Call to Action: Respond to the House Vote to Hold Stephen Bannon in Contempt of Congress
The U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday, October 21, to hold Stephen Bannon, a podcast host who served briefly as chief strategist to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress. Bannon refused to comply with subpoenas from the January 6 select committee for documents and testimony in regards to the January 6 attack on our government and the Capitol building.
The House voted 229 to 202, with nine Republicans joining Democrats to recommend charges against Bannon. Attorney General Merrick Garland will make the final decision on whether to prosecute and has yet to indicate how the department will respond.
To do
Contact your members of the House to let them know what you think of their vote. In less than five minutes, you can submit a letter to all of your elected representatives at once via our website. This is an opportunity to thank those who participated or to express your concerns to those who did not. Go HERE to submit a letter.
Background
As MWEG has stated in the past, the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, “was not only physical but also symbolic, as it sought to disrupt the Constitutionally mandated process of certifying the electoral ballots. Motivated by a big lie, the insurrection was a bald-faced assault on the institutions and norms of American democracy.”
It is critical that we respond proportionately to this direct, violent attack on our Constitution, the rule of law, and the norms that uphold our democracy. A bipartisan committee — the House select committee to investigate the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol — has been established to answer the many questions that still remain. For this investigation to be fair and effective, it must have full access to all necessary documents and testimony required to unearth the truth about responsibility for the insurrection and this unprecedented attack on our nation’s government.
Members of Congress are bound by a solemn oath to uphold the Constitution. The January 6 insurrection was a particular and egregious affront against the Constitution and on the norms and rules of law that support democratic elections. Members of Congress also have a unique responsibility to play their role within a delicately balanced system of powers. To fail to act now would do irreparable harm to the ability of our legislative branch to exercise its unique and important authority.
We believe Congress has the moral, ethical, and legal responsibility to exert the powers granted to it by the Constitution in support of an investigation into the January 6 attacks. Doing so aligns with multiple MWEG Principles of Ethical Government, including:
The rule of law in our political and criminal system requires respect for subpoena power, compliance, and penalties for willful disobedience. Congress is right to actively defend this norm and insist that it supersedes party loyalties.
PEG 1 — Rule of Law: Every government official and institution has a duty to respect the rule of law, including accepted processes for how the law is to be established, executed, and interpreted (see Mosiah 29:25, 28-29).
PEG 1(a) People in positions of power should not lightly violate or discard long-standing political norms, especially norms that serve to limit the abuse of power (see D&C 121:39).
PEG 1(b) Government officials and institutions should be honest and transparent, insofar as possible without harming national security and individual rights (see D&C 123:13; Alma 37:25).
PEG 1(c) Elected and appointed officials and government employees alike must eschew conflicts of interest and avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest in fidelity to the public trust. Appointees to specialized government roles should be well-qualified to serve in those roles (see Mosiah 29:35-36 and D&C 134:3).
Stephen Bannon’s defiance of the select committee’s subpoena is a continuing act of defiance of the legitimate authority of the legislative branch. Members of Congress must not enable such disregard for the rule of law, norms of behavior and transparency, and the Constitution itself. We are deeply disappointed in those members of Congress who continue to impede this investigation and thereby undermine the current and future authority of Congressional investigations. We applaud these nine Republican representatives and their Democratic colleagues for upholding the rule of law and the integrity of the legislative branch in the overall balance and separation of powers:
- Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming (January 6 committee member)
- Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania
- Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio
- Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington
- Rep. John Katko of New York
- Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois (January 6 committee member)
- Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina
- Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan
- Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan
