by Justin A. Martell

Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) took one of the first steps in holding the Bush Administration accountable when he introduced House Resolution 1531 on Thursday.

The official title of HR 1531, which was introduced to the House Judiciary Committee, is "Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President of the United States should not issue pardons to senior members of his administration during the final 90 days of his term of office."

The resolution notes, "President George W. Bush may have committed crimes involving the mistreatment of detainees, the extraordinary rendition of individuals to countries known to engage in torture, illegal surveillance of United States citizens, unlawful leaks of classified information, obstruction of justice, political interference with the conduct of the Justice Department, and other illegal acts," and that, "Bush has been urged to grant preemptive pardons to senior administration officials who might face criminal prosecution for actions taken in the course of their official duties."

Rep. Nadler is the current chairman of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. According to an email sent out by Democrats.com, Nadler's leadership on this issue is crucial because he "can use his credibility and clout to move the resolution forward either during the lame duck session in December or when the next Congress convenes on January 6."

Democrats.com has also urged the public to persuade their representatives to co-sponsor H.R. 1531. You can contact your representative on your own, or sign the petition at Democrats.com, which will automatically forward your "yes" vote to your representatives.