Y 4. IN 8/4: 94-45 CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SECRETARY OF COMMERCE, ROGERS C. B. MORTON INCLUDING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE NINETY-FOURTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION INQUIRING INTO THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF THE ARAB AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION TO CONGRESS SEPTEMBER 22; OCTOBER 21 AND 22; AND NOVEMBER 11, 1975 COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE HARLEY O. STAGGERS, West Virginia, Chairman TORBERT H. MACDONALD, Massachusetts SAMUEL L. DEVINE, Ohio JOHN E. MOSS, California JOHN D. DINGELL, Michigan PAUL G. ROGERS, Florida LIONEL VAN DEERLIN, California DAVID E. SATTERFIELD III, Virginia W. S. (BILL) STUCKEY, JR., Georgia RICHARDSON PREYER, North Carolina WILLIAM M. BRODHEAD, Michigan ANTHONY TOBY MOFFETT, Connecticut ANDREW MAGUIRE, New Jersey JAMES T. BROYHILL, North Carolina JAMES F. HASTINGS, New York H. JOHN HEINZ III, Pennsylvania LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS, Hon. HARLEY O. STAGGERS, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I am transmitting herewith hearings and documents concerning the subcommittee's inquiry into the nature and scope of the Arab boycott, its impact on domestic commerce, and the availability of information to Congress. The intent of this document is to serve as necessary background for Members of the Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee and the House of Representatives in their deliberations on the pending contempt proceedings against Secretary of Commerce, Rogers C. B. Morton. Ön November 11, 1975, the Subcommittee found Secretary Morton in contempt of Congress by a vote of 10 to 5 and directed me to forward this information to you for appropriate action by the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. The subcommittee's action was taken because the Secretary repeatedly refused to comply with a duly authorized subpoena for Arab boycott reports which were compiled by the Department of Commerce pursuant to the Export Administration Act. (50 U.S.C. App. 2401-2413) The Subcommittee needs the information withheld by Secretary Morton in order to evaluate the impact of the Arab boycott on American commerce, to find out whether Federal laws related to the boycott (such as the Federal Trade Commission Act and the Securities Exchange Act) are being enforced, and to determine whether new law is needed. Secretary Morton has refused to comply with the subpoena on the grounds that to do so would violate 7(c), the confidentiality section of the Act. In so doing, he has relied on an opinion of the Attorney General. The Export Administration Act requires that American firms must report to the Department of Commerce all requests to participate in the Arab trade boycott against Israel and firms doing business with Israel. Section 7 (c) of the Act (50 U.S.C. App. 2406 (c)) provides: No department, agency, or official exercising any functions under this Act shall publish or disclose information obtained hereunder which is deemed confidential or with ref |