{ "id": "RL31909", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL31909", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 349829, "date": "2009-06-17", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T02:25:52.566980", "title": "House Resolutions of Inquiry", "summary": "The resolution of inquiry is a simple House resolution that seeks factual information from the executive branch. Such resolutions are given privileged status under House rules and may be considered at any time after being properly reported or discharged from committee. Such resolutions apply only to requests for facts\u2014not opinions\u2014within an Administration\u2019s control. This report explains the history, procedure, specific uses of resolutions of inquiry, and notes recent increases in their usage.\nThe examples in this report demonstrate that, historically, even when a resolution of inquiry is reported adversely from a committee and tabled on the floor, it has frequently led to the release of a substantial amount of information from the Administration. Data from more recent Congresses suggest a potential change in the use and efficacy of these privileged resolutions.\nFor other CRS reports regarding legislative techniques for obtaining information from the executive branch, see CRS Report 95-464, Investigative Oversight: An Introduction to the Law, Practice and Procedure of Congressional Inquiry, by Morton Rosenberg, and CRS Report RL30240, Congressional Oversight Manual, by Frederick M. Kaiser et al.\nThis report will be updated as events warrant.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL31909", "sha1": "02bb4e5224297e697214eb13443c38b4a99b94a8", "filename": "files/20090617_RL31909_02bb4e5224297e697214eb13443c38b4a99b94a8.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL31909", "sha1": "712c38f7fab6aff0c759eda6e8951e96ff61ae17", "filename": "files/20090617_RL31909_712c38f7fab6aff0c759eda6e8951e96ff61ae17.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc815792/", "id": "RL31909_2008Nov25", "date": "2008-11-25", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "House Resolutions of Inquiry", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20081125_RL31909_9d0ef433de70d972c29f11ba0175b2986b511961.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20081125_RL31909_9d0ef433de70d972c29f11ba0175b2986b511961.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs4022/", "id": "RL31909_2003May12", "date": "2003-05-12", "retrieved": "2005-06-10T23:56:03", "title": "House Resolutions of Inquiry", "summary": "The resolution of inquiry is a House procedure that seeks factual information\r\nfrom the executive branch. The resolution is privileged and may be considered at any\r\ntime after it is properly reported or discharged from committee. It applies only to\r\nrequests for facts\u2013\u2013not opinions\u2013\u2013within the Administration\u2019s control. This report\r\nexplains the history, procedure, specific uses of resolutions of inquiry, and identifies\r\nthe use thus far in the 108th Congress (H.Res. 68).", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20030512_RL31909_e6ef94847722ddc73c9963a287ee8ffad98bffc5.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20030512_RL31909_e6ef94847722ddc73c9963a287ee8ffad98bffc5.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Congress", "name": "Congress" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "House rules and procedure", "name": "House rules and procedure" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Legislative resolutions", "name": "Legislative resolutions" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Constitutional Questions", "Foreign Affairs" ] }