WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As Democrats consider issuing subpoenas to compel top White House officials to testify before Congress, a Texas Republican is calling on former President Bill Clinton to appear before a House Judiciary subcommittee Thursday on the issue of presidential pardons.

Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, made the request Monday for Clinton to address the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. Unlike Democrats who are in the majority, the Republican Smith has no power to compel the former president to participate.

"Former President Clinton is no stranger to controversial pardons, most notably the pardon of Marc Rich on his last day in office," Smith, who serves as the senior Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement released by his office. "I can think of no better person to address this issue."

A Clinton spokesman tells CNN the former president is unable to attend.

"He's traveling on Thursday and won't be appearing at the hearing," said Jay Carson, Clinton's spokesman.

And Smith will get no support in his request from Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, D-Michigan. Instead, Conyers noted that some Republicans are calling for Bush to pardon I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff.

"It seems some are more interested in accountability for the Clinton administration than for this current administration," Conyers said in a statement to CNN. "This desire to travel back in time and change the subject cannot change the fact that the vice president's former chief of staff was convicted of perjury for thwarting the investigation into the outing of a CIA operative. Now many Republicans who thought perjury was impeachable, think it's pardonable for the rich and powerful."

Rep. Lamar Smith's letter to former President Bill Clinton