WHEREAS:
The actions of President George W. Bush threaten the very foundation of our democracy. Those actions include:

1. Invading and occupying Iraq based upon fabricated and erroneous information;
2. Funding military operations in Iraq with billions of dollars while cutting funding for vital services in the U.S.;
3. Adopting policies since September 11, 2001 including provisions of the USA Patriot Act (Public Law 107-56) and Patriot Act II and related executive orders, regulations and actions which threaten fundamental rights and liberties by:
   1. Expanding the authority of federal agents to conduct so-called "sneak and peek" or " black bag" searches, in which the subject of the search warrant is unaware that his property has been searched;
   2. Granting law enforcement and intelligence agencies broad access to personal medical, financial, telephone, library and education records with little if any judicial oversight;
   3. Permitting the FBI to conduct surveillance of religious services, internet chat rooms, political demonstrations and other public meetings without having any evidence that a crime has been or may be committed;
   4. Diminishing personal privacy by removing important checks on government surveillance authority and reducing the accountability of government to the public by increasing government secrecy;
   5. Granting expansive new immigration powers to the Attorney General which are subject to abuse, particularly with regard to immigrants from Arab, Muslim and South Asian countries;
   6. Expanding the definition of "terrorism" in a manner that threatens the constitutionally protected rights of Americans.
4. Approving the use of torture (including such practices as hooding, shackling, drugging, sleep deprivations, etc.) in the interrogation of suspected terrorists or their suspected accomplices;
5. Illegally detaining so-called "enemy combatants" and others who are jailed on the merest suspicion, refusing them legal counsel and either holding them indefinitely or secretly deporting them;
6. Authorizing warrantless electronic surveillance of people within the U.S., including U.S. citizens, by the National Security Agency;
7. Promoting policies that erode the separation of church and state;
8. Openly asserting executive power in attempts to override the U.S. Constitution, U.S. Congress and the U.S. judicial system, thus ignoring the system of checks and balances fundamental to democratic government.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME urges Congress to conduct an open, thorough and unbiased investigation of the above to determine the proper course of action; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That we must redouble our political efforts so that this November we elect a Congress that will have the courage and integrity to conduct such an investigation.

SUBMITTED BY:
David M. Lonergan, President
Jeannette Voiland, Secretary
AFSCME Local 2083, Council 2
Washington Legislation Committee