For nearly three decades I labored in the congressional vineyards of rules, procedures, norms and reforms. And, in all that time, until last week, I had never heard of a law creating the Senate rule of five or the House rule of seven.

Suffice it to say it was antiquated, obscure and rarely invoked. Moreover, it is not contained in the standing rules manual of either body. Instead, it is enshrined in permanent law — namely 5 U.S. Code, sec. 2954, first enacted in 1928.

That section simply directs any executive agency to comply with any request for information from one of the two principal oversight committees of Congress. The request should be made by the full “Committee on Government Operations of the House of Representatives,” or at least seven members thereof, or by the full “Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate” or any five members thereof. (The law has subsequently been modified several times to reflect committee name changes).

What has reignited interest in this succinct century-old law is its resurrection last week by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and all seven Democrats on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

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