2 U.S.C. § 194 — Untitled legal text

Page 111 TITLE 2—THE CONGRESS § 194a (R.S. § 101; June 26, 1884, ch. 123, 23 Stat. 60; June 22, 1938, ch. 594, 52 Stat. 942, 943.) Editorial Notes CODIFICATION R.S. § 101 derived from acts May 3, 1798, ch. 36, § 1, 1 Stat. 554, and Feb. 8, 1817, ch. 10, 3 Stat. 345. R.S. § 101 constitutes first sentence, and act June 26, 1884, constitutes second sentence. AMENDMENTS 1938—Act June 22, 1938, reenacted section without change. § 192. Refusal of witness to testify or produce pa- pers Every person who having been summoned as a witness by the authority of either House of Con- gress to give testimony or to produce papers upon any matter under inquiry before either House, or any joint committee established by a joint or concurrent resolution of the two Houses of Congress, or any committee of either House of Congress, willfully makes default, or who, hav- ing appeared, refuses to answer any question pertinent to the question under inquiry, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 nor less than $100 and imprisonment in a common jail for not less than one month nor more than twelve months. (R.S. § 102; June 22, 1938, ch. 594, 52 Stat. 942.) Editorial Notes CODIFICATION R.S. § 102 derived from act Jan. 24, 1857, ch. 19, § 1, 11 Stat. 155. AMENDMENTS 1938—Act June 22, 1938, reenacted section without change. § 193. Privilege of witnesses No witness is privileged to refuse to testify to any fact, or to produce any paper, respecting which he shall be examined by either House of Congress, or by any joint committee established by a joint or concurrent resolution of the two Houses of Congress, or by any committee of ei- ther House, upon the ground that his testimony to such fact or his production of such paper may tend to disgrace him or otherwise render him in- famous. (R.S. § 103; June 22, 1938, ch. 594, 52 Stat. 942.) Editorial Notes CODIFICATION R.S. § 103 derived from act Jan. 24, 1862, ch. 11, 12 Stat. 333. AMENDMENTS 1938—Act June 22, 1938, reenacted section without change. § 194. Certification of failure to testify or produce; grand jury action Whenever a witness summoned as mentioned in section 192 of this title fails to appear to tes- tify or fails to produce any books, papers, rec- ords, or documents, as required, or whenever any witness so summoned refuses to answer any question pertinent to the subject under inquiry before either House, or any joint committee es- tablished by a joint or concurrent resolution of the two Houses of Congress, or any committee or subcommittee of either House of Congress, and the fact of such failure or failures is re- ported to either House while Congress is in ses- sion or when Congress is not in session, a state- ment of fact constituting such failure is re- ported to and filed with the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House, it shall be the duty of the said President of the Senate or Speaker of the House, as the case may be, to certify, and he shall so certify, the statement of facts aforesaid under the seal of the Senate or House, as the case may be, to the appropriate United States attorney, whose duty it shall be to bring the matter before the grand jury for its action. (R.S. § 104; July 13, 1936, ch. 884, 49 Stat. 2041; June 22, 1938, ch. 594, 52 Stat. 942.) Editorial Notes CODIFICATION R.S. § 104 derived from act Jan. 24, 1857, ch. 19, § 3, 11 Stat. 156. AMENDMENTS 1938—Act June 22, 1938, substituted ‘‘section 102’’ for ‘‘section 102 of the Revised Statutes’’ and inserted ‘‘or any joint committee established by a joint or concur- rent resolution of the two Houses of Congress’’. 1936—Act July 13, 1936, substituted ‘‘section 102 of the Revised Statutes’’ for ‘‘section 102’’, inserted provisions as to failure to produce and refusal to answer, required a statement of facts constituting the failure to be re- ported to and filed with the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House, and directed that said Presi- dent or Speaker certify the facts to the appropriate United States attorney in lieu of prior certification to the district attorney for the District of Columbia. § 194a. Request by Congressional committees to officers or employees of Federal depart- ments, agencies, etc., concerned with foreign countries or multilateral organizations for expression of views and opinions Upon the request of a committee of either House of Congress, a joint committee of Con- gress, or a member of such committee, any offi- cer or employee of the Department of State, the Agency for International Development, or any other department, agency, or independent estab- lishment of the United States Government pri- marily concerned with matters relating to for- eign countries or multilateral organizations may express his views and opinions, and make recommendations he considers appropriate, if the request of the committee or member of the committee relates to a subject which is within the jurisdiction of that committee. (Pub. L. 92–352, title V, § 502, July 13, 1972, 86 Stat. 496; Pub. L. 93–126, § 17, Oct. 18, 1973, 87 Stat. 455; Pub. L. 105–277, div. G, subdiv. A, title XII, § 1225(g), title XIII, § 1335(n), Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–775, 2681–789.)