Category: Congressional Investigations
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Contempt
Sanctions of the Investigatory Power: ContemptExplicit judicial recognition of the right of either house of Congress to commit for contempt a witness who ignores its summons or refuses to answer its inquiries dates from McGrain v. Daugherty.1 But the…
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Source of Congressional Investigations Power
Source of the Power to Investigate (Congressional Investigations)No provision of the Constitution expressly authorizes either house of Congress to pursue investigations and compel testimony in order to exercise its legislative functions. But such a power was frequently exercised by both the British …
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Protection of Witnesses Constitutional Guarantees
Congressional Investigations in Aid of Legislation – Protection of Witnesses; Constitutional Guarantees"[T]he Congress, in common with all branches of the Government, must exercise its powers subject to the limitations placed by the Constitution on governmental action, more particularly in the …
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Protection of Witnesses Pertinency
Congressional Investigations in Aid of Legislation – Protection of Witnesses; Pertinency and Related MattersA witness appearing before a congressional committee is entitled to require of the committee a demonstration of its authority to inquire into his activities and a showing that the questions as…
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Investigations of Executive Department
Congressional Investigations of Conduct of Executive DepartmentFor many years the investigating function of Congress was limited to inquiries into the administration of the Executive Department or of instrumentalities of the Government. Until the administration of Andrew Jackson this power was not s…
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Investigations of Members of Congress
Congressional Investigations of Members of CongressWhen either House exercises a judicial function, as in judging of elections or determining whether a member should be expelled, it is clearly entitled to compel the attendance of witnesses to disclose the facts upon which its action must be based. T…
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Investigations in Aid of Legislation
Congressional Investigations in Aid of Legislation PurposeBeginning with a resolution adopted by the House of Representatives in 1827, which vested its Committee on Manufactures "with the power to send for persons and papers with a view to ascertain and report to this House in relation to a rev…