A North Carolina Democrat says a change in House Science Committee rules is keeping members from learning enough about the financial interests of people who testify in hearings.
But after being rebuked by Republicans, Rep. Brad Miller says he might no longer use his time in hearings to try to quiz the witnesses about their finances. Instead, he?ll pose those questions in writing.
Continue ReadingMiller tried to press the issue Oct. 4 during a House Science subcommittee hearing on EPA clean-air standards, during which he asked California engineering consultant J. Edward Cichanowicz for financial information related to his testimony.
?It is not accusing a witness of lying to say they have a financial interest,? Miller said later. ?But it may create a bias. We?re entitled to know that. The American people are entitled to know that.?
Miller also used the hearing to complain about the lack of information that committee members receive in the revised ?Truth in Testimony? disclosure forms that the panel adopted during the current Congress. And he pointed out that Cichanowicz had clients in the energy utility industry.
When Miller questioned him, Cichanowicz said the utility industry provides ?probably 75 percent? of his income.
?Do you not think the American people and the members of this committee ought to know that in evaluating your testimony?? Miller asked.
?It is evident, isn?t it,? Cichanowicz said. ?I mean, in my r?sum? ??
?Well, we had to ask about it,? Miller said. ?It was not available in the regular course of things. It is something that I have had to use my time to ask about today.?
Cichanowicz?s source of income wasn?t addressed in the disclosure form he had supplied to the committee, which asked whether he was testifying on behalf of anybody else or had received any government contracts. He answered ?no? to both.
Republicans on the panel objected to Miller?s line of questioning.
?Let me just note that personal attack on our witness was obnoxious and not reflective of higher standards that I have had here and you have always had, to my colleague from North Carolina,? said Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.). He added, ?The fact is, every witness we ever have has some contact with the people that they are expert with.?
Rohrabacher said that if representatives want to challenge witnesses, they should do so based on their arguments, rather than ?trying to discredit them and dismiss them and perhaps smear them as people who lack integrity.?
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