The Problem: Congress has lost the authority to enforce subpoenas.
Inherent contempt enforcement has been the most effective of the three methods available to Congress for defending its institutional prerogatives against contumacious behavior and ensuring timely compliance with its information demands. Congress employed it highly successfully and almost exclusively until 1935, even after enactment of the criminal contempt statute in 1857.
Congress stopped employing inherent contempt after 1935 for three reasons: (a) the associated trials at the bar of either house consumed too much floor time, (b) the habeas corpus suits that invariably accompanied the arrests and detentions of alleged contemnors further delayed the process excessively, and (c) the arrest and incarceration of witnesses was perceived unseemly. Read more.
Our Mission
Good Government Now was founded to strengthen congressional subpoena enforcement to re-establish an appropriate constitutional balance between the legislative and executive branches.
Top Posts:
Inherent Contempt Fines Rule
Read More
GGN Inherent Contempt Fines Proposal Gaining Traction in House Leadership Discussions: Rep. Schiff Third Committee Chair To Consider
Read More
Can Congress Enforce their Subpoenas?
Read More
Recent Posts:
House Must Adopt Inherent Contempt Fines Proposal to Avoid Repeat of McGahn Subpoena Debacle
Read More
GGN Praises House Inherent Contempt Fines Resolution
Read More
GGN Signs Transparency Letter to President Biden
Read More
GGN Leads Bipartisan Coalition Urging Congress to Include Inherent Contempt Fines Provision in House Rules Package
Read More
Bipartisan Coalition Letter Urging Congress to Include Inherent Contempt Fines Provision in House Rules Package
Read More
Congress Has Power to Enforce Inherent Contempt Fines Unilaterally Using all Available Collection Methods
Read More
