[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 113 (Friday, July 24, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1932-E1933]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE BURLESON DECLARATION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHET EDWARDS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 23, 2009

  Mr. EDWARDS of Texas. Madam Speaker, to honor the request of a group 
of citizens from Burleson, Texas in my district, I rise today to enter 
into the Record the following resolution:

                        The Burleson Declaration

       When, in the course of human events it becomes necessary 
     for ``we the people'' of the United States to remind our 
     federal government of it's constitutional limits, duty 
     demands that we communicate our grievances and petition for 
     redress under the First Amendment of the United States 
     Constitution.
       We begin by reaffirming the core values on which our 
     forefathers founded this Constitutional Republic.
       We hold these truths to be self evident--that all men are 
     created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with 
     certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, 
     Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
       That to secure these rights our forefathers instituted a 
     limited federal government which derives its just powers from 
     the consent of the governed--but the history of our Federal 
     government is one of continual over-reaching beyond it's 
     constitutional mandate to secure domestic tranquility, 
     provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare 
     and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our 
     posterity.
       We are therefore peaceably assembled here in Burleson, 
     Texas on this April 15th, 2009 to demand that the Federal 
     government immediately cease it's abridgement of the People's 
     rights, and the state's rights.
       We call on our District 17 U.S. Representative Chet Edwards 
     to read this our petition for redress on the House floor so 
     that it may be entered into the official record of the House. 
     We call on our U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John 
     Cornyn to enter our petition into the Senate record. We call 
     on President Barak Hussein Obama to veto all legislation and 
     desist from Executive Orders which contravene the will of the 
     people herein expressed.
       Whereas, the encouragement of private and public debt by 
     the federal government has brought America to the brink of 
     financial devastation, and has made us a debtor nation;
       Whereas, history proves government spending has never 
     succeeded in curing an economic downturn, but rather serves 
     only to deepen and prolong it, snowballing debt for future 
     calamity;
       Whereas, government takeovers of banks and financial 
     institutions move America ever further from the free-
     enterprise principles that have brought the nation prosperity 
     for 233 years, and bring it closer to Socialism;
       Whereas, bailouts of private corporations represent a 
     counterproductive response to what is, essentially, a 
     government-induced crisis, and effectively make the President 
     the CEO of private corporations;
       Whereas, the current level of irresponsible government 
     spending is bankrupting this country, burdening our children 
     and great-grandchildren with never-ending debt, and making 
     the United States a servant to lender nations such as 
     Communist China;
       Whereas, redistribution of wealth by government for the 
     purpose of achieving ``social justice'' is immoral and a 
     proven failure:
       We hereby demand an end to all further ``stimulus'' 
     spending, corporate bailouts, ``earmarks,'' pork projects, 
     welfare programs, higher tax rates and attempts to 
     nationalize industries. We reject socialism, no matter how it 
     is packaged. And we pledge to hold accountable any and all 
     elected officials who continue to pursue this course that is 
     rapidly leading America to ruin. We remind the government 
     that we are guaranteed a Republican form of Government in the 
     constitution. (Article 4, Section 4)
       We hereby petition Congress to repeal the Emergency 
     Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 which unconstitutionally 
     delegated to the Executive Branch the spending decision of 
     700 Billion dollars. We call on the government to immediately 
     divest itself of GM, AIG, and all private corporations, and 
     to provide an exact accounting of all TARP funds spent to 
     date. We demand the repeal of H.R. 1106, which forces 
     American families pay the mortgage for those who received 
     loans they did not qualify for.
       We petition Congress to repeal the Omnibus Appropriations 
     Act of 2009 (H.R. 1105), and that the budget bill under 
     consideration be killed which has a net tax hike of $1.35 
     trillion.
       We petition Congress for passage of H.R. 450 the Enumerated 
     Powers Act, to require Congress to specify the source of 
     authority under the United States Constitution for the 
     enactment of laws, and for other purposes.
       We petition Congress for a final end to the death tax which 
     effectively double taxes every citizen's income and usurps 
     our right to transfer wealth to our posterity. This abridges 
     our constitutional right to be safe in our effects, papers 
     and property.
       We reject the cap-and-trade energy tax, which Candidate 
     Obama admitted would ``cause electricity rates to 
     skyrocket.''
       We reject the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 which 
     will force onerous certification and inspection requirements 
     on family farms and could make private vegetable gardens 
     unlawful and turn the farmers market into a black market. 
     (H.R. 875)
       We reject the deceptively named Employee Free Choice Act 
     which takes from the American worker the right to privately 
     ballot whether to organize labor, or not, and makes them 
     subject to union intimidation and bullying. (H.R. 800)
       We reject the so called ``Ted Kennedy Serve America Act'' 
     which forces our youth into involuntary servitude and 
     subjects them to years of indoctrination. This is a violation 
     of the 13th Amendment to our constitution which abolished 
     slavery and involuntary servitude except when duly convicted 
     of a crime. (H.R. 1388)

[[Page E1933]]

       We reject all encroachment upon our 2nd Amendment right to 
     keep and bear arms. An armed populace is the greatest 
     preservative of the Republic against tyrants. We reject all 
     attempts to limit access to ammunition. We reject the 
     reinstatement of the Failed 1994 Gun and Magazine ban.
       As Ronald Wilson Reagan has said: ``There are those in 
     America today who have come to depend absolutely on 
     government for their security. And when government fails they 
     seek to rectify that failure [by giving] government more 
     power . . . at the expense of the Constitution. . . . in 
     their willingness to give up their arms in the name of 
     safety, they are really giving up their protection from what 
     has always been the chief source of despotism--government.''
       We reject government run Health Care which would give 
     bureaucrats the power to ration health care. This leads to an 
     Orwellian society where government ultimately decides the 
     time and circumstance of every citizen's death.
       Finally, we reject the current `Create a Crisis' method of 
     controlling the people of the United States. As Texas 
     Congressman Ron Paul correctly stated, ``Whenever something 
     terrible happens, people reflexively demand that government 
     do something. This impulse almost always leads to bad laws 
     and the loss of liberty.''
       We say that we do not trust in the Nanny-state, we choose 
     instead to believe in the Constitution, in our fellow 
     Americans, in the free enterprise system, and in our God.
       To these principles we pledge our lives, our fortunes, and 
     our sacred honor, and witness our determination by our 
     signature affixed below. We demand that our elected 
     representatives make it their highest priority to address 
     these grievances or face certain expulsion from office, and 
     we strongly suggest they add their signature to ours.
       Signed in Burleson, Texas, April 15th, 2009 by WE THE 
     PEOPLE.

                          ____________________