitutionally mandated legislative powers,” calling her behavior “an insult to the dignity of the House of Representatives [and] an attack upon the integrity of its proceedings, [which] works violence upon the rights of the House collectively, and therefore implicates the long-recognized inherent power of the House to punish and commit for contempt, privileged under the Constitution.”
If arrested, Lerner “shall enjoy no special privileges beyond those extended to her fellow inmates, shall not access any computer or telephone, and shall not be visited by anyone other than her counsel, clergy, physician, or family.”
Great idea-—LOL.
If Lerner was arrested she couldn’t be found in a park somewhere, dead. The prison would be the safest place for her to be - and the ONLY safe place she could be until she comes clean and gets rid of the motive for the regime to kill her.
Putting her in jail might help her to consider her options wisely...
And Stockman has it exactly right: as long as people can get away with outright lying to Congress, all we can expect is people pooping on the truth and on the rule of law.
The text of the resolution, H.Res. 664, follows.
Providing for the arrest of Lois G. Lerner to answer the charge of contempt of Congress
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mr. STOCKMAN submitted the following resolution, which was referred to the Committee on ______________
RESOLUTION
Providing for the arrest of Lois G. Lerner to answer the charge of contempt of Congress
Whereas Lois G. Lerner, former Director, Exempt Organizations, Internal Revenue Service, has been found to be in contempt of Congress for willfully and intentionally refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena duly issued by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, thereby obstructing the Congress in the lawful exercise of its constitutionally mandated legislative powers; and,
Whereas such behavior is an insult to the dignity of the House of Representatives, an attack upon the integrity of its proceedings, works violence upon the rights of the House collectively, and therefore implicates the long-recognized inherent power of the House to punish and commit for contempt, privileged under the Constitution; and,
Whereas recent history with similarly contumacious and insolent witnesses such as Eric Himpton Holder, Junior, strongly suggests that the present statutory judicial rubric set up to punish and reform such insubordinate and obstructionist witnesses would be ineffective in this case, as it is likely that the US Attorney for the District of Columbia would refuse to perform his lawful duty to bring the offending contemnor Lerner before a Grand Jury and prosecute the same for her misconduct pursuant to section 104 of the Revised Statutes of the United States (2 U.S.C. 194) and section 102 of the Revised Statutes of the United States (2 U.S.C. 192); and,
Whereas the executive and judicial branches’ prolonged and dawdling failure to prosecute Attorney General Holder’s insolent contempt of the 112th Congress strongly suggests that a like proceeding against contemnor Lerner would be similarly futile, and the threat of such prosecution has clearly been insufficient to encourage contemnor Lerner to be honest and candid with the Congress regarding the heinous actions of the Internal Revenue Service;
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Speaker issue his warrant, directed to the Sergeant-at-Arms, or his deputy, commanding him to arrest and take into custody forthwith, wherever to be found, the body of Lois G. Lerner, and bring her to the bar of the House without delay to answer to the charge of contempt of its authority, breach of its privileges, and gross and wanton insult to the integrity of its proceedings, and in the meantime keep the body of Lerner in his custody in the common jail of the District of Columbia, subject to the further order of the House. While in custody, Lerner shall enjoy no special privileges beyond those extended to her fellow inmates, shall not access any computer or telephone, and shall not be visited by anyone other than her counsel, clergy, physician, or family.
The Pubs are really behind the 8 ball and moving slow on this as they are with all things. I can only guess at how bad things really are.
If an individual in any private sector venue pulled a stunt like SHE did, that person would be in slam ALREADY.
I don’t get how government workers (assuming they actually do work-when they are NOT squandering taxpayer revenue on parties and travel) can break long standing and clearly articulated laws and never see jail time. They are never regarded or treated as any other citizen who be who breaks the same laws or commits equivalent criminal malfeasance.
How did the US cultivate this privileged class of irresponsible, unprincipled and rapacious parasites?
It would ALMOST make sense if they possessed positively exceptional abilities, if they were superlatively capable, unerringly proficient and irreproachably HONEST in their work and in their personal conduct.
However, and increasingly, they are routinely and almost daily proved to be THE most incompetent and dishonorable mob of pathological criminals!
Sounds fantastic to me.
Congressman Adrian Smith will be hearing from me, STRONGLY encouraging him to vote for this resolution. H. Res 664.
We need to burn up the phone lines and let DC know the rule of law is a prerequisite for ANY of the investigations to make any difference whatsoever - and is critical to the existence of this nation.
The Speaker needs to issue a warrant. It could be issued today. Unfortunately the Speaker is Obama’s point-man in the House.
Here’s where everybody can find the phone number for their Representative: http://www.house.gov/representatives/
I just called Adrian Smith’s office urging him to vote for that resolution, saying none of the investigations mean anything unless there’s some “bite” to keep people accountable. The guy seemed to know immediately what I was talking about and seemed to agree.
Stockman has provided the opportunity, now we Freepers need to put it into high gear...
Can the speaker refuse to do what a passed resolution says? Does he have discretion to be just as lawless as Obama?
If so, maybe HE needs to be arrested...
>> Can the speaker refuse to do what a passed resolution says? Does he have discretion to be just as lawless as Obama?
I haven’t previously looked at that aspect. A cursory review of the House Rules shows Rule 1, clause 4 “The Speaker shall sign all acts and joint resolutions passed by the two Houses and all writs, warrants, and subpoenas of, or issued by order of, the House.”
H.Res. 664 is not a joint resolution, it is a House Resolution directing the Speaker to issue a warrant. If adopted by the House the Speaker would issue a warrant, then the Speaker “shall sign” the warrant.
In my opinion the Speaker can not refuse.
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/HMAN-113/pdf/HMAN-113-houserules.pdf
The House needs to adopt the Resolution.
It looks that way to me too.
IOW, if we really want Boehner to comply with the rule of law, we need to get the House to pass this resolution.
Pinging some people who I know have ping lists, and to my ping list. We need to get this out to everybody.
Steve Stockman has filed a resolution calling for the arrest of Lois Lerner. If passed, it appears that Boehner would have no choice but to comply. I very seriously believe this is the first step toward ANY of the investigations getting anything done. For Lerner to sit in jail would send a HUGE message that we the people are serious and we are making our representatives truly represent us.
I believe the number one foe we face is our own demoralization. We act as if we cannot change anything. I don’t know if we can or can’t, but I know we sure as heck can’t if we’re too defeated to try.
And though I can’t say anything about it specifically right now, I have good reason to believe that the Lord has intervened on our behalf. There are things happening that only God can do. Never, ever, ever give up! As Elisha told his servant - open your eyes and see that those who are with us are more than those against us. The Lord is our strength and shield, and He can do what is impossible for man. A slingshot and a stone, in the hands of one willing to stand for truth and life, is MORE THAN ENOUGH.
Let’s roll!
The next liberal house of representatives decides to round up Christians!
They already have the ability to do that through the IRS, DOJ, NSA, DHS - you name it. We’ve got nothing to lose by acting. And at the same time, everything to lose by not acting.
The Constitution specifically gives the House this ability. Why do we consider it so very dangerous to actually have it be used?
Great! I don’t know what if any procedural challenges there are to getting the resolution adopted. Maybe someone knowledgeable on House procedures could help.
Which in all likelihood means that if Lois should show up on the floor of the House, she will be arrested. Perhaps by the Capitol Police, escorted from the Floor, and released. Congress has no way of holding anyone prisoner for long.
In short, this a feel-good gesture. The very best that could be hoped for is that if placed under arrest, Lois might be censured. But, love to see the Ladbrooke's Line on this getting to the floor for a vote.
I don’t know if we can or can’t, but I know we sure as heck can’t if we’re too defeated to try.
Let's get together and go for it. Why not? It would embarrass Boehner and the WH. However, let's be real again for a while, shall we? Boehner has prepared his exit strategy, and has GOPe clones ready to go. The GOPe has billions at stake. They will not repent and sin no more. They will fight tooth and nail to hang on to the immeasurable wealth that a cooperative minority party can negotiate. You, gentle voter, be damned! The pork and the perks that keep the GOPe in their safe seats depends ultimately upon the good will of one Barack Hussein Obama, a homosexual jihadist from Allah-Alone-Knows-Where,and his many minions
Think 2014. The alleged "opposition," supposedly (LOL) "our" people, are poised to assume control. What, pray tell, are they going to do with it? Where's the PLAN, Stan? What be the PROGRAM, Sam? Who be the LEADER, Peter?
But what the exit plan may not account for is two things:
1. People are waking up. There are far more of us than there are of them. Is it 2ndDivisionVet who keeps posting “What good can a rifle do against an army”? This regime - including the R do-nothings - may well find out the answer to that question if they don’t get a clue. The invasion taking place right now, at the same time as we’re finding out that ISIS and other terrorists have been trained, armed, funded, granted access, and provided propaganda cover by this regime... is waking people up. Those of us who are awake need to take the phone lines by storm so DC KNOWS the giant has awoken.
2. Aslan may be on the move, in Narnia terminology. Who cares if they’ve got the White Witch, if we’ve got Aslan?
The resolution says wherever Lerner’s body may be found, not just at Congress. Basically a warrant for her arrest wherever she’s at.
And it says she’s not to be released until further action by the House, IIRC.
The procedural ways to try to keep it from a vote - yeah, we’ll have to get past the slime on that part. But even slime can melt under extreme heat...
Well, Butter, me love, I will admit 'they' do seem to be thrashing about and farting more than usual. But "Waking Up?" Nah, much too strong a description. The tattooed 300-pound zombies at the Wal-Mart lot seem to be slumbering away as always.
What would convince me ... somewhat restore my faith in my fellow citizens? 90%+ turn out among non-Democrats this Fall.
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