Posted on 02/29/2024 4:27:20 AM PST by marktwain
On October 27, 2023, the Bureau of Industry and Security announced it would stop issuing export licenses for most countries’ firearms, components, and ammunition, with some exceptions.
On November 28, 2023, Jim Comer, the Republican Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability in the House, sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, asking for information and a briefing on the decision. From the letter:
We write to request information on the recent decision by U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) to cease issuing new export licenses related to certain firearms, firearm components, and ammunition for approximately 90 days. This action has raised concern about a possible extra legal attempt by the Biden Administration to harm the domestic firearms manufacturing industry in pursuit of an anti-firearm agenda by starving it of access to international markets for at least 90 days, perhaps indefinitely.1 The Department’s mission is to “drive U.S. economic competitiveness, strengthen domestic industry, and spur the growth of quality jobs in all communities across the country.”2 Your Department’s recent decision appears to be at direct odds with its mission in service to the political whims of a radical anti-firearm administration. We seek and expect your Department’s cooperation in providing additional information to determine a full accounting of this action and how it will impact U.S. firearms manufacturers and the jobs that industry provides.
The deadline to respond to the letter by Chairman Comer was December 12, 2023. That deadline has come and gone without any significant response by Secretary Raimondo and the Department of Commerce. On January 19, 2024, Chairman Comer sent a follow-up letter. From the letter:
The deadline for Commerce to produce the requested information was December 12, 2023. Commerce is now more than five weeks delinquent in satisfying those requests.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
Does this cover exports to Ukraine too?
Something is coming. They are doing a lot under the cover of “regulations” around firearms.
Oct 27th
Feb 29th
“for approximately 90 days”
Times flies when you’re in Congress and doing nothing useful.
It’s now about 120 days.
Yup. Almost like they’re planning to cross a line that they know will get a reaction.
It's going to get nasty.
And Gina Raimondo’s only qualifiction for the post she holds is that she is a dyed-in-the-wool, liberal, gun grabbing +wa+.
Remember the administration used “regulations” to suspend building LNG terminals, limiting gas exports?
Hurting Texas right after they rolled out their barbed wire?
Both the firearm and LNG export bans are clearly punishment.
“U.S. CODE
TITLE 2—THE CONGRESS
CHAPTER 6—CONGRESSIONAL AND COMMITTEE PROCEDURE; INVESTIGATIONS
Sec. 193. Privilege of witnesses
No witness is privileged to refuse to testify to any fact, or to produce any paper, respecting which he shall be examined by either House of Congress, or by any joint committee established by a joint or concurrent resolution of the two Houses of Congress, or by any committee of either House, upon the ground that his testimony to such fact or his production of such paper may tend to disgrace him or otherwise render him infamous.”
Simply look up Hinds Precedents, especially chapters 53 and 51, and Cannon’s Precedents, especially chapters 184-185. You’ll find numerous detailed cases of Congress asserting its power, arresting people, holding them until they agreed to answer questions, and then releasing them. Some of these people did not refuse to appear, but simply failed to satisfactorily answer questions.
Congress has the authority to arrest and imprison those found in Contempt. The power extends throughout the United States and is an inherent power (does not depend upon legislated act)
If found in Contempt the person can be arrested under a warrant of the Speaker of the House of Representatives or President of the Senate, by the respective Sergeant at Arms.
Statutory criminal contempt is an alternative to inherent contempt.
Under the inherent contempt power Congress may imprison a person for a specific period of time or an indefinite period of time, except a person imprisoned by the House of Representatives may not be imprisoned beyond adjournment of a session of Congress.
Imprisonment may be coercive or punitive.
Some references
[1] Joseph Story’s Commentaries on the Constitution, Volume 2, § 842 http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/print_documents/a1_5s21.html
[2] Anderson v. Dunn - 19 U.S. 204 - “And, as to the distance to which the process might reach, it is very clear that there exists no reason for confining its operation to the limits of the District of Columbia; after passing those limits, we know no bounds that can be prescribed to its range but those of the United States.” http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/19/204/case.html
[3] Jurney v. MacCracken, 294 U.S. 125 http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/294/125/case.html 73rd Cong., 78 Cong. Rec. 2410 (1934) https://archive.org/details/congressionalrec78aunit
[4] McGrain v. Daugherty, 273 U.S. 135 - Under a warrant issued by the President of the Senate the Deputy to the Senate Sergeant at Arms arrested at Cincinnati, Ohio, Mally S. Daugherty, who had been twice subpoenaed by the Senate and twice failed to appear. http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/273/135/case.html
[5] Rules of the House of Representatives, Rule IV Duties of the Sergeant at Arms - [] execute the commands of the House, and all processes issued by authority thereof, directed to him by the Speaker. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/HMAN-105/pdf/HMAN-105-pg348.pdf
[6] An analysis of Congressional inquiry, subpoena, and enforcement http://www.constitutionproject.org/documents/when-congress-comes-calling-a-primer-on-the-principles-practices-and-pragmatics-of-legislative-inquiry/
In 1857, a New York Times reporter refused to say which members of Congress had asked him to get them bribes (protecting his “sources” just as various Judith Millers today protect the people who feed them proven lies that costs thousands of lives), so Congress locked him up until he answered and then banned him from Congress.
In 1924 an oil executive appeared but refused to answer certain questions, so the Senate held — literally held — him in contempt. Senator Thomas Walsh of Montana argued that this question of contempt was of the gravest importance, and that it involved “the very life of the effective existence of the House of Representatives of the United States and of the Senate of the United States.” The matter was taken to court, and the witness fined and imprisoned.
One of PR Princess Sandy Beach’s “squawd” members?
Have the Masters at Arms jail the wench for contempt until she talks.
Look at that! See my comment at #11.
Lock’er up!
Remember the program, The American Committee for the Defense of British Homes , back in WWII, where US citizens sent rifles to Britian.
I saw a target rifle, a Model 70 I think, that had been sent over. It had a brass tag on it that requested its return, if that might work out.
Well, there it was, returned and displayed in the US.
Oliver Anthony at the Hickok45 Compound
John and I chat with Oliver Anthony (Chris) when he visits the Hickok45 Compound to help us pound the Gong!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRTt0e1Nvt8
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