2007年VOA标准英语-US Senate Panel Authorizes Subpoenas in Prosecu

（单词翻译）

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
22 March 2007

A U.S. Senate committee has followed the lead of its counterpart in the House of Representatives and authorized³ subpoenas⁵ to compel White House aides to testify in public and under oath about the dismissals of federal prosecutors⁶. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

The Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee agreed by voice vote to authorize² subpoenas for President Bush's adviser⁸ Karl Rove, former White House lawyer Harriet Miers, and two deputy White House officials to compel sworn and public testimony⁹ about the dismissals of eight U.S. attorneys.

 
Patrick Leahy (l) and Senator Edward Kennedy take part in a debate on whether to issue subpoenas to White House staffers in the dismissal of U.S. attorneys, 22 Mar¹ 2007
Senator Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat⁷, is chairman of the committee.

LEAHY: "All those in favor say "aye".

SENATORS: "Aye"

LEAHY: "Opposed?"

SENATORS: "No"

LEAHY: "I would say the "ayes" have it, the "ayes" do have it. The subpoenas are authorized."

One Republican, Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, asked that the committee record show that he voted with the majority to authorize the subpoenas.

Like the House Judiciary Committee action a day earlier, the Senate panel did not actually issue the subpoenas, to allow for the possibility that a deal could be reached with the White House to head off a constitutional confrontation¹⁰.

But there is no indication the White House is ready to compromise, with President Bush stating that his aides would be made available only for private interviews with a limited number of lawmakers and not under oath.

Chairman Leahy rejected the president's offer, despite pleas from the top Republican on the committee, Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, to try to seek a compromise with the White House before considering subpoenas.

 
Senate Judiciary Committee members, Senator Arlen Specter (l) and Committee Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy, 22 Mar 2007
In an exchange with Leahy, Specter argued that moving toward confrontation with the White House would only tie up the matter in courts for years.

SPECTER: "Question number one is, will this investigation¹¹ be best served by finding out what we can now as opposed to litigation which will take more than two years, and question number two, related to question number one: if we do not like what we get, we can always issue a subpoena⁴ and move with the subpoena if we do not like what we get? Why not take what we can get?"

LEAHY: "No. We are told what we can get is nothing, nothing, nothing! We are told we can have a closed-door meeting with no transcript¹², not under oath, a limited number of people, and the White House will determine what the agenda is. That to me is nothing."

Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, argued that the White House cannot dictate¹³ how Congress operates.

"The two branches of government are equal," she said. "If we do not use the power that we are given to get at facts that are important, we do not deserve to hold these positions. I do not believe we can get at those facts in a closed room, without a record, simply interviewing a selected number of witnesses."

But Senator Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican, said it is the Congress that is seeking to meddle¹⁴ in the affairs of the White House.

"We are dealing¹⁵ with an equal branch of government, and we are intruding¹⁶ into deliberations among the top advisers¹⁷ to that head of that branch of government," he said.

Kyl echoed President Bush's opposition¹⁸ to compelling White House officials to testify in public and under oath, saying it would have a "chilling effect" on the ability of future presidents to get candid¹⁹ advice from aides who may fear they will be forced to publicly testify about their private conversations.

Democratic critics say the attorney firings were politically motivated, and have called for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' resignation over his handling of the matter.

President Bush has voiced his support for Gonzales.

Gonzales reiterated²⁰ that no attorney was dismissed for improper²¹ reasons, and said he remains²² committed to working with lawmakers in their investigation of the issue.