Courts and Oversight

Z


Merrick Garland and "the Biden Rule" (Thurber 182)

Gorsuch and the nuclear option (Davidson 368-369)

Blue Slips and Senatorial Courtesy (Davidson, 369)

Suing the president... a Stag (Liz Wydra `98) explains it all:



Problems with oversight:

Capacity

• Multiple charts
• Declining committee capacity

Staffs.......1995.......2015

CRS.........746..........609
GAO.....4,572.......2,989

CBO.........214.........235

Hearings in the Contemporary Congress (Colbert at about 5:00).    See Thurber 135.



Hearing Prep


Mnuchin v. Waters, yesterday:





Graham and Barr, this morning:




How the Ways and Means Committee is asking for Trump's tax returns:

26 USC 6103

Upon written request from the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, the chairman of the Committee on Finance of the Senate, or the chairman of the Joint Committee on Taxation, the Secretary shall furnish such committee with any return or return information specified in such request, except that any return or return information which can be associated with, or otherwise identify, directly or indirectly, a particular taxpayer shall be furnished to such committee only when sitting in closed executive session unless such taxpayer otherwise consents in writing to such disclosure.

Subpoenas and Contempt of Congress

• The definitive encyclopedia article!
• Inherent contempt
• Civil contempt 
• Criminal contempt