Conyers and Administrative Law subcommittee Chairwoman Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) were responding to a July 1 letter they received from Rove’s attorney, Robert D. Luskin, in which Luskin said his client would be unable to appear before Sanchez’s subcommittee. The panel is investigating the politicization within the Justice Department and had subpoenaed Rove to testify before the subcommittee next Thursday.

In a letter released Thursday, Conyers and Sanchez rejected that claim, and warned that they could move to hold Rove in contempt of Congress if he fails to respond to the subpoena.

“We want to make clear that the subcommittee will convene as scheduled and expects Mr. Rove to appear, and that a refusal to appear in violation of the subpoena could subject Mr. Rove to contempt proceedings, including statutory contempt under federal law and proceedings under the inherent contempt authority of the House of Representatives," Conyers and Sanchez wrote.

If both sides follow through on their threats, Rove would become the third member of Bush’s innermost circle to be held in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify after being subpoenaed. The House in February voted to hold White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify before the same panel.

Conyers and Sanchez also again rejected Rove’s offer to appear for an off-the-record interview.