CNN

The House Judiciary Committee is recommending contempt charges for White House aides Harriet Miers, above, and Josh Bolten.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted to recommend that Congress issue contempt citations to a former and a current White House official for failing to comply with subpoenas issued in the investigation into the firings of eight U.S. attorneys last year.

The panel voted 22 to 17 on a resolution to cite former Counsel Harriet Miers and Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten. Their decision now goes to the House floor for a vote.

A Democratic leadership aide told CNN the full House is unlikely to take up the issue before its August recess.

"This is not a step that as chairman I take easily or lightly, but it is one I believe necessary - not only to allow us to gain an accurate picture but to protect our constitutional prerogatives as a co-equal branch of government," said committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., at the start of the meeting.

Miers was President Bush's pick for the U.S. Supreme Court, before she removed herself from consideration in October 2005.
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