House Passes Subpoena Enforcement Bill to Strengthen Congress’s Oversight Powers

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed the Congressional Subpoena Compliance and Enforcement Act (H.R. 4010), a product of the House Judiciary Committee, which requires recipients to comply with congressional subpoenas and establishes procedures for withholding privileged information. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chief sponsor of the legislation, have released the following statements: Chairman Goodlatte: “In order to hold the government accountable and uncover misconduct, Congress needs to retain the power to issue and enforce subpoenas. Relying on the existing framework to enforce congressional subpoenas has proved an inadequate means of protecting congressional prerogatives—which is why the Congressional Subpoena Compliance and Enforcement Act is so important. I want to thank Subcommittee Chairman Issa for his work to strengthen Congress’s power to investigate and conduct oversight. I encourage my colleagues in the Senate to quickly pass this bill and send it to the President to be signed into law.” Subcommittee Chairman Issa: “We have a responsibility to hold government accountable because the people have a right to know what they get from their government and because they deserve an efficient, effective government that works for them. During my time as Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, I saw time and time again the lengths some would go to avoid transparency or turning over the documents or materials that our committee was entitled to. The subpoena compliance legislation approved today is a long-overdue update that will strengthen our' ability to hold government and its leaders accountable to the people they represent."   Background: The Congressional Subpoena Compliance and Enforcement Act of 2017 creates a statutory framework for compliance with and enforcement of congressional subpoenas.  The statute requires that recipients comply with congressional subpoenas, establishes procedures for asserting legal privilege, and provides for expedited court review in any case involving the enforcement of a congressional subpoena. The House Judiciary Committee approved H.R. 4010 by a vote of 26-0.