From: Monte Davis 

Thees Peereboom  wrote:

>'almost always'?

In principle, a President can say to Congress, "You may have confirmed
this Cabinet official, but he works for *me* and I don't want him to
testify."

In practice, however, (1) a Cabinet official is a citizen subject to the
same penalties as any other citizen who refuses to answer questions from
Congress (somewhat wider and looser than requiring testimony to a court,
IIRC)... and (2) Congress must appropriate money to run the Secretary of
X's department. So they usually come around.

Someone who knows more American history than I will have to provide
specific examples.

-Monte 

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