Contempt Of Congress

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Congress¿s contempt power is the means by which Congress responds to certain acts that in its view obstruct the legislative process. Contempt may be used either to coerce compliance, punish the contemnor, and/or to remove the obstruction. In the last seventy years the contempt power has been employed only in instances of refusals of witnesses to appear before committees, to respond to questions, or to produce documents. This report examines the source of the contempt power, reviews the historical development of the early case law, outlines the statutory and common law basis for Congress¿s contempt power, and analyzes the procedures associated with each of the three different types of contempt proceedings. Illustrations.

Congress's contempt power is the means by which Congress responds to certain acts that in its view obstruct the legislative process. Contempt may be used either to coerce compliance, to punish the contemnor, and/or to remove the obstruction. Although arguably any action that directly obstructs the effort of Congress to exercise its constitutional powers may constitute a contempt, in recent times the contempt power has most often been employed in response to non-compliance with a duly issued congressional subpoena whether in the form of a refusal to appear before a committee for purposes of providing testimony, or a refusal to produce required documents. This book examines the source of the contempt power, reviews the historical development of the early case law, outlines the statutory and common law basis for Congress's contempt power, and analyses the procedures associated with inherent contempt, criminal contempt, and the civil enforcement of subpoenas.