H.Res. 396House116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

Authorizing and directing the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise the power vested by article 1, section 2, clause 5 of the Constitution in respect to acts of misconduct by Donald John Trump, President of the United States.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 5:31 AM UTC

This resolution directs the House Judiciary Committee to conduct a full investigation into whether there are sufficient grounds to impeach President Donald J. Trump. It asks the committee to examine a wide range of alleged misconduct, from violations of the Constitution’s emoluments clauses to abuse of power and attacks on the press. The findings would be reported back to the full House for possible impeachment action.

Key Provisions

Authorizes the Judiciary Committee (or a subcommittee) to investigate any potential grounds for impeachment of President Trump.
Specifies a list of alleged misconduct to be examined, including emoluments violations, obstruction of justice, abuse of power, mishandling of classified information, failure to enforce laws, campaign finance violations, and actions that undermine the press, immigrants, and democratic institutions.
Grants the committee subpoena power to compel testimony, documents, and other evidence, and to administer oaths to witnesses.
Requires the committee to report any impeachment articles, resolutions, or recommendations to the full House.
Provides funding from House accounts to support staff, consultants, and other costs associated with the investigation.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E669)

May 23, 2019

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

May 22, 2019

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Rules.

Rules Committee

May 22, 2019

HouseIntro Referral

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E669)

May 23, 2019

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.Res. 396 on the floor

1 Democrat

Rep. Sheila Jackson LeeD-TX-18 · May 23, 2019

Madam Speaker, I rise to announce to the House that I have introduced H. Res. 396, a resolution authorizing and directing the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate whether sufficient grounds…

Madam Speaker, I rise to announce to the House that I have introduced H. Res. 396, a resolution authorizing and directing the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise the power vested by Article 1, Section 2, Clause 5 of the Constitution in respect to acts of misconduct by Donald John Trump, President of the United States.

I invite every Member of the House to join me in cosponsoring this important and necessary step to uphold the rule of law, preserve the strength of our democracy, and affirm the rightful place of the Congress as a co-equal branch of government with the constitutional duty to check and hold accountable a wayward head of the Executive Branch.

This resolution is both necessary and timely.

Last week, hours before the House Judiciary Committee was to vote to hold Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt of congress, the President indicated that he intended to assert executive privilege to deny Congress and the American people the Mueller Report.

Yesterday, the White House Counsel indicated that it believes that the House Judiciary Committee's inquiry was an improper exercise of its oversight powers and was instead intended to ``harass'' the President.

The White House Counsel, in mistaken belief that the Mueller Investigation was the final word into investigations concerning this President, stated that Congress was not permitted ``an unauthorized do- over of exhaustive law enforcement investigations conducted by the Department of Justice.''

The White House position is clearly wrong on history, on the law, and on the Constitution, but more that than, it is reckless and destabilizing.

It disregards or misapprehends the nature, structure, and purpose of the system of government devised by the Framers that served us well for nearly 250 years.

It contemplates branches of government superior to others and represents an indifference, belligerence and disrespect towards Article I of the Constitution unseen in American history.

Congressional requests for documents have been ignored, subpoenas have been flouted, witnesses refuse to appear for congressional oversight hearings, norms shattered.

This is intolerable and why, in consultation with and by working with my colleagues, I have introduced H. Res. 396, a resolution authorizing and directing the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise the power vested by Article 1, Section 2, Clause 5 of the Constitution in respect to acts of misconduct by Donald John Trump, President of the United States.

This is a significant measure because it invoives not just the standing committees but the whole House of Representatives, the body that is vested by the Constitution with the ``sole power of impeachment.''

Madam Speaker, if approved by the House, H. Res. 396 gives the Committee on Judiciary a broad and affirmative mandate by the body that is vested with the sole power conveyed by Article 1, Section 2, Clause 5 to investigate the areas of possible misconduct listed in the Resolving clause.

Since 1900, responsibility for conducting investigations of the type envisioned by the resolution has been delegated by the House to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Nothing in the resolution preempts or forecloses any other Committee of the House from exercising its oversight authority and adoption of the resolution will convey to the Administration, the public, and relevant witnesses the seriousness to which the House takes its responsibilities to act as a check on a wayward Executive and the gravity of the findings and conclusions set forth in the Mueller Report.

Finally, nothing in the resolution compels the Committee on the Judiciary to reach a particular result or make a particular recommendation; rather, the resolution charges the Committee with undertaking a comprehensive investigation following the evidence where it leads and reporting its conclusions and recommendations to the full House.

Madam Speaker, the time has come to reassert proper oversight in our system of government.

During the first two years of this administration, House Republicans shirked their oversight responsibilities.

This new House majority, propelled by the largest class of women and the most diverse class in history, will do its job to ensure the preservation of this government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued May 22, 2019

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. RES. 396

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 22, 2019

Ms. Jackson Lee (for herself, Mr. Castro of Texas, Mr. Lewis, and Mr. Cohen) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules

RESOLUTION

Authorizing and directing the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise the power vested by article 1, section 2, clause 5 of the Constitution in respect to acts of misconduct by Donald John Trump, President of the United States.

That the Committee on the Judiciary, acting as a whole or by any subcommittee thereof appointed by the chairman for the purposes hereof and in accordance with the rules of the committee, is authorized and directed to investigate fully and completely whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its constitutional power to impeach Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America, including but not limited to—

(1)

violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the United States Constitution;

(2)

violation of the Domestic Emoluments Clause of the United States Constitution;

(3)

obstruction of justice;

(4)

abuse of power;

(5)

misfeasance in public office;

(6)

malfeasance in public office;

(7)

failure to protect the confidentiality of national secrets from enemies foreign and domestic;

(8)

failure to take care that the laws be faithfully executed;

(9)

failure to preserve records required by the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act (PRMPA) of 1974 (Public Law 93–526, 88 Stat. 1695);

(10)

countenancing the payment of ransom with Federal funds to secure the release of an American hostage held in violation of international law by an outlaw nation;

(11)

authorizing the issuance of security clearances and disclosure of national secrets to persons known by the U.S. Intelligence Community to pose security risks;

(12)

refusal to acknowledge and failure to act to deter aggression and defend against attacks on the electoral systems and processes of the United States by foreign nations, actors, and entities;

(13)

engaging in a criminal scheme to violate Federal campaign finance laws to defraud the people of the United States;

(14)

mismanagement of the executive branch by failing to nominate persons for positions requiring confirmation by the United States Senate;

(15)

destabilizing the peace and security of the United States by condoning and normalizing White nationalism and giving legitimacy to those who adhere to the doctrine of White supremacy;

(16)

endeavoring to abuse the law enforcement powers of the United States to investigate and punish persons considered by Donald John Trump to be his political enemies;

(17)

undermining the essential institution of a free and independent press by attacking media organizations and individuals as enemies of the people;

(18)

denigrating immigrants and undermining the international standing of the United States by separating minor-age immigrant children from their parents with no means or intention of family reunification; and for

(19)

irreparable breaches of the public trust.

The committee shall report to the House of Representatives such resolutions, articles of impeachment, or other recommendations as it deems proper.

(a)

For the purpose of making such investigation, the committee, as it deems necessary to such investigation, is authorized to require—

(1)

by subpoena or otherwise—

(A)

the attendance and testimony of any person (including at a taking of a deposition by counsel for the committee); and

(B)

the production of such things; and

(2)

by interrogatory, the furnishing of such information;

(b)

Such authority of the committee may be exercised—

(1)

by the chairman and the ranking minority member acting jointly, or, if the ranking member declines to act, by the chairman acting alone, except that in the event either so declines, either shall have the right to refer to the committee for decision the question whether such authority shall be so exercised and the committee shall be convened promptly to render that decision; or

(2)

by the committee acting as a whole or by subcommittee.

Subpoenas and interrogatories so authorized may be issued over the signature of the chairman, and may be served by any person designated by the chairman, or any member designated by the chairman. The chairman, or any member designated by the chairman (or, with respect to any deposition, answer to interrogatory, or affidavit, any person authorized by law to administer oaths) may administer oaths to any witness. For the purposes of this section, things includes, without limitation, books, records, correspondence, logs, journals, memorandums, papers, documents, writings, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs, reproductions, recordings, tapes, transcripts, printouts, data compilations from which information can be obtained (translated if necessary, through detection devices into reasonably usable form), tangible objects, and other things of any kind.

There shall be paid out of the applicable accounts of the House such sums as may be necessary to assist the Committee on the Judiciary in conducting the inquiry under this resolution, any of which may be used for the procurement of staff or consultant services.