Again, I’m sure you’re right as far as it goes, but if Garland says “hell no, I won’t go,” the FBI/marshals/DHS police will fall inline and threaten to arrest any Capitol cops that show up. I don’t see the Capitol Police going to war over this. Not the guys who helped Fubar the 6 Jan events, and “investigate“ those Pakistani computer guys -remember them? Frankly, I expect they are hoping to change bosses in November.
There will be a flurry of legal challenges in the DC Courts and onto the Supreme Court about whether Congress really has the powers that the Constitution says it does, and everyone will just sit on their hands while it plays out, hoping to run out the clock to the election. it will be irrelevant that it’s plainly laid out in constitution, law, and history.
One thing the Democrats have been really good at entrenching loyalists throughout the supposedly non-partisan civil service, and I’m doubly sure of this applies to the capitol police.
I certainly hope I am wrong.
McGrain v. Daugherty, SCOTUS, 1927
This is the longstanding landmark case regarding Inherent Contempt of Congress. It was a challenge to Mally Daugherty's contempt conviction and arrest, which occurred when he failed to appear before a Senate committee investigating the failure of his brother, Attorney General Harry Daugherty, to investigate the perpetrators of the infamous (President Warren G. Harding) Teapot Dome Scandal. The Court upheld his conviction. In the case, the Supreme Court held for the first time that under the Constitution, Congress has the power to compel witnesses to appear and provide testimony, and the inherent power to try those who refuse for Criminal Contempt, and sentence them to incarceration/fines. It had been used before but never challenged to this extent in the past. This power is a parallel to the powers courts at all levels have to issue contempt citations and punish those they find in contempt of their courts. A prior 1860 SCOTUS Decision was about whether or not a House or Senate Sergeant at Arms could use a Deputy to effect the arrest. There were no House/Senate Rules authorizing that at the time. Those were put into place well before this case arose.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McGrain_v._Daugherty
Complete text of decision for the geeks (language and format used is contemporary to 1927):
https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/100996/mcgrain-v-daugherty/
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