[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 396 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 396
Authorizing and directing the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate
whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to
exercise the power vested by article 1, section 2, clause 5 of the
Constitution in respect to acts of misconduct by Donald John Trump,
President of the United States.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 22, 2019
Ms. Jackson Lee (for herself, Mr. Castro of Texas, Mr. Lewis, and Mr.
Cohen) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Rules
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RESOLUTION
Authorizing and directing the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate
whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to
exercise the power vested by article 1, section 2, clause 5 of the
Constitution in respect to acts of misconduct by Donald John Trump,
President of the United States.
Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary, acting as a whole or
by any subcommittee thereof appointed by the chairman for the purposes
hereof and in accordance with the rules of the committee, is authorized
and directed to investigate fully and completely whether sufficient
grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its
constitutional power to impeach Donald John Trump, President of the
United States of America, including but not limited to--
(1) violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the
United States Constitution;
(2) violation of the Domestic Emoluments Clause of the
United States Constitution;
(3) obstruction of justice;
(4) abuse of power;
(5) misfeasance in public office;
(6) malfeasance in public office;
(7) failure to protect the confidentiality of national
secrets from enemies foreign and domestic;
(8) failure to take care that the laws be faithfully
executed;
(9) failure to preserve records required by the
Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act (PRMPA)
of 1974 (Public Law 93-526, 88 Stat. 1695);
(10) countenancing the payment of ransom with Federal funds
to secure the release of an American hostage held in violation
of international law by an outlaw nation;
(11) authorizing the issuance of security clearances and
disclosure of national secrets to persons known by the U.S.
Intelligence Community to pose security risks;
(12) refusal to acknowledge and failure to act to deter
aggression and defend against attacks on the electoral systems
and processes of the United States by foreign nations, actors,
and entities;
(13) engaging in a criminal scheme to violate Federal
campaign finance laws to defraud the people of the United
States;
(14) mismanagement of the executive branch by failing to
nominate persons for positions requiring confirmation by the
United States Senate;
(15) destabilizing the peace and security of the United
States by condoning and normalizing White nationalism and
giving legitimacy to those who adhere to the doctrine of White
supremacy;
(16) endeavoring to abuse the law enforcement powers of the
United States to investigate and punish persons considered by
Donald John Trump to be his political enemies;
(17) undermining the essential institution of a free and
independent press by attacking media organizations and
individuals as ``enemies of the people'';
(18) denigrating immigrants and undermining the
international standing of the United States by separating
minor-age immigrant children from their parents with no means
or intention of family reunification; and for
(19) irreparable breaches of the public trust.
Sec. 2. The committee shall report to the House of Representatives
such resolutions, articles of impeachment, or other recommendations as
it deems proper.
Sec. 3. (a) For the purpose of making such investigation, the
committee, as it deems necessary to such investigation, is authorized
to require--
(1) by subpoena or otherwise--
(A) the attendance and testimony of any person
(including at a taking of a deposition by counsel for
the committee); and
(B) the production of such things; and
(2) by interrogatory, the furnishing of such information;
(b) Such authority of the committee may be exercised--
(1) by the chairman and the ranking minority member acting
jointly, or, if the ranking member declines to act, by the
chairman acting alone, except that in the event either so
declines, either shall have the right to refer to the committee
for decision the question whether such authority shall be so
exercised and the committee shall be convened promptly to
render that decision; or
(2) by the committee acting as a whole or by subcommittee.
Subpoenas and interrogatories so authorized may be issued over the
signature of the chairman, and may be served by any person designated
by the chairman, or any member designated by the chairman. The
chairman, or any member designated by the chairman (or, with respect to
any deposition, answer to interrogatory, or affidavit, any person
authorized by law to administer oaths) may administer oaths to any
witness. For the purposes of this section, ``things'' includes, without
limitation, books, records, correspondence, logs, journals,
memorandums, papers, documents, writings, drawings, graphs, charts,
photographs, reproductions, recordings, tapes, transcripts, printouts,
data compilations from which information can be obtained (translated if
necessary, through detection devices into reasonably usable form),
tangible objects, and other things of any kind.
Sec. 4. There shall be paid out of the applicable accounts of the
House such sums as may be necessary to assist the Committee on the
Judiciary in conducting the inquiry under this resolution, any of which
may be used for the procurement of staff or consultant services.
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