Senators expected to hold Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre in contempt

Lawmakers say they would seek to hold Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre in contempt of Congress if he doesn't appear at a hearing Thursday on Capitol Hill, senators from both parties told CBS News.

"If someone shows contempt for the people of the United States by not coming to testify both to potentially clear his name, but also to give them insight, then that is a contemptible thing," said Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, the ranking Republican member of the Senate committee investigating Steward. 

The company, which had owned more than three dozen hospitals across eight states, declared bankruptcy earlier this year and has been struggling to find buyers for its facilities. Last week, de la Torre's attorney wrote to the committee, saying his client would "not participate" in the hearing, asserting the testimony needed to be postponed until after Steward's bankruptcy proceedings were resolved.