Florida Congressman Honored for Standing Up for the Constitution

On Monday at the Deerfield Democratic Club in Broward County Florida Congressman Robert Wexler who represents the 19th Congressional District of Florida was honored with the prestigious Backbone Award. Sheldon Packer and Luis Cuevas of Progressive Democrats of America collaborated with the Backbone Campaign to organize the presentation. Rep. Wexler was very pleased to accept the award. The large and pleasantly surprised crowd of over 100 persons responded with a standing ovation.
The Award was presented after Wexler's speech to the group. "He was both eloquent and passionate," said Luis Cuevas of Progressive Democrats of America. "He promised to help enact a universal healthcare bill on the first day of the 2009 Congressional session and vowed to continue to push for impeachment hearings and to bring Dick Cheney to justice," said Cuevas. Wexler was nominated for and awarded the Backbone Award for his leadership in the House Judiciary Committee. The award inscription reads:

Backbone Award
Honorable Congressman
Robert Wexler
In Gratitude for Your Leadership in
Defense of the Separation of Powers &
The Supremacy of the Constitution of the United States.
From The Backbone Campaign &
Progressive Democrats of America
Over the past months Representative Wexler has led the charge within Congress and specifically within the House Judiciary Committee to insist that impeachment be put back "on the table" in defense of the Constitution and for the Separation of Powers outlined within it to be re-established.
During a recent hearing with Attorney General Mukasey Rep. Wexler pressed the A.G. asking whether he would enforce a contempt citation against the administration for ignoring Congressional subpoenas. When Mukasey said that he would not, Rep. Wexler challenged him on whether he was the People's lawyer or the President's lawyer. Mukasey avoided the question. Watch the exchange here.
This CSPAN clip again demonstrates the kind of bold stands Wexler is taking on the floor of the Congress. "This is the kind of leadership that the Backbone Campaign expects from our Representatives," says Bill Moyer, Executive Director and co-founder of the Backbone Campaign. "We the People have been ahead of congress too many times in the past eight years. Whether is was the Gonzales confirmation, Judge appointments, illegal un-provoked invasions and occupations, domestic spying or any number of issues. It's time Congress catch up. Americans must reestablish the bed-rock of our democracy, the rule of law and the limitations on Executive Power as outlined in the Constitution. Setting a precedent of accountability NOT impunity is the way to do that," concluded Moyer.
About the Backbone Award: The Backbone Campaign provides creative tools to the progressive movement to spark the strategic political engagement of progressives through a media-savvy, culturally rich, and inclusive activist art project. A key part of this project is to honor courageous, progressive elected officials and citizen activists by presenting them with Backbone Awards and Spine Awards. In so doing, we affirm the relationship between representatives and constituents, and the importance of courageous, principled actions taken at politically lonely moments. Our intention is to reward those who rise to the challenge at this crucial historical moment, in support of a broad movement aligned with the principles and positions articulated in our Progressive Platform. View Award Criteria and past recipients here.


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