Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, although the power of Congress to investigate is not set forth in any particular clause in the Constitution, congressional investigations trace their roots back to the earliest days of our Republic. In fact, what is thought to be the first congressional investigation occurred in 1792, when the House appointed a select committee to investigate the massacre of American troops under the command of Major General Arthur St. Clair. The resolution authorizing that investigation stated that the committee shall ``be empowered to call for such persons, papers, and records, as may be necessary to assist their inquiries.'' Upon learning of the investigation, President Washington assembled his cabinet to seek their counsel. His cabinet, which included Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, unanimously concluded that the House had every right to conduct its inquiry and request papers from the President. President Washington directed that the relevant papers be provided to the House and the War and Treasury Departments provided voluminous records to the committee. Unfortunately, not all congressional investigations are met with the cooperation the first investigation received. Rather, sometimes Congress and its committees must rely on another inherent power derived from the Constitution to investigate effectively--the congressional subpoena power.…”