Marietta Declaration (Press Release 7/15/2014)
(Scroll Down for text of The Marietta Declaration)
For Immediate Release: Contact: Jerry Kotyuk (404) 374-0580 or Jim Jess (770) 403-9853
Georgia Tea Party releases revised Marietta Declaration
The Marietta Declaration calls for the end of the imperial presidency
Marietta, Georgia – July 15, 2014 – Georgia Tea Party Inc. (GTPI), a non-partisan advocacy group based in Marietta, has renewed its call for the end of the imperial presidency with the re-release of The Marietta Declaration. The Marietta Declaration enumerates federal executive branch abuses of authority and challenges federal elected officials to end these abuses and restore the principles of our Constitution. In the Constitution, the president is charged with carrying out the laws, instead of coming up with his own policies without the approval of Congress.
The Marietta Declaration was first introduced by Georgia Tea Party in 2012, and a number of local, state and national candidates and public officials signed it at that time. The new version has been revised slightly, mostly to clarify the legitimate powers of the president as commander-in-chief.
GTPI Vice Chairman Jim Jess, who authored the Declaration, said, “The Marietta Declaration is a natural response by freedom-loving people to the abuse of executive power and the lack of congressional action that has caused a century-long drift away from the Constitution as the law of the land. The Marietta Declaration calls on the president, as well as members of Congress, to restore our Constitution, consistent with the vision of our Founding Fathers.”
Jess also said, “Stopping executive branch overreaches is an important step in putting an end to what has become an imperial presidency, and we are urging all members of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate and candidates for these offices to sign this document.”
About Georgia Tea Party, Inc.
Georgia Tea Party, Inc. is a non-partisan 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy group. Its mission is to impact public policy by teaching all who seek to learn, the principles and spirit of individual liberty and constitutionally-limited self-government. Its objectives are: 1. To teach the principles of individual liberty and limited government as described in the nation’s founding documents, the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. 2. To inform the public about current issues from a perspective of individual liberty and limited, constitutional government. 3. To train and organize individuals to involve themselves in the political process and to address public policy issues with their elected officials. For more information, visit the website: www.georgiateaparty.org.
The Marietta Declaration (Revised 6/2/2014)
WHEREAS, the Constitution of the United States, in Article I, Section 1, grants all legislative powers to the Congress of the United States; and
WHEREAS, Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution vests the executive power in the President of the United States, and Article II, Section 3, gives the President the power and responsibility to faithfully execute, or carry out, the laws passed by Congress; and
WHEREAS, for nearly a century, the Executive Branch has exceeded its authority and violated the separation of powers in numerous ways:
- By policymaking through Executive Orders and Signing Statements;
- By policymaking through numerous departments, agencies, commissions and advisors, in many cases, because of the unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority by Congress to the Executive Branch;
- By not enforcing laws that should be enforced and by selectively enforcing the laws;
- And by the abuse of executive authority by the President while acting as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Georgia Tea Party, Inc. (GTPI) strongly supports a redefinition of the role of the Executive Branch of the federal government consistent with the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
GTPI calls upon all candidates for the office of President of the United States, members of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives and candidates for these offices to support the constitutional role of the Executive as envisioned by our nation’s founders and to swear to uphold the Constitution while in office; and further
- To work to abolish federal departments and programs that are not performing responsibilities expressly delegated to the federal government by the U.S. Constitution. In many cases, such responsibilities should be returned to the states for administration of the duties and responsibilities closer to the people, consistent with the 10th Amendment to the Constitution.
- To rescind Executive Orders that exceed the executive authority granted to the President in the Constitution and those that run counter to the expressed will of the Congress.
- To discontinue the use of Executive Branch personnel who perform policy functions and usurp legislative authority, such as so-called “czars,” unless they are confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
- To work with Congress to change the unconstitutional process of Executive Branch departmental and agency rulemaking without consent of Congress.
- To work with Congress to fix the broken system of so-called “independent” agencies, boards and commissions, which bypass the constitutional protection of separation of powers by establishing, executing and adjudicating their own policies, with no constitutional checks on their authority. Power must be returned to Congress, to the states or to various industries and trades. In many cases, these federal bodies are supported by no constitutional provision that would justify their existence.
- To obtain the consent of Congress when war or other sustained military action is contemplated or begun, either through a declaration of war or through other unmistakable means by which it is made clear that Congress supports or opposes the actions of the President in committing U.S. troops and/or other support by the U.S. Armed Forces. (The President has authority to act to protect the lives of U.S.citizens and vital national interests, but congressional approval is required for ongoing military operations.)
GTPI urges all federal elected officials and federal candidates who support the objectives of this Declaration to indicate their support by signing this document.
GTPI urges all patriots who support this document and its principles to promote it and share it with their fellow citizens.
Finally, as our forefathers, we appeal to the great Judge of all humanity to hear our prayers and support our righteous cause in pursuit of American Freedom.
Georgia Tea Party Board of Directors
Approved by the Georgia Tea Party Board of Directors June 2, 2014.
© 2014 Georgia Tea Party, Inc.
www.georgiateaparty.org/marietta-declaration
Permission to reprint granted if credit is given