Democrats vs. Rogue Govt: The Crux Of The Matter

O'Malley: Never has this power of the House been set aside, Lee claims -- never in the history of this House, not in the parliament created by our ancestors. The minister opens the door to a silent, secretive power that could be misused by those with seditious, self-interested purposes. The constitution provides some protection, he acknowledges -- but it's up to the House to protect its power as well. "We have the constitution to do the job here," he says -- and they will. The meaning and reach of the power to compel production of records has not been diminished in three centuries, and the minister was unable to show how it has changed, or even if it had. "No House, and no court, has found to the contrary," and the Attorney General has not found any law that explicitly changes that power.