Reps. Lemmons, III, Lemmons, Jr., McConico and Virgil Smith offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 116.

            A resolution to memorialize the President of the United States, the United States Congress, the appropriate federal agencies, the federal and New Jersey and New York State Courts, and the states of New Jersey and New York to exonerate, pardon, and provide restitution to Assata Shakur.

            Whereas, The 1976 Final Report of the Select Committee to Study Government Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities (United States Senate, 94^th Congress, 2^nd Session, April 26 (legislative day, April 14), 1976 (the "Church Committee Report")) details many patently illegal and amoral crimes committed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in its domestic terror campaign called the Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO). Even with over a million pages not yet publicly released, a callously sinister picture emerges of an FBI that routinely foments murder to "neutralize" law-abiding citizens who have the temerity to exercise their right to dissent. A freedom fighter, Assata Shakur, formerly known as Joanne Chesimard, has been forced into exile in Cuba in order to escape one of the most dastardly and pernicious COINTELPRO attacks ever perpetrated; and

            Whereas, Assata Shakur was a member of the main political organization which was targeted for destruction by the FBI—the Black Panther Party. Panthers were routinely stopped, harassed, detained, and framed, by state and local law enforcement authorities at the behest of the FBI. Undoubtedly, this was the case when Assata Shakur, Zayd Shakur, and Sundiata Acoli were pulled over by the New Jersey State Police on May 2, 1973. In this apparent "driving while black activists" setup, the trio was ordered out of the car under the pretext of a broken tail light. Medical tests would later prove that Ms. Shakur was shot twice in the back while her hands were raised and was also shot while lying flat on her back; and

            Whereas, In an all too familiar scenario, the police opened fire without warning, leaving one state trooper fatally shot and another trooper wounded. In this probable "friendly fire" incident, the surviving victims—Assata Shakur and Sundiata Acoli—though severely wounded were, in true COINTELPRO fashion, charged with murder; and

            Whereas, The supposedly broken tail light would not stand up in the imminent media glare. Federal and New York State prosecutors began manufacturing an awesome campaign to vilify Assata Shakur. She was subsequently charged with bank robbery from a 1971 case (Federal Court), bank robbery from a 1972 case (Federal Court), kidnap of a drug dealer from a 1972 case (New York), murder of a drug dealer from a 1973 case (New York), and attempted murder of policemen from a 1973 case (New York). All of these trumped-up charges ended in acquittal or dismissal. Yet the damage was done. Any jury pool would now be predisposed to believing any charge against Assata Shakur. Her wanted poster mug shot was posted in every federal facility country-wide, especially in the U.S. Post Offices. Surprisingly, it still took four years to convict Assata via the guilt-by-defamation manner; and

            Whereas, Anyone who holds dear the constitutional liberties of a right to a speedy and fair trial, the right to an impartial jury, the right to equal protection under the law, the right to due process, and the right not to be falsely imprisoned should be outraged at the near lethal broadside of abuses levied by the government against Assata Shakur. All freedom-loving people should hail Assata Shakur’s heroic escape from the Clinton Correctional Facility in New Jersey in 1979. Assata's "Liberty or Death" mentality is rooted in the American ethos; and

            Whereas, This unconscionable one million dollar "bounty" placed on the head of Assata Shakur by the FBI and U.S. Attorney General in May 2005, smacks of the same lynch mob mentality which placed 40,000 dollars on Harriet Tubman’s head; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we memorialize the United States Congress to strongly encourage the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Federal Court, and both New York and New Jersey State Courts to make whole Assata Shakur and to compensate her for enduring multiple acts of state-sponsored terrorism; and be it further

            Resolved, That we memorialize the United States Congress to strongly encourage President George W. Bush to spearhead a morally correct movement which exonerates, gives amnesty, and provides a Presidential Pardon for Assata Shakur; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the United States Attorney General, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the members of the Michigan congressional delegation, the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, the chief justices of the New Jersey and New York judiciary, the Governors of New Jersey and New York, and members of the Shakur family.