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HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ISSUES CONTEMPT CITATION FOR WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF JOSH BOLTEN AND PRESIDENT BUSH'S FORMER LEGAL COUNSEL HARRIET MIERS
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http://abcnews.go.com?CMP=EMC-1396 House Democrats Pass Contempt Citations
House Democrats Approve Contempt of Congress Citations Wednesday Against 2 Presidential AidesThe Associated Press By LAURIE KELLMAN Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON Jul 25, 2007 (AP)
The House Judiciary Committee voted contempt of Congress citations Wednesday against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and President Bush's former legal counselor, Harriet Miers. The 22-17 vote which would sanction for pair for failure to comply with subpoenas on the firings of several federal prosecutors advanced the citation to the full House.
WASHINGTON (AP) House Democrats drove toward a contempt citation Wednesday against a pair of President Bush's aides who refused to answer subpoenas as a key Republican said the wiser move might be for Congress to sue over executive privilege.
Rep. James Sensenbrenner argued that a civil lawsuit in federal court would be less perilous for the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches than a constitutional fight over contempt citations against White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and former presidential counselor Harriet Miers. "I think that the White House is going to win an argument in court" over the contempt matter, Sensenbrenner, a former Judiciary Committee chairman and senior House Republican, told the panel.
"The proper thing to do is to determine the executive privilege claim aside from who said what, who refused to submit to what, who didn't show up to subpoena," the Wisconsin Republican said. Instead, Congress should "direct the general counsel to the clerk of the House of Representatives to file a civil suit," Sensenbrenner added.
Chairman John Conyers, did not discount that option. But he said that faced with presidential aides flouting congressional subpoenas, the House has nothing to lose by pursuing a contempt citation.