True or False: Congress last used its inherent contempt power in 1934.

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True. Congress last invoked its inherent contempt power in 1934. After that, lawmakers relied primarily on the criminal contempt statute (2 U.S.C. § 192), which requires referring cases to the DOJ for prosecution—creating a conflict of interest when investigating executive branch officials, since the Justice Department is unlikely to prosecute its own leadership. In 2024, a House resolution proposed holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in inherent contempt with $10,000 daily fines but failed to pass. Khanna and Massie's threat to use inherent contempt against Bondi represents an attempt to revive this nearly century-dormant constitutional power to enforce congressional oversight without executive branch cooperation.

True or False: Congress last used its inherent contempt power in 1934.

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