© J. Scott Applewhite/AP PhotoThe proposal, offered by Rep. Jim Jordan (pictured), demands that the Justice Department turn over a broad slate of documents by July 6.
The resolution is unenforceable but would for the first time put the Republican-led House on record demanding sensitive DOJ documents, escalating a confrontation that has so far been confined to a handful of powerful House committees.
The resolution repeatedly accuses the DOJ of "non-compliance" with House subpoenas - including several issued by the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees. And it demands the agency turn over all requested documents by July 6.
Democrats oppose the measure, calling it a partisan attempt to undermine Mueller's ongoing investigation into the Trump campaign's contacts with Russia, and an attempt to squeeze top Justice Department officials like Mueller's boss, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and FBI Director Christopher Wray.
The measure expected to his the floor Thursday is an updated version of proposals initially offered by Rep.s Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), who chairs the conservative House Freedom Caucus. The latest version conforms to subpoenas that the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees previously issued.
Meadows told reporters Wednesday morning that if DOJ fails to comply with the resolution, Congress should hold Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in contempt of Congress or impleach him.
The House Rules Committee is preparing to advance the resolution Wednesday afternoon, clearing it for a floor vote Thursday.
Notably, Rosenstein and Wray are scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee Thursday morning, which means they'll likely be on the Hill around the time of the House vote.
Jordan has described the push as a legitimate demand for documents that has been denied for months.
"We are sick and tired of the Department of Justice giving us the runaround," he said. "As a separate branch of government, we have a right to get information."
"We want the full weight of the United States House of Representatives behind this resolution saying we are entitled, again, as a separate and equal branch of government, to get the information we need to do our oversight duty," Jordan added.
Under the language of the proposal up for consideration by the Rules Committee, the House would demand documents pertaining to the highly classified FISA surveillance program that Republicans have alleged was abused by the FBI to monitor Carter Page, a former Trump campaign associate.
Page, whom the FBI suspected of acting as a Russian agent, had advised the Trump campaign on foreign policy matters but came under scrutiny for a midcampaign trip to Moscow during which he interacted with at least one senior Russian government official.
The resolution also demands the production of more documents pertaining to the FBI's use of confidential informants to interact with members of the Trump campaign who were suspected of having Russia contacts.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, House Judiciary Commtitee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes huddled with Rosenstein and other Justice Department officials last week to review outstanding document requests, and Ryan emerged from the meeting suggesting that progress had been made and that the extra time the FBI requested for additional documents was "reasonable."
But Meadows, a top ally of President Donald Trump, slammed the suggestion and dismissed claims of greater cooperation.
"While they have turned over additional documents, the new documents represent a small percentage of what they owe," he said. "The notion that DOJ/FBI have been forthcoming with Congress is false."
Comment: See also: House Judiciary Committee approves resolution demanding FBI documents in response to stonewalling