{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=9EC60037-2E95-478D-AE5F-8B22D04A367B", "Democrats Unsuccessfully Try To Authorize Subpoena In Latest Attempt To Discredit Supreme Court", "2023-11-30", "2023", "2023-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SC", "Lindsey Graham", "G000359", "www.lgraham.senate.gov", "graham", "https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 The Democrats tried, but were unsuccessful in their attempt to issue a subpoena because they did not follow committee rules and violated the Senate Standing Rules. Further, Senate Rule 26(7)(a)(3)\u2014which normally waives or \u201ccures\u201d committee rules violations for reported measures like nominations and legislation\u2014does not apply to purely internal committee matters, including votes to authorize subpoenas.\n\nBelow is a summary of the events:\n\nChairman Durbin cut off debate and the offering of amendments by immediately ordering a roll call vote to authorize the subpoena (contrary to an earlier statement to Ranking Member Graham).\n\nRanking Member Graham objected, and demanded a roll call vote on the decision to end debate, which he is entitled to request under Committee Rule IV.\n\nIn response to Ranking Member Graham\u2019s objection, Chairman Durbin moved to suspend Committee Rule IV\u2014he later clarified that this was a motion to end debate.\n\nA roll call vote was held on the motion to end debate. The motion failed under Committee Rule IV, because no Republican voted in favor of the motion as required. The clock struck noon.\n\nChairman Durbin then ordered a roll call vote to authorize the subpoena. His calling the vote violated Committee Rule IV because the motion to end debate failed.\n\nRanking Member Graham attempted to make a point of order regarding the rule violation, but Chairman Durbin refused to entertain his point of order.\n\nThe clerk called the roll, with no Republicans present.\n\nDuring the roll call vote, because no Republicans were present, the Committee lacked a quorum to transact business as required by Committee Rule III. Committee Rule III requires two members of minority for a quorum.\n\nThe roll call vote on the subpoenas happened after 12:00 p.m. when the two hour rule was invoked. This violated the Senate Standing Rule 26 (5)(a).\n\nWhat does this mean? Chairman Durbin prevented the Republican Members from discussing or offering amendments in violation of committee rules. When Ranking Member Graham challenged this, Chairman Durbin refused to allow the challenge, and proceeded to the vote. Without a quorum needed under the committee rules, and after the two hours for committee activity permitted under the Senate Rules had elapsed, Chairman Durbin proceeded with an illegitimate vote on the subpoena. Since the subpoena is an internal committee matter, it cannot be \u201ccured\u201d by the \u201ccleansing clause\u201d in Rule 26 of the Standing Rules of the Senate.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:49:58Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=9EC60037-2E95-478D-AE5F-8B22D04A367B"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6116860788315535, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}