Title 2 — The CongressRelease 119-73not60
§193 Privilege of Witnesses
Title 2 › Chapter 6— CONGRESSIONAL AND COMMITTEE PROCEDURE; INVESTIGATIONS › § 193
Summary
No witness can refuse to answer questions or give documents when questioned by either House of Congress, any committee of either House, or a joint committee set up by both Houses, just because the answers or papers might embarrass them or make them infamous.
Full Legal Text
Title 2, §193
The Congress — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
No witness is privileged to refuse to testify to any fact, or to produce any paper, respecting which he shall be examined by either House of Congress, or by any joint committee established by a joint or concurrent resolution of the two Houses of Congress, or by any committee of either House, upon the ground that his testimony to such fact or his production of such paper may tend to disgrace him or otherwise render him infamous.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification R.S. § 103 derived from act Jan. 24, 1862, ch. 11, 12 Stat. 333.
Amendments
1938—Act June 22, 1938, reenacted section without change.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
2 U.S.C. § 193
Title 2 — The Congress
Last Updated
Apr 3, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60