[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 918 Engrossed in House (EH)]
<DOC>
H. Res. 918
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
December 13, 2023.
Resolved, That the Committees on Oversight and Accountability, Ways and
Means, and the Judiciary are directed to continue their ongoing investigations
as part of the House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds
exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to
impeach Joseph Biden, President of the United States of America, including as
set forth in the memorandum issued by the Chairs of the Committees on Oversight
and Accountability, Ways and Means, and Judiciary of the House of
Representatives, entitled ``Impeachment Inquiry'', dated September 27, 2023.
SEC. 2. INVESTIGATIVE PROCEEDINGS BY THE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND
ACCOUNTABILITY.
For the purpose of continuing the investigation described in the first
section of this resolution, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability is
authorized to conduct proceedings pursuant to this resolution as follows:
(1) The chair of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability may
designate an open hearing or hearings pursuant to this section.
(2) Notwithstanding clause 2(j)(2) of rule XI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, upon recognition by the chair for such purpose
under this paragraph during any hearing designated pursuant to paragraph
(1), the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight
and Accountability shall be permitted to question witnesses for equal
specified periods of longer than five minutes, as determined by the
chair. The time available for each period of questioning under this
paragraph shall be equal for the chair and the ranking minority member.
The chair may confer recognition for multiple periods of such
questioning, but each period of questioning shall not exceed 90 minutes
in the aggregate. Only the chair and ranking minority member, or an
employee of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability if yielded to
by the chair or ranking minority member, may question witnesses during
such periods of questioning. At the conclusion of questioning pursuant
to this paragraph, the committee shall proceed with questioning under
the five-minute rule pursuant to clause 2(j)(2)(A) of rule XI.
(3) To allow for full evaluation of minority witness requests, the
ranking minority member may submit to the chair, in writing, any
requests for witness testimony relevant to the investigation described
in the first section of this resolution within 72 hours after notice is
given for the first hearing designated pursuant to paragraph (1). Any
such request shall be accompanied by a detailed written justification of
the relevance of the testimony of each requested witness to the
investigation described in the first section of this resolution.
(4)(A) The ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and
Accountability is authorized, with the concurrence of the chair of the
Committee on Oversight and Accountability, to require, as deemed
necessary to the investigation--
(i) by subpoena or otherwise--
(I) the attendance and testimony of any person
(including at a taking of a deposition); and
(II) the production of books, records,
correspondence, memoranda, papers, and documents; and
(ii) by interrogatory, the furnishing of information.
(B) In the case that the chair declines to concur in a proposed
action of the ranking minority member pursuant to subparagraph (A), the
ranking minority member shall have the right to refer to the committee
for decision the question whether such authority shall be so exercised
and the chair shall convene the committee promptly to render that
decision, subject to the notice procedures for a committee meeting under
clause 2(g)(3)(A) and (B) of rule XI.
(C) Subpoenas and interrogatories so authorized may be signed by the
ranking minority member, and may be served by any person designated by
the ranking minority member.
(5) The chair is authorized to make publicly available in electronic
form the transcripts of depositions conducted by the Committee on
Oversight and Accountability in furtherance of the investigation
described in the first section of this resolution, with appropriate
redactions for classified and other sensitive information.
(6) The Committee on Oversight and Accountability may issue a report
setting forth its findings and any recommendations and appending any
information and materials the Committee on Oversight and Accountability
may deem appropriate with respect to the investigation described in the
first section of this resolution. The chair may transmit such report and
appendices, along with any supplemental, minority, additional, or
dissenting views filed pursuant to clause 2(l) of rule XI, to the
Committee on the Judiciary and make such report publicly available in
electronic form, with appropriate redactions to protect classified and
other sensitive information. Any report prepared under this paragraph
may be prepared in consultation with the chairs of the Committees on
Ways and Means and on the Judiciary.
SEC. 3. INVESTIGATIVE PROCEEDINGS BY THE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS.
For the purpose of continuing the investigation described in the first
section of this resolution, the Committee on Ways and Means is authorized to
conduct proceedings pursuant to this resolution as follows:
(1) The chair of the Committee on Ways and Means may designate an
open hearing or hearings pursuant to this section.
(2) Notwithstanding clause 2(j)(2) of rule XI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, upon recognition by the chair for such purpose
under this paragraph during any hearing designated pursuant to paragraph
(1), the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and
Means shall be permitted to question witnesses for equal specified
periods of longer than five minutes, as determined by the chair. The
time available for each period of questioning under this paragraph shall
be equal for the chair and the ranking minority member. The chair may
confer recognition for multiple periods of such questioning, but each
period of questioning shall not exceed 90 minutes in the aggregate. Only
the chair and ranking minority member, or an employee of the Committee
on Ways and Means if yielded to by the chair or ranking minority member,
may question witnesses during such periods of questioning. At the
conclusion of questioning pursuant to this paragraph, the committee
shall proceed with questioning under the five-minute rule pursuant to
clause 2(j)(2)(A) of rule XI.
(3) To allow for full evaluation of minority witness requests, the
ranking minority member may submit to the chair, in writing, any
requests for witness testimony relevant to the investigation described
in the first section of this resolution within 72 hours after notice is
given for the first hearing designated pursuant to paragraph (1). Any
such request shall be accompanied by a detailed written justification of
the relevance of the testimony of each requested witness to the
investigation described in the first section of this resolution.
(4)(A) The ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and
Means is authorized, with the concurrence of the chair of the Committee
on Ways and Means, to require, as deemed necessary to the
investigation--
(i) by subpoena or otherwise--
(I) the attendance and testimony of any person
(including at a taking of a deposition); and
(II) the production of books, records,
correspondence, memoranda, papers, and documents; and
(ii) by interrogatory, the furnishing of information.
(B) In the case that the chair declines to concur in a proposed
action of the ranking minority member pursuant to subparagraph (A), the
ranking minority member shall have the right to refer to the committee
for decision the question whether such authority shall be so exercised
and the chair shall convene the committee promptly to render that
decision, subject to the notice procedures for a committee meeting under
clause 2(g)(3)(A) and (B) of rule XI.
(C) Subpoenas and interrogatories so authorized may be signed by the
ranking minority member, and may be served by any person designated by
the ranking minority member.
(5) The chair is authorized to make publicly available in electronic
form the transcripts of depositions conducted by the Committee on Ways
and Means in furtherance of the investigation described in the first
section of this resolution, with appropriate redactions for classified
and other sensitive information.
(6) The Committee on Ways and Means may issue a report setting forth
its findings and any recommendations and appending any information and
materials the Committee on Ways and Means may deem appropriate with
respect to the investigation described in the first section of this
resolution. The chair may transmit such report and appendices, along
with any supplemental, minority, additional, or dissenting views filed
pursuant to clause 2(l) of rule XI, to the Committee on the Judiciary
and make such report publicly available in electronic form, with
appropriate redactions to protect classified and other sensitive
information. Any report prepared under this paragraph may be prepared in
consultation with the chairs of the Committees on Oversight and
Accountability and on the Judiciary.
SEC. 4. INVESTIGATIVE PROCEEDINGS BY THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY.
For the purpose of continuing the investigation described in the first
section of this resolution, the Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to
conduct proceedings pursuant to this resolution as follows:
(1) The chair of the Committee on the Judiciary may designate an
open hearing or hearings pursuant to this section.
(2) Notwithstanding clause 2(j)(2) of rule XI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, upon recognition by the chair for such purpose
under this paragraph during any hearing designated pursuant to paragraph
(1), the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the
Judiciary shall be permitted to question witnesses for equal specified
periods of longer than five minutes, as determined by the chair. The
time available for each period of questioning under this paragraph shall
be equal for the chair and the ranking minority member. The chair may
confer recognition for multiple periods of such questioning, but each
period of questioning shall not exceed 90 minutes in the aggregate. Only
the chair and ranking minority member, or an employee of the Committee
on the Judiciary if yielded to by the chair or ranking minority member,
may question witnesses during such periods of questioning. At the
conclusion of questioning pursuant to this paragraph, the committee
shall proceed with questioning under the five-minute rule pursuant to
clause 2(j)(2)(A) of rule XI.
(3) To allow for full evaluation of minority witness requests, the
ranking minority member may submit to the chair, in writing, any
requests for witness testimony relevant to the investigation described
in the first section of this resolution within 72 hours after notice is
given for the first hearing designated pursuant to paragraph (1). Any
such request shall be accompanied by a detailed written justification of
the relevance of the testimony of each requested witness to the
investigation described in the first section of this resolution.
(4)(A) The ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary
is authorized, with the concurrence of the chair of the Committee on the
Judiciary, to require, as deemed necessary to the investigation--
(i) by subpoena or otherwise--
(I) the attendance and testimony of any person
(including at a taking of a deposition); and
(II) the production of books, records,
correspondence, memoranda, papers, and documents; and
(ii) by interrogatory, the furnishing of information.
(B) In the case that the chair declines to concur in a proposed
action of the ranking minority member pursuant to subparagraph (A), the
ranking minority member shall have the right to refer to the committee
for decision the question whether such authority shall be so exercised
and the chair shall convene the committee promptly to render that
decision, subject to the notice procedures for a committee meeting under
clause 2(g)(3)(A) and (B) of rule XI.
(C) Subpoenas and interrogatories so authorized may be signed by the
ranking minority member, and may be served by any person designated by
the ranking minority member.
(5) The chair is authorized to make publicly available in electronic
form the transcripts of depositions conducted by the Committee on the
Judiciary in furtherance of the investigation described in the first
section of this resolution, with appropriate redactions for classified
and other sensitive information.
SEC. 5. IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY PROCEDURES IN THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY.
(a) The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to conduct proceedings
relating to the impeachment inquiry described in the first section of this
resolution pursuant to the procedures submitted for printing in the
Congressional Record by the chair of the Committee on Rules, including such
procedures as to allow for the participation of the President and his counsel.
(b) The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to promulgate additional
procedures as it deems necessary for the fair and efficient conduct of committee
hearings held pursuant to this resolution, provided that the additional
procedures are not inconsistent with the procedures referenced in subsection
(a), the Rules of the Committee, and the Rules of the House.
(c)(1) The ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary is
authorized, with the concurrence of the chair of the Committee on the Judiciary,
to require, as deemed necessary to the investigation--
(A) by subpoena or otherwise--
(i) the attendance and testimony of any person (including at
a taking of a deposition); and
(ii) the production of books, records, correspondence,
memoranda, papers, and documents; and
(B) by interrogatory, the furnishing of information.
(2) In the case that the chair declines to concur in a proposed action of
the ranking minority member pursuant to paragraph (1), the ranking minority
member shall have the right to refer to the committee for decision the question
whether such authority shall be so exercised and the chair shall convene the
committee promptly to render that decision, subject to the notice procedures for
a committee meeting under clause 2(g)(3)(A) and (B) of rule XI.
(3) Subpoenas and interrogatories so authorized may be signed by the ranking
minority member, and may be served by any person designated by the ranking
minority member.
(d) The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to report to the House of
Representatives resolutions, articles of impeachment, or other recommendations.
SEC. 6. ADOPTION OF HOUSE RESOLUTION 917.
House Resolution 917 is hereby adopted.
Attest:
Clerk.