Is calling for Senators to be at a Congresional Hearing insulting to them?

[LittleClarkie]

the Congressmen, I mean.

Have Senators gone to Congressional hearings before? Is it like saying that what Congressmen do means squat unless a Senator gets involved? Do Congressmen WANT Senators at their hearings? Would that be upstaging them or condescending to them, as if they needed a Senator to hold their hand?

I don't know, I'm asking.

[longship]

1. Not an expert on this...

I don't believe that this happens. I suppose that there could and have been "Joint" committees set up for a specific purpose, but they would operate under special rules and procedures set up specifically for the purpose. Senators and House Reps basically respect each others' domains.

It would be inappropriate for a Senator to show up at a House hearing, or vice-versa. It likely would be a violation of rules, to say nothing of carefully constructed Constitutional separation between the two bodies. For instance, the House holds the power to declare war and the power of impeachment. For any proceedings in these areas it would be unconstitutional for a senator to take part.

[onenote]

2. not insulting, but not regular order

On rare occasions, there are joint house/senate hearings. Another instance in which members from one house appear at the other is as a witness (for example, I remember that a few years ago, Senator Schumer, who had introduced privacy legislation in the Senate, appeared as a witness at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on related privacy bills). But generally speaking members of the Senate don't just show up as spectators at House proceedings or vice versa. For one thing, members have their own business to attend to. However, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Senate Democratic leadership had staff attending the DSM hearing so that they could give a first hand report to their bosses.

onenote

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. no

the sqeaky wheel gets it... this is a leson to learn fro the right