House readies for key contempt vote

from The Politico
By John Bresnahan

After more than six months of delay, the House will vote Thursday to authorize criminal and civil contempt proceedings against White House chief of staff Josh Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers for failing to comply with Judiciary Committee subpoenas.

The House vote could set up a constitutional showdown between Congress and the White House over the limits of executive privilege — particularly on the question of whether President Bush or any president can prevent senior aides from testifying before congressional committees.

The House Rules Committee approved separate resolutions Wednesday afternoon approving criminal as well as civil contempt proceedings against Bolten and Miers for failing to comply with the subpoenas, which were issued by the Judiciary Committee as part of its investigation into the 2006 firings of nine U.S. attorneys.

Bush, citing executive privilege, refused to allow Bolten and Miers to testify or turn over internal White House documents related to the firings. Bolten and former White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove also declined to appear before the Senate Judiciary.

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