The decision to try to compel cooperation from a leading judicial activist and a Republican megadonor came over fierce G.O.P. opposition and threats of retaliation.
The Judiciary Committee postponed votes to issue subpoenas for benefactors of Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito after Republicans threatened a politically charged fight.
The step signals a major shift in American policy and ends months of resistance by Pentagon officials who feared setting a precedent that could pave the way for the court to prosecute U.S. troops.
Would Republicans allow the ailing California Democrat to be replaced on the Judiciary Committee if she resigned from her seat? It’s a political question as well as an institutional one.