Longstanding Precedent Exists for Congressional Testimony from White House Officials

Chairman Waxman writes to Chairmen Leahy and Conyers regarding the extensive precedent for White House officials to testify under oath and on the record, and for the White House to provide Congress communications between White House aides. Under the Republican-controlled Congress during the Clinton Administration, White House officials routinely appeared before Congress to provide sworn testimony.

Additionally, prior administrations have provided Congress with communications between White House aides, contradicting President Bush’s statement that no precedent exists for the current request. The Committee on Government Reform and Oversight has in the past received thousands of pages of e-mails from White House aides. The Committee has also received communications from the White House counsel representing attorney-client legal advice.