Investigations of Members of Congress

Congressional Investigations of Members of Congress

When 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. Thus, the Court held that since a House had a right to expel a member for any offense which it deemed incompatible with his trust and duty as a member, it was entitled to investigate such conduct and to summon private individuals to give testimony concerning it.1 The decision in Barry v. United States ex rel. Cunningham 2 sanctioned the exercise of a similar power in investigating a senatorial election.

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References

This text about Investigations of Members of Congress is based on “The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation”, published by the U.S. Government Printing Office.

[Footnote 1] In re Chapman, 166 U.S. 661 (1897).

[Footnote 2] 279 U.S. 597 (1929).

Tables of Contents

• Investigations of Members of Congress and other Topics in the Contents – Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution
• U.S. Constitutional Law Category
• List of amendments to the U.S. Constitution
• Investigations of Members of Congress and other Topics in the Constitution Contents
• Interpretation of the U.S. Constitution (Table of Contents)
• Clauses of the Constitution (Table of Contents)