Government by Investigation: Congress, Presidents, and the Search for Answers, 1945–2012

Appendix C: Investigation Resumes, 1945-2012

225 Investigatory committees, commissions, and so forth are presented in rough order of engagement, although it was sometimes frustratingly difficult to discern which entity moved first. General introductions to some of the more obscure investigations on this list are provided in the notes for each investigation. Pearl Harbor (1945) —Joint Committee on Investigation of Pearl Harbor Attack Several investigations of Pearl Harbor occurred before the end of World War II. For example, the Roberts Commission (chaired by Justice Owen Roberts) was created by executive order on December 18, 1941, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt; the Army’s Pearl Harbor Board and the Navy Court of Inquiry were “appointed pursuant to the provisions” of P.L. 78-339. Other investigations not directly authorized by the president or Congress included the Hart inquiry,the Clarke inquiry,the Clausen investigation,and the Hewitt inquiry.1 World War II procurement fraud (1945) —Senate Special Committee to Investigate Contracts under the National Defense Program Agriculture commodity speculation (1947) —Senate Special Subcommittee on Speculation in Commodity Markets, Committee on Appropriations —House Select Committee to Investigate Commodity Transactions Investigation Résumés, 1945–2012 APPENDIX C 08-2268-7 App C:0322-8 10/1/13 1:47 PM Page 225 Communists in Hollywood (1947) —House Committee on Un-American Activities Government organization and management (1947) —Commission on the Organization of the Executive Branch of the Government (Hoover Commission) Communists in government (1948) —House Un-American Activities Committee —Senate Committee on Government Operations (McCarthy Committee) —Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Subcommittee on Senate Resolution 231 (Tydings Committee) —Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws (McCarran Subcommittee) —Senate Committee on Government Operations, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (McCarthy Committee) —Senate Select Committee to Study Censure Charges Atomic Energy Commission operations (1949) —Joint Committee on Atomic Energy Organized crime in America (1950) —Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce (Kefauver Committee) Reconstruction Finance Corporation operations (1950) —Senate Banking and Currency Committee —Senate Committee on Expenditures in Executive Departments, Subcommittee on Investigations Bureau of Internal Revenue corruption (1951) —House Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Administration of the Internal Revenue Laws 226 Investigation Résumés, 1945–2012 08-2268-7 App C:0322-8 10/1/13 1:47 PM Page 226 Conduct of the Korean War (1951) —Senate Committee on Armed Services and Committee on Foreign Relations (includes the General Douglas MacArthur removal from command inquiry) Airport safety (1952) —President’s Airport Commission (General James Doolittle Commission) —House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce —Senate Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce Justice Department operations (1952) —House Judiciary Committee,Special Subcommittee to Investigate the Justice Department The investigation emerged from allegations that the department was poorly managed, had “bungled” its own cleanup, and had failed to investigate several cases of vote fraud, most notably in Kansas City. Dixon-Yates power contract (1954) —Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Antitrust and Monopoly —Joint Committee on Atomic Energy Federal Housing Administration mismanagement (1954) —Senate Committee on Banking and Currency Air Force preparedness for the cold war (1956) —Senate Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on the Air Force Campaign finance corruption (1956) —Senate Special Committee to Investigate Political Activities, Lobbying, and Campaign Contributions This reluctant investigation was sparked by a long-running stream of quiet allegations, but only intermittent hearings and interest. The Senate finally created its special committee after Sen. Francis Case (D-S.D.) reported that he had been offered a $2,500“campaign gift” in return for undisclosed favors.2 Investigation Résumés, 1945–2012 227 08-2268-7 App C:0322-8 10/1/13 1:47 PM Page 227 Labor racketeering (1957) —Senate Select Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor and Management Field (McClellan Committee) Sherman Adams misconduct (1957) —House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, Special Subcommittee on Legislative Oversight U. S. response to the Sputnik launch (1957) —Senate Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Preparedness —House Post Office and Civil Service Committee,Subcommittee on Manpower Utilization —House Committee on Government Operations, Special Subcommittee on Government Information (Moss Committee) —House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Department of Defense Appropriations Drug industry practices (1959) —Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Antitrust and Monopoly (Kefauver Committee) Part of Sen. Estes Kefauver’s (D-Tenn.) broader review of monopoly and antitrust policy across government, this investigation produced major consumer reforms to regulate the prescription drug...