Nancy Pelosi has taken the next critical step towards usurping the authority of the Executive Branch in the area of foreign affairs. Just last week she pushed a bill through the House that attempts to impose a time table for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq even though it is likley this would fail a Constitutional challenge even if it wasn’t vetoed.
Now she is visiting heads of state and discussing US positions on foreign policy in clear violation of the Logan Act:
Yahoo/AP: Pelosi has said she will tell Syrian leaders that Israel will talk peace with them only if Syria stops supporting Palestinian militants. She has said she will also talk to the Syrians about Iraq, their role in neighboring Lebanon and their support for Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants.
The Democrat has shrugged off White House criticism of her visit to Damascus, saying Monday she had “great hope” for reviving U.S. relations with Syria and changing its behavior.
“It’s interesting because three of our colleagues, who are all Republicans, were in Syria yesterday and I didn’t hear the White House speaking out about that,” Pelosi said.
With regard to the three Republicans visiting Syria, if they spoke about US policy with Syria, the may also be in violation of the law. The White House did speak out against that, contrary to Pelosi’s erroneous statement, and even if the White House had not, that is no excuse for one of our leaders to act in direct violation of federal law.
Liberals are fond of calling for President Bush’s impeachment even though he has not broken any laws. Yet we have a corrupt Congress lead by a power hungry House Speaker who is violating federal law right now and I will bet that no one will push for her prosecution as required by federal law.
Per the Logan Act:
Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.This section shall not abridge the right of a citizen to apply, himself or his agent, to any foreign government or the agents thereof for redress of any injury which he may have sustained from such government or any of its agents or subjects.
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Any citizen of the United States
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Nancy Pelosi is certainly a citizen of the United States
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without authority of the United States,
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President Bush did not authorize Nancy Pelosi’s trip and has indicated this trip will be “counterproductive”
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directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States,
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Nancy Pelosi has stated her intent to influence Syria, thereby crossing the line and acting outside her authority, portraying herself in a role of speaking on behalf of the United States
Folks, to me this is a clear violation of the Logan Act. The Justice Department needs to investigate this matter immediately and make an example of Speaker Pelosi. We need to stop allowing members of Congress to behave as if the Executive Branch moved down the road after the mid-term election. Nancy Pelosi is not only acting well outside the scope of her authority, she is breaking the law.
Update: Believe it or not, there may be one or two folks who might not agree with this view 100%. Since I had the distinct honor of being called a wingnut in the comment section of one site in particular, thought I would share the link so you can get a different take on the subject: Bush Vacations While Pelosi Deals No name calling though… they are entitled to their views, and my blog is a classy joint.
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Crossing the Line…
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The Logan Act was not designed to zing the Speaker of the House. I understand your frustration at the political shenanigans associated with Speaker Pelosi’s stunt–but the Logan Act, if used in this way, would backfire on the President. Better to let the Speaker indict herself.
Very good point Waco Farmer. I realize they would never really use the Logan Act in this case. In fact, if I’m not mistaken, it has only been used once in 200 years to bring an indictment. But the point is not necessarily to zing the Speaker, and clearly there would be a major political blow up if they ever tried to enforce the Logan Act in this case, but it is very frustrating, as you point out, that members of Congress, from both Parties, believe they have the right to interfere with foreign affairs.
I held the same opinion in December 2006 when six Democrats and four Republicans made a trip to Cuba to meet with acting president Raul castro: A One Play Act
I suppose the political backlash needs to be weighed against the damage done by these renegade delegations.
Thanks for your comment. Feel free to drop by any time to discuss or debate.
There is a difference. Nancy Pelosi met with the heads of states, the creators of foreign policy for those states. Do you thing that the president of Syria would have allowed Nancy Pelosi to meet directly with Syrian Law makers bypassing him? If she was a tourist, she would have met with shop and restaurant owners, not politicians.
Anyone with the consent of the president can meet with foreigh leaders. Of those who traveled to these countries, did some have and some not have the consent of the president? Without this consent, a Logan Act violation is present. If Nancy Pelosi had the consent of the president, or she was acting just as an American tourist not trying to negotiate foreign policy, then she was not in violation of the Logan Act. Otherwise, she was in direct violation.
The question of if the Justice Department will do anything about this is to be answered.
Exactly!