The IRS is Not the Only Government Agency Hiding Documents from Congress
House Oversight and Government Affairs Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) on Wednesday said he would begin contempt proceedings against the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to give the committee documents it started asking for six months ago.
Last November, Issa subpoenaed the EPA for various emails and documents that Republicans suspect will show that the White House interfered with congressional requests for information.
In a Wednesday morning hearing, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said she was still not ready to hand over the documents Issa is seeking. McCarty indicated that EPA staff was still negotiating with committee staff and trying to work with the request for papers, but Issa said that answer wasn’t good enough after more than six months.
“Could you imagine if I just went ahead and set up a coal energy plant without a permit, started burning raw coal to produce electricity, and then told you for month after month after month that I look forward to working with you?” Issa said.
“I am informing you today that it is my intention to hold the Environmental Protection Agency in contempt and to schedule a business meeting to do so at the first business day available to this committee, which will be after next week.”
McCarthy said several times that EPA staff had shown committee staff one email “in camera,” or in private, which she said shows there was no coordination between the White House and EPA about what documents to give to Congress. McCarthy said this work is similar to work that has been done in the past between Congress and the EPA.