ic ▁Cy cle . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁exper ts ▁have ▁moved ▁away ▁from ▁re lying ▁on ▁it . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : Chr on ology <0x0A> </s> ▁Cont empt ▁of ▁Congress ▁is ▁the ▁act ▁of ▁ob struct ing ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Congress ▁or ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁comm itte es . ▁Histor ically , ▁the ▁b ri ber y ▁of ▁a ▁U . S . ▁Senator ▁or ▁U . S . ▁Represent ative ▁was ▁considered ▁cont empt ▁of ▁Congress . ▁In ▁modern ▁times , ▁cont empt ▁of ▁Congress ▁has ▁generally ▁applied ▁to ▁the ▁ref us al ▁to ▁comp ly ▁with ▁a ▁sub po ena ▁issued ▁by ▁a ▁Cong r essional ▁committee ▁or ▁sub comm ittee — us ually ▁seeking ▁to ▁comp el ▁either ▁testim ony ▁or ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁requested ▁documents . ▁ ▁History ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 7 9 0 s , ▁declaring ▁cont empt ▁of ▁Congress ▁was ▁considered ▁an ▁" imp lied ▁power " ▁of ▁the ▁legisl ature , ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁way ▁that ▁the ▁British ▁Parliament ▁could ▁make ▁find ings ▁of ▁cont empt ▁of ▁Parliament — ear ly ▁Congress es ▁issued ▁cont empt ▁cit ations ▁against ▁numerous ▁individuals ▁for ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁actions . ▁Some ▁instances ▁of ▁cont empt ▁of ▁Congress ▁included ▁cit ations ▁against : ▁Robert ▁Rand al , ▁for ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁b ri be ▁Represent ative ▁William ▁Smith ▁of ▁South ▁Carolina ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 5 . ▁William ▁Du ane , ▁a ▁newspaper ▁editor ▁who ▁refused ▁to ▁answer ▁Senate ▁questions ▁in