House Judiciary Committee to Hold Hearing Today on the Imperial Presidency

Verbatim, courtesy of Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), committee chair:

The Committee is expected to examine a range of legal and legislative responses to allegations of administration misconduct and their expansion of executive branch power.

Since the beginning of the 110th Congress, the Committee has conducted extensive oversight into allegations of misconduct by the administration, including: (1) improper politicization of the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorneys offices, including potential misuse of authority with regard to election and voting controversies; (2) misuse of executive branch authority and the adoption and implementation of the so-called unitary executive theory, including in the areas of presidential signing statements and regulatory authority; (3) misuse of investigatory and detention authority with regard to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals, including questions regarding the legality of the administration’s surveillance, detention, interrogation, and rendition programs; (4) manipulation of intelligence and misuse of war powers, including possible misrepresentations to Congress related thereto; (5) improper retaliation against administration critics, including disclosing information concerning CIA operative Valerie Plame, and obstruction of justice related thereto; and (6) misuse of authority in denying Congress and the American people the ability to oversee and scrutinize conduct within the administration, including through the use of various asserted privileges and immunities.

This could be a good idea if it eventually results in long-term policy reform. But as the ACLU's Amanda Simon points out, restricting the power of the executive branch will not be easy:

No matter what you think of either presidential candidate it’s difficult to put the proverbial genie of wider executive power back in the bottle and both candidates will have a hard time letting go of the constitutional breathing room George W. Bush and his administration have pilfered over the last seven years.

Related: The Imperial Presidency