[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 172 (Wednesday, November 20, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S6697]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RESOLUTIONS SUBMITTED TODAY

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate 
proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following resolutions: S. 
Res. 903, S. Res. 904, S. Res. 905, S. Res. 906, S. Res. 907.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolutions en bloc.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, this resolution concerns a lawsuit 
filed in Federal court in the District of Columbia against the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Chairman Sanders, 
Ranking Member Cassidy, and 18 other members of the committee. That 
suit was brought by an individual, Dr. Ralph de la Torre, who had been 
subpoenaed to testify at a hearing before the Committee but chose to 
disregard his legal duty and failed to appear at the committee's 
hearing. After Dr. de la Torre failed to appear, the Committee reported 
to the Senate, and the Senate agreed to, a resolution directing the 
President of the Senate to certify the fact of his default to the U.S. 
Attorney for the District of Columbia for consideration of prosecution 
for contempt of Congress.
  Dr. de la Torre then filed suit to try to prevent any sanction from 
being imposed on him for his default of a duly authorized Senate 
committee subpoena, claiming that the subpoena served no valid 
legislative purpose and that requiring him to appear at the hearing 
violated his Fifth Amendment rights, despite the fact that the 
committee made clear that he could assert a Fifth Amendment privilege 
in response to questions at the hearing, if applicable.
  Dr. de la Torre's suit against the committee and its members seeking 
to prevent any consequences for his default on the subpoena threatens 
to interfere with the independence of the Senate in conducting its 
legislative and oversight duties and improperly seeks to use a civil 
suit to forestall a criminal matter. This resolution would authorize 
the Senate legal counsel to represent the committee and the members 
named as defendants in this suit in order to seek its dismissal.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed 
to, the preambles be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolutions were agreed to.
  The preambles were agreed to.
  (The resolutions, with their preambles, are printed in today's Record 
under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')

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