[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10266]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   NOTICE OF INTENTION TO OFFER RESOLUTION RAISING A QUESTION OF THE 
                        PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE

  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a)(1) of 
rule IX, I rise to give notice of my intent to raise a question of the 
privileges of the House.
  The form of the resolution is as follows:

       Whereas the chair of the Committee on Oversight and 
     Government Reform has interfered with the work of an 
     independent agency and pressured an administrative law judge 
     of the National Labor Relations Board by compelling the 
     production of documents related to an ongoing case, something 
     independent experts said ``could seriously undermine the 
     authority of those charged with enforcing the nation's labor 
     laws'' and which the House Ethics Manual discourages by 
     noting that ``Federal courts have nullified administrative 
     decisions on grounds of due process and fairness towards all 
     of the parties when congressional interference with ongoing 
     administrative proceedings may have unduly influenced the 
     outcome'';
       Whereas the chair of the Committee on Oversight and 
     Government Reform has politicized investigations by rolling 
     back longstanding bipartisan precedents, including by 
     authorizing subpoenas without the concurrence of the ranking 
     member or a committee vote, by refusing to share documents 
     and other information with the ranking member, and 
     restricting the minority's right to call witnesses at 
     hearings;
       Whereas the chair of the Committee on Oversight and 
     Government Reform has jeopardized an ongoing criminal 
     investigation by publicly releasing documents that his own 
     staff has admitted were under court seal;
       Whereas the chair of the Committee on Oversight and 
     Government Reform has unilaterally subpoenaed a witness who 
     was expected to testify at an upcoming Federal trial, despite 
     longstanding precedent and objections from the Department of 
     Justice that such a step could cause complications at a trial 
     and potentially jeopardize a criminal conviction;
       Whereas the chair of the Committee on Oversight and 
     Government Reform has engaged in a witch hunt, through the 
     use of repeated incorrect and uncorroborated statements in 
     the committee's ``Fast and Furious'' investigation; and
       Whereas the chair of the Committee on Oversight and 
     Government Reform has chosen to call the Attorney General of 
     the United States a liar on national television without 
     corroborating evidence and has exhibited unprofessional 
     behavior which could result in jeopardizing an ongoing 
     Committee investigation into Operation Fast and Furious: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives disapproves of 
     the behavior of the chair for interfering with ongoing 
     criminal investigations; insisting on a personal attack 
     against the Attorney General of the United States; and for 
     calling the Attorney General of the United States a liar on 
     national television without corroborating evidence thereby 
     discredit to the integrity of the House.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under rule IX, a resolution offered from the 
floor by a Member other than the majority leader or the minority leader 
as a question of the privileges of the House has immediate precedence 
only at a time designated by the Chair within 2 legislative days after 
the resolution is properly noticed.
  Pending that designation, the form of the resolution noticed by the 
gentlewoman from Texas will appear in the Record at this point.
  The Chair will not at this point determine whether the resolution 
constitutes a question of privilege. That determination will be made at 
the time designated for consideration of the resolution.

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