Oklahoma congressman Steve Russell and other members of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform await a response from Secretary of State John Kerry after issuing a second subpoena against his Department in its probe of the Keystone XL pipeline issue.
The GOP-controlled Committee issued the subpoena last week to force the State department to turn over documents that led to the Obama administration’s refusal to grant a key permit for construction of the pipeline. The committee’s press release on the subpoena said it sought documents and communications “related to the Department’s determination that the Keystone XL pipeline would undercut U.S. leadership on climate change, among other things.”
“The State Department is not cooperating with the Committee’s investigation,” declared Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) in announcing the subpoena. “Producing mostly publicly available documents to the committee and calling it responsive is pitiful.”
He said it demonstrates a contempt of the constitutional right of Congress to conduct oversight.
“We will use every tool available to obtain the information we need to properly and fully investigate this matter.”
The first subpoena was issued July 8, 2015 after Kerry and the State Department refused to respond to letters sent on Feb. 24, 2015 and June 15, 2015 requesting documents. Some documents were finally produced but Rep. Chaffetz and Interior Subcommittee Chairman Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) again sent letters on Feb. 24, 2016 and May 31, 2016 to Secretary Kerry requesting more documents for further clarification.
