ROBERT SIEGEL, host: Today, Congress issued subpoenas for testimony from two former White House aides about the firing of U.S. attorneys. Lawmakers also demanded White House documents related to the firings.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: NPR's Ari Shapiro has that story.</s>ARI SHAPIRO: It's been six months since Congress first started investigating the U.S. attorney dismissals, and lawmakers still have major unanswered questions about who suggested that each prosecutor be fired and why. Newly released Justice Department documents show more White House involvement in the process than anyone had previously acknowledged.</s>Two names in particular keep popping up in those e-mails: Sara Taylor and Harriet Miers. Taylor was White House political director under Karl Rove and Miers was the White House counsel.</s>Two names in particular keep popping up in those e-mails: Today, the House and Senate Judiciary Committees issued subpoenas for the women to testify a month from now. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy said the White House cannot have it both ways. It cannot stonewall congressional investigations by refusing to provide documents and witnesses while claiming nothing improper occurred.</s>Two names in particular keep popping up in those e-mails: The White House has offered private, unsworn interviews without a transcript, but Democrats and some Republicans say that's no good because without a transcript, people can disagree about what was said behind closed doors.</s>Two names in particular keep popping up in those e-mails: Today, White House Spokesman Tony Snow said the White House will review the subpoenas and respond appropriately. When asked whether the president will fight the subpoenas in court, Snow said that is way premature.</s>Two names in particular keep popping up in those e-mails: Ari Shapiro, NPR News, Washington.
Two congressional committees have issued subpoenas for testimony from former White House counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor regarding their roles in the firings of eight federal prosecutors.