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<b>To All Readers: Help Force Congress To Observe the Law on National
Emergencies!!! </b><br>
March 24, 2009<br>
Peter Dale Scott and Dan Hamburg
<br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20090324183053848">http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20090324183053848</a>
<br>
<br>
<p>On 9/11 the Bush administration declared a State of Emergency (SOE),
which was formally proclaimed on September 14, 2001, and extended by
Bush repeatedly thereafter, most recently on August 28, 2008.<a
name="r1"></a><a
href="http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20090324183053848#1"><sup>1</sup></a>
Under cover of this SOE, Bush secretly enacted many extreme measures,
ranging from suspension of habeas corpus to preparations for martial
law in America; all these were undertaken as part of secret so-called
"Continuity of Government" (COG) procedures associated with the SOE,
and first instituted on 9/11.<a name="r2"></a><a
href="http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20090324183053848#2"><sup>2</sup></a>
<sup>and</sup> <a name="r3"></a><a
href="http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20090324183053848#3"><sup>3</sup></a>
</p>
<p>The National Emergencies Act, one of the post-Watergate reforms so
detested by Vice-President Cheney, requires specifically that</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Not later than six months after a national emergency is declared,
and not later than the end of each six-month period thereafter that
such emergency continues, each House of Congress shall meet to consider
a vote on a joint resolution to determine whether that emergency shall
be terminated.<br>
(50 U.S.C. 1622 (2002)<a name="r4"></a><a
href="http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20090324183053848#4"><sup>4</sup></a></p>
</blockquote>
<p> Last fall one of us appealed on the Internet for the Democrats in
Congress to take this statutorily required step, and also to learn what
secret COG measures were being enacted under the SOE.<a name="r5"></a><a
href="http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20090324183053848#5"><sup>5</sup></a>
There was no response.</p>
<p>In February 2009 we sent to officials in Washington the following
appeal to consider terminating the State of Emergency. The appeal was
sent to President Obama's staff in the White House, and to the staff of
Nancy Pelosi, Peter DeFazio, and Dennis Kucinich in Congress. Almost
two months have passed, and there has not yet been any response from
the addressees.</p>
<p>We are now appealing to the readers of this post to contact their
representatives in Congress, and demand that they consider the
termination of the State of Emergency, as is required of them by law.</p>
<hr width="50%">
<blockquote><b>This is the letter sent February 10, 2009 by Peter Dale
Scott and Dan Hamburg</b>:<br>
<strong>Will Obama and Congress End the State of Emergency?</strong><br>
<br>
On September 11, 2001, the government declared a state of emergency.
That state of emergency was formally put in writing<a name="r6"></a><a
href="http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20090324183053848#6"><sup>6</sup></a>
on 9/14/2001 consistent with Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies
Act (50 U.S.C.).<br>
<br>
The state of emergency has continued in full force and effect from
9/11/01 to the present. It was most recently extended on August 28,
2008 for an additional year:<br>
<blockquote> <strong>Notice: Continuation of the National Emergency
with Respect to Certain Terrorist Attacks</strong><br>
<br>
Consistent with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50
U.S.C.), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency I declared
on September 14, 2001, in Proclamation 7463, with respect to the
terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, New York, New York, the
Pentagon, and aboard United Airlines flight 93, and the continuing and
immediate threat of further attacks on the United States.<br>
<br>
Because the terrorist threat continues, the national emergency declared
on September 14, 2001, and the powers and authorities adopted to deal
with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond September 14, 2008.
Therefore, I am continuing in effect for an additional year the
national emergency I declared on September 14, 2001, with respect to
the terrorist threat.<br>
<br>
This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted
to the Congress.<br>
<br>
GEORGE W. BUSH<br>
THE WHITE HOUSE,<br>
August 28, 2008. <br>
</blockquote>
<p>Under a series of Presidential Decision Directives, the Bush
administration enacted secret emergency powers, reportedly affecting
the U.S. Constitution, which even the members of the House Homeland
Security Committee have not been permitted to review.<br>
<br>
Congress has a statutory obligation to address this situation. Section
1622(b) of the National Emergencies Act states that: "Not later than
six months after a national emergency is declared, and not later than
the end of each six-month period thereafter that such emergency
continues, each House of Congress shall meet to consider a vote on a
joint resolution to determine whether that emergency shall be
terminated."</p>
<p>We now have a new President, supported by a new Congress, elected
with a campaign promise of "Change." In this changed atmosphere, two
questions need to be answered to satisfy the legitimate concerns of the
American people:
</p>
<blockquote> <strong>Will President Obama allow the state of
national emergency, first declared by President George W. Bush on
9/14/01 and re-declared seven times, to remain in effect?<br>
<br>
Will Congress meet their statutory responsibilities under Section
1622(b) of the National Emergencies Act, and meet to determine whether
that emergency shall be terminated?</strong></blockquote>
<p>Dan Hamburg, former US Representative (CA-01)<br>
Peter Dale Scott, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley</p>
</blockquote>
<hr width="50%">
<p><b>Our appeal to readers:</b> Please contact your Representative and
Senators (with a copy to the Homeland Security Committee Chairs
(contact info below), utilizing this information and requesting a
specific response to these two questions. You may also wish to follow
up with a phone call to their offices, asking to speak with the staffer
who can answer your questions about national emergencies. Submit
responses you receive and/or answers to the questions you ask, to
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:responses@911truth.org">responses@911truth.org</a> for posting here. Please also <a
href="http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20090324183053848#r7"
target="_blank">post this appeal</a> to your websites, and forward to
your email lists.</p>
<p>Congressman Bennie Thompson, Chairman<br>
House Committee on Homeland Security<br>
176 Ford House Office Building <br>
Washington, D.C. 20515 <br>
Phone: (202) 225-5876<br>
Fax: (202) 225-5898 <br>
<a href="http://hsc.house.gov/SiteDocuments/memb111.pdf" target="_blank">Committee
Membership Roster</a> (Is your Rep on this Committee?)<br>
<br>
and <br>
Senator Joseph Lieberman, Chairman<br>
Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs<br>
340 Dirksen Senate Office Building<br>
Washington, DC 20510<br>
Phone: (202) 224-4041<br>
Fax: (202) 224-9750<br>
<a
href="http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?Fuseaction=About.Membership"
target="_blank">Committee membership roster</a>(Is your Senator on
this Committee?)</p>
<hr width="33%">
<p><strong>ENDNOTES</strong></p>
<p><a name="1"></a><a
href="http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20090324183053848#r1"><sup>1</sup></a>
<a
href="http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2008/08/20080828-7.html"
target="_blank">Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to
Certain Terrorist Attacks</a>. <br>
<a name="2"></a><a
href="http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20090324183053848#r2"><sup>2</sup></a>
Peter Dale Scott, <em>The Road to 9/11: Wealth, Empire, and the Future
of America</em> (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California
Press, 2007), 9-11, 183-87, 210-14, 233-42.<br>
<a name="3"></a><a
href="http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20090324183053848#r3"><sup>3</sup></a>
Investigation into Whether America is Still a Constitutional
Government, <a href="http://www.constitutionally.blogspot.com"
target="_blank">www.constitutionally.blogspot.com</a><br>
<a name="4"></a><a
href="http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20090324183053848#r4"><sup>4</sup></a>
<a href="http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/50C34.txt" target="_blank">
National Emergencies Act, (50 U.S.C. 1622 (2002))</a><br>
<a name="5"></a><a
href="http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20090324183053848#r5"><sup>5</sup></a>Peter
Dale Scott, "Bush Extends 9/11 National Emergency Yet Again." Global
Research, September 4, 2008, <a
href="http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=10065"
target="_blank">http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=10065</a>.<br>
<a name="6"></a><a
href="http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20090324183053848#r6"><sup>6</sup></a>
<a
href="http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2008/08/20080828-7.html"
target="_blank">Declaration of National Emergency by Reason Of Certain
Terrorist Attacks</a>.<br>
</p>
More information on National Emergency Powers, from a Congressional
Research Report last updated August 30, 2007, is available at <a
href="http://opencrs.com/document/98-505/2007-08-30" target="_blank">OpenCRS.com</a>.
A related CRS Report, <em>Martial Law and National Emergency</em>, is
available at <a href="http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/RS21024.pdf"
target="_blank">www.fas.org</a><br>
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