Stand up, stand up. You've been sitting way too long.

Welcome to this special edition of the Ralph Nader Radio Hour, I'm Steve Scrovan.

In this series, Ralph and constitutional scholar Bruce Fine will lay out articles in the

impeachment of President Donald J Trump.

Out 3, contempt of Congress.

Bruce Fine.

Briefly, why did the founders place that authority in Congress?

The framers, again, were very suspicious of executive authority.

Remember, their persecutors, when we were still colonies was from King George III.

It wasn't so much parliament.

And the purpose of giving this power of Congress was to ensure complete oversight, transparency in the

executive branch. We know the executive branch prospers in secrecy. So power was given to Congress, plenary power, to demand that

executive officials come, testify under oath, bring whatever documents are

necessary, to ascertain not only if the executive is engaged in wrongdoing,

whether there are new laws that may be needed, whether laws are not being adequately enforced,

whether they just want

reassurance that the laws being complied with.

Be remember that the greatest danger that was feared of our government was

executive, Tyrin, not legislative. that was

executive tyranny, not legislative tyranny in Congress.

And the power of the Congress to exercise this plenary power

was recognized very early a case called Anderson and Dunn by the

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