October 15, 2003

Congressmember F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.

Chair, Committee on the Judiciary

2138 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Sensenbrenner:

The Arcata City Council unanimously wishes to convey to your Committee our citizens’ widespread concern about the actions of President Bush and Vice President Cheney regarding the war on Iraq.

American soldiers and Iraqi civilians are dying daily as the occupation continues, and Congress has been asked to authorize an additional $87 Billion for the war, an amount that would cover the budget deficits of every state in the Nation. We are deeply troubled by the continuing cost in human life, by the devastating impact on our economy, and by the fact that even the CIA has stated that our country is now less safe from terrorism. The Arcata City Council believes the actions of the President and Vice President should be scrutinized.

More than a thousand Arcata residents have participated in providing the Council with public testimony, signatures on petitions, phone calls, emails and letters asking that we support the impeachment of the President and the Vice President. We have also heard from many citizens who are troubled by the administration’s actions, but are opposed to having our Council directly call for impeachment, and, of course, there are those who fully support the administration.

As you know, prior to the start of the war, President Bush and Vice President Cheney told the American people that:

· Iraq had an active program to obtain nuclear materials and build nuclear weapons;

· Iraq had a large arsenal of chemical and biological weapons, and was an imminent threat to the safety of the United States of America and to world peace, by the potential use of such weapons;

· Iraq had ongoing ties to al-Qaeda.

Letter to Members of Judiciary Committee

October 15, 2003

Page 2

We urge the Judiciary Committee and the Congress to investigate the following questions:

· Did President Bush violate congressionally ratified international treaties, including the United Nations Charter, and thus Article VI, the "supremacy clause" of the United States Constitution, by ordering the invasion and occupation of Iraq?

· Did false or misleading information provided by Bush and Cheney exaggerate the threat posed by Iraq, and was this part of a conscious effort by the administration to mislead the United States Congress and the American people?

· Did the administration act illegally and release the name of a CIA agent as retaliation for questions about the White House policy in Iraq?

· Do the actions of the administration warrant impeachment?

There is every indication that people will continue to die in the American occupation of Iraq, and that Congress will continue to be asked to appropriate billions of dollars for a war that may have been started on false pretenses. As elected officials we believe that it is our duty to share with you the concerns of our citizens.

On behalf of the citizens of Arcata, we urge the House Judiciary Committee to begin immediately an official inquiry investigating the administration’s conduct regarding the war on Iraq. Our citizens deserve the answers to our questions.

Sincerely,

S/Robert Ornelas

Robert Ornelas, Mayor

cc: U.S. Congressmember Mike Thompson

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer

Members of Committee on the Judiciary