2141 RHOB (Judiciary Committee) Id. Further, as contemplated by the warrant affidavit, see Thibault Aff. He argued, inter alia, that the issuance and execution of the search warrant violated the Speech or Debate Clause and sought an order enjoining FBI and Justice Department review or inspection of the seized materials. See United States v. Rayburn House Office Bldg., Room 2113, No. at 420, and thereby potentially defeating the Clause's purpose to insulate Members of Congress from distractions that divert their time, energy, and attention from their legislative tasks, id. In defining the protections afforded by the Clause, the Supreme Court has limited the scope to conduct that is an integral part of the due functioning of the legislative process. United States v. Brewster, 408 U.S. 501, 513, 92 S.Ct. 78dd-1 et seq. Beginning on Saturday night, May 20, more than a dozen FBI agents spent about 18 hours in Room 2113. 749, 15 L.Ed.2d 681 (1966), and was to serve as a protection against possible prosecution by an unfriendly executive and conviction by a hostile judiciary, id. 436 (1948), and, upon that official's finding of probable cause, the warrant authorizes Government officers to seize evidence without requiring enforcement through the courts, United States v. Miller, 425 U.S. 435, 446 n. 8, 96 S.Ct. Web2229 Rayburn House Office Building. Taking his assertions in reverse order, such relief is unnecessary to deter future unconstitutional acts by the Executive. 334 CHOB (Veterans' Affairs Committee) Rather he contends legislative and executive interests can be accommodated without such notice, as urged, for example by the Deputy Counsel to the House of Representatives: We're not contemplating advance notice to the [M]ember to go into his office to search his documents before anyone shows up, but rather that [t]he Capitol [P]olice would seal the office so that nothing would go out of that office and then the search would take place with the [M]ember there. Tr. If Executive Branch exposure alone violated the privilege, agents could not conduct a voluntary interview with a congressional staffer who wished to report criminal conduct by a Member or staffer, because of the possibility that the staffer would discuss legislative acts in describing the unprivileged, criminal conduct. Appellee's Br. 2113 Washington, D.C. 20515, 432 F.Supp.2d 100, 113 (D.D.C.2006), the district court noted that the warrant sought only materials that were outside of the legitimate legislative sphere, id. 3090, 41 L.Ed.2d 1039 (1974) (citing Speech or Debate Clause cases to illustrate judicial power to define scope of executive privilege); cf. at 661. i Believe the question can be directly answered yes without resort to dicta or any other indirect support or theory. According to the brief for the Executive, the Attorney General ordered the FBI to regain custody of the seized materials and imposed an immediate freeze on any review until the district court and this court considered the Congressman's request for a stay pending appeal. The Architect of the Capitol, J. George Stewart, with the approval of the House Office Building Commission, selected the firm of Harbeson, Hough, Livingston & Larson of Philadelphia to design a stripped-down classical building in architectural harmony with other Capitol Hill structures. By creating the Filter Teams and [b]y requiring judicial approval before any arguably privileged documents could be shared with the prosecution team, the search procedures as a whole eliminated any realistic possibility that evidence of Rep. Jefferson's legislative acts would be used against him. Appellee's Br. 2237 RHOB (Judiciary Committee) 2113, Washington, D.C. 20515, 434 F.Supp.2d 3 (D.D.C.2006). Materials determined to be privileged or not responsive would be returned without dissemination to the prosecution team. Additional useful numbers are listed below: Office of Congressional Accessibility Services: 202-224-4048 (voice) or 202-224-4049 (TTY)Federal Relay Service: 800-877-8339 (voice/TTY)Washington, DC, Relay Service: 202-855-1000 (voice) 202-855-1234 (TTY), U.S. House of Representatives Today, Congressman McCarthy, as Co-Chair of the Congressional Valley Fever Task Force, along with 16 of his colleagues in the House, sent a letter to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins in support of grant funding to help move a Valley Fever diagnostic tool into primary care settings, such as the family doctors office. Accordingly, we hold that a search that allows agents of the Executive to review privileged materials without the Member's consent violates the Clause. at 13-22; U.S. Const. 1: The Senators and Representatives shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same (emphasis added). Most important, to construe the Speech or Debate Clause as providing an absolute privilege against a seizure of non-privileged materials essential to the Executive's enforcement of criminal statutes pursuant to Article II, Section 3 on no more than a generalized claim that the separation of powers demands no less would, as the Supreme Court has observed, albeit as to a qualified privilege, upset the constitutional balance of a workable government. Nixon, 418 U.S. at 707, 94 S.Ct. The grandson of a cattle rancher and the son of a firefighter, Kevin grew up a working-class family and is committed to preserving and promoting the American dream for hardworking Americans. I, 6, cl. During significant planned or no-notice events, the Department may contact HSEMA with certain messages, such as for major road closures, police activity, and life-safety events. The U.S. Capitol is open to the public for tours Monday Saturday from 8:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m. ", "Appeals Court: Raid on Jefferson's Office Violated Constitution", General George Washington Resigning His Commission, First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln, Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, George Washington and the Revolutionary War Door, Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way, Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and Operations, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rayburn_House_Office_Building&oldid=1109268358. 163, 52 L.Ed. On July 11, 2006, Congressman Jefferson filed a notice of appeal and a motion for a stay pending appeal. Center Steps Hallway Area Services include, but are not limited to, wheelchair loans, sign language interpreting services, and adaptive tours. [T]he physical search of the Office [was] conducted by Special Agents [with] no substantive role in the investigation of Rep. Jefferson. 1 (emphases added). Rayburn has a five-acre footprint, and looming four stories over the Hill it is larger than the nearby Capitol building. Letter from Robert P. Trout, supra note 2. at 512, 92 S.Ct. Complete Directory . Reliance by the Executive and the district court on Zurcher v. Stanford Daily, 436 U.S. 547, 566-67, 98 S.Ct. WebThe entrance to the Rayburn House Office Building is on Independence Avenue. In the district court's view, the Speech or Debate Clause was not implicated by execution of the search warrant because a seizure of documents did not involve a testimonial element. Art. Opinion for the Court filed by Circuit Judge ROGERS. 2531. The FBI agents were to review and seize paper documents responsive to the warrant, copy all electronic files on the hard drives or other electronic media in the Congressman's office, and then turn over the files for review by a filter team consisting of two Justice Department attorneys and an FBI agent. The indictment charged: Count 1, Conspiracy to Solicit Bribes by a Public Official, Deprive Citizens of Honest Services by Wire Fraud, and Violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, 18 U.S.C. See Order of July 25, 2006. Yet, as the district court noted, the difference between a warrant and a subpoena is of critical importance here. Rayburn, 432 F.Supp.2d at 111. 201 (bribery of public official), 18 U.S.C. 3090 (quoting Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, 343 U.S. 579, 635, 72 S.Ct. See infra pp. The Speech or Debate Clause protects against the compelled disclosure of privileged documents to agents of the Executive, but not the disclosure of non-privileged materials. If you are having a problem accessing this website please let us know and we will work to ensure accessibility. HVC-210 Alcove The U.S. House of Representatives does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this third-party information. As [d]iscovery procedures can prove just as intrusive as naming Members or their staffs as parties to a suit, id. The OCAS can assist with questions regarding accessibility issues in the U.S. Capitol, U.S. House of Representatives, and U.S. Senate. With respect to our precedent, moreover, the government asserts that Brown & Williamson itself distinguished between civil subpoenas and criminal proceedings, and limited its holding to the former. Id. of Stanley M. Brand et al. 7. Such a rule would also presumably apply to surveillance of a Member or staffer who might discuss legislative matters with another Member or staffer. Id. 783, 95 L.Ed. WebRayburn House Office Building. 119 D Street, NE First St., and C St., S.W. The Rayburn House Office Building, completed in early 1965, is the third of three office buildings constructed for the United States House of Representatives. The design of the building is a modified H plan with four stories above ground, two basements, and three levels of underground garage space. Committees Committee and Subcommittee Assignments. at 660, my colleagues first acknowledge that Brown & Williamson involved civil litigation, id. 2. Although the search of Congressman Jefferson's paper files violated the Speech or Debate Clause, his argument does not support granting the relief that he seeks, namely the return of all seized documents, including copies, whether privileged or not. House Galleries: When the House is in session, the Galleries will be open to Members of Congress who personally escort guests to the Galleries. 1 The limited United States Supreme Court precedent regarding the applicability of the Clause in the criminal context makes one thing clear-the Clause does not purport to confer a general exemption upon Members of Congress from liability or process in criminal cases. 8. Because Gravel stresses the significance of criminal proceedings, rather than their target, and because his aide can invoke the Clause only if the Member can do so, the majority is wrong in maintaining that Gravel's language as construed in Brown & Williamson is limited to third-party crime.11, Moreover, as the government points out, to conclude that the Clause's shield protects against any Executive Branch exposure to records of legislative acts would jeopardize law enforcement tools that have never been considered problematic. Appellee's Br. Neoclassical architecture in Washington, D.C. All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from March 2022, Articles with PDF format bare URLs for citations, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 September 2022, at 22:26. On May 24, 2006, Congressman Jefferson challenged the constitutionality of the search of his congressional office and moved for return of the seized property pursuant to Fed. at JA 79-87. at 661. The Supreme Court has made clear that the two elements of the privilege-Speech or Debate and question[ing]-must be read broadly to effectuate its purposes. United States v. Johnson, 383 U.S. 169, 180, 86 S.Ct. Leader McCarthy and Congressman Schweikert Host Valley Fever Roundtable, McCarthy and Schweikert Introduce Historic Valley Fever Legislation, McCarthy, Schweikert Request FDA Action on Valley Fever Drug and Vaccine Development, Valley Fever Task Force Co-Chairs Schweikert, McCarthy Celebrate Valley Fever Awareness Week in AZ, Rep. McCarthy, Sen. McSally, Rep. Schweikert, and Bipartisan, Bicameral Leaders Introduce FORWARD Act to Combat Valley Fever, Leader McCarthy and the House Valley Fever Task Force Support Immuno-Mycologics, Inc.s Bid for Grant Funding. 749 (Clause protect[s] [the legislature] against possible prosecution by an unfriendly executive and conviction by a hostile judiciary). Open dawn to dusk, daily, including all weekends and holidays. The indictment included charges of racketeering, solicitation of (and conspiracy to solicit) bribes, money laundering, wire fraud, and obstruction of justice.1 Trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection in January 2008. This blocky monolith occupying an entire city square on Washington, D.C.s Open to the public Monday Friday, 7:30 a.m. 8:00 p.m. (Doors close at 6:30 p.m. when Senate is in recess). The southwest tunnel is currently closed as part of a major 10-year renovation of the Cannon House Office Building. See Warrant Aff. Rep. Jefferson places considerable emphasis on the fact that the executive branch executed a search warrant on the legislative office of a sitting Member of Congress for the first time in the history of the United States. Appellant's Br. "[2] In March 1955, House Speaker Sam Rayburn introduced an amendment for a third House office building, although no site had been identified, no architectural study had been done, and no plans prepared. 390 CHOB (Cannon Caucus Room), Longworth Lobby Stakeout East Committees Committee and Subcommittee Assignments. The Capitol Subway System, an underground transportation system, connects the building to the Capitol. As our court has noted, the touchstone of the Clause is interference with legislative activities, see Brown & Williamson, 62 F.3d at 421; the Clause is therefore designed to protect Congressmen not only from the consequences of litigation's results but also from the burden of defending themselves' for their legislative actions, Helstoski v. Meanor, 442 U.S. 500, 508, 99 S.Ct. R. Crim. They include 18 U.S.C. If the Senate is in session past 4 p.m., one U.S. Capitol Police security screening area will be open in the Capitol Visitor Centers north screening area to accommodate Gallery access. UNITED STATES v. RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING ROOM 2113 WASHINGTON 20515. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Popular burger chain Steak n Shake has opened its first location in the District, and its inside the Rayburn House Office Building. [3], On May 20, 2006 FBI agents raided the Rayburn Building office of Democratic Congressman William J. Jefferson in connection to an ongoing bribery investigation, marking the first time the FBI had raided the office of a sitting congressman. On June 4, 2007, the grand jury returned a sixteen-count indictment against Congressman Jefferson in the Eastern District of Virginia. 2175 RHOB (Education and the Workforce Committee) Steak n Shake is located adjacent to the Rayburn Cafeteria. at 420. I, 6, cl. 783 (The privilege of legislators to be free from arrest or civil process for what they do or say in legislative proceedings has taproots in the Parliamentary struggles of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries.). Stay up-to-date with how the law affects your life. The investigation included speaking with the Congressman's staff, one of whom had advised that records relevant to the investigation remained in the congressional office. Capitol - Public tours enter through the Capitol Visitor Center; Official House business enters on the south side of the Capitol; Official Senate business enters on the north side of the Capitol.. Opinion concurring in the judgment filed by Circuit Judge HENDERSON. They will open 30 minutes prior to the session and will remain open until adjournment each day. The question remains what the appropriate remedy is under Rule 41(g) for a violation of the Speech or Debate Clause. Essentially, the procedures called for the FBI agents conducting the search to have no substantive role in the investigation and upon reviewing and removing materials from Room 2113, not to reveal politically sensitive or non-responsive items inadvertently seen during the course of the search. Id. 13. We agree, for the Executive retains in its possession seized materials, including complete copies of every computer hard drive in Room 2113, which contain legislative material.3 See City of Erie v. Pap's A.M., 529 U.S. 277, 287, 120 S.Ct. HVC-210 (Speaker's Hearing Room) Logistical Note: To navigate to the event space, enter into the Rayburn at 419; see also MINPECO, S.A. v. Conticommodity Servs., Inc., 844 F.2d 856, 860 (D.C.Cir.1988). 07-0209 (E.D. Technical Standards for Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications (. Cannon House Office Building - Entrance on New Jersey Avenue, SE, south of the terrace at the intersection with Independence Avenue. 2020 RHOB (Ways and Means Committee) 655-56. [1] Congressional leaders inserted a gymnasium into the building plans, a fact that was not publicly known at the time of construction. 511, 127 S.Ct. WebThe Rayburn House Office Building ( RHOB) is a congressional office building for the U.S. WebHouse Office Buildings (Cannon, Ford, Longworth, Rayburn) Open to the public Monday And it is, of course, the judiciary, not the executive or legislature, that delineates the scope of the privilege. This markup took place in 2322 of the Rayburn House Office Building. 9. Art. Although Brown & Williamson involved civil litigation and the documents being sought were legislative in nature, the court's discussion of the Speech or Debate Clause was more profound and repeatedly referred to the functioning of the Clause in criminal proceedings.