Grayson: NSA surveillance critics will testify before special Congressional Hearing

[99th_Monkey]

Grayson is on the move. Woot!

~~~~ * ~~~~ * ~~~~ * ~~~~ * ~~~~ * ~~~~ *

NSA surveillance critics to testify before Congress
Democrat congressman Alan Grayson says hearing will help to stop 'constant misleading information' from intelligence chiefs
Paul Lewis in Washington * guardian.co.uk * Friday 26 July 2013 07.00 EDT

Congress will hear testimony from critics of the National Security Agency's surveillance practices for the first time since the whistleblower Edward Snowden's explosive leaks were made public.

Democrat congressman Alan Grayson, who is leading a bipartisan group of congressman organising the hearing, told the Guardian it would serve to counter the "constant misleading information" from the intelligence community.

The hearing, which will take place on Wednesday, comes amid evidence of a growing congressional rebellion NSA data collection methods.

On Wednesday, a vote in the House of Representatives that would have tried to curb the NSA's practice of mass collection of phone records of millions of Americans was narrowly defeated.

However, it exposed broader-than-expected concern among members of Congress over US surveillance tactics. A majority of Democrat members voted in support of the amendment.

Grayson, who was instrumental in fostering support among Democrats for the the amendment, said Wednesday's hearing would mark the first time critics of NSA surveillance methods have testified before Congress since Snowden's leaks were published by the Guardian and Washington Post.

"I have been concerned about the fact that we have heard incessantly in recent weeks from General Keith Alexander [director of the NSA] and Mr James Clapper [director of National Intelligence] about their side of the story," he said. "We have barely heard anything in Congress from critics of the program.

"We have put together an ad hoc, bipartisan hearing on domestic surveillance in on the Capitol. We plan to have critics of the program come in and give their view – from the left and the right."

Grayson said the hearing had bipartisan support, and was backed by the Republican congressman Justin Amash, whose draft the amendment that was narrowly defeated.

"Mr Amash has declared an interest in the hearing. There are several others who have a libertarian bent – largely the same people who represented the minority of Republicans who decided to vote in favour of the Amash amendment."

The hearing will take place at the same time as a Senate hearing into the NSA's activities. That will feature Gen Alexander and possibly his deputy, Chris Inglis, as well as senior officials from the Department of Justice and FBI.

The simultaneous timing of the hearings will lead to a notable juxtaposition between opponents and defenders of the government's surveillance activities.

"Both Congress and the American people deserve to hear both sides of the story," Grayson said. "There has been constant misleading information – and worse than that, the occasional outright lie – from the so-called intelligence community in their extreme, almost hysterical efforts, to defend these programmes."

Although not a formal committee hearing, Grayson's event will take place on Capitol Hill, and composed of a panel of around a dozen members of Congress from both parties.

Grayson said those testifying would include the American Civil Liberties Union as well as representatives from the right-leaning Cato Institute.

"They are both going to come in and make it clear that this programme is not authorised by existing law - and if it were authorised by existing law, that law would be unconstitutional," Grayson said.

The congressman added that Glenn Greenwald, the Guardian journalist who first revealed details of the surveillance programmes leaked by Snowden, had also been invited to testify via video-link from his base in Rio.

"Even today, most people in America are unaware of the fact the government is receiving a record of every call that they make, even to the local pizzeria," Grayson said.

"I think that most people simply don't understand that, despite the news coverage, which my view has been extremely unfocused. There has been far too much discussion of the leaker, and not enough discussion of the leak."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/26/nsa-surveillance-critics-testify-congress

[Douglas Carpenter]

1. knr

[kentuck]

2. I guess the Senate hadn't thought to offer an opposing viewpoint??

"The simultaneous timing of the hearings will lead to a notable juxtaposition between opponents and defenders of the government's surveillance activities. "

[railsback]

3. And we complain about Issa showboating on the taxpayer's dime

Oh well..

[99th_Monkey]

4. Why do you hate democracy?

In a healthy democracy, it's generally understood that a diversity of views be allowed
to see the light of day, especially in the Halls of Congress, and especially on an issue
of such great magnitude.

But then, some appear to be oblivious to this, choosing instead to trivialize and ridicule
those who attempt to provide for a diversity of views. oh well.

[railsback]

12. Oh give me a freakin' break

'Hate Democracy'??????? I know the difference between legitimate uses of Congress and being fleeced for showboating. If Grayson wants to do something of significance, start working on some amendments that can be debated on the Floor. Greyson = Issa. I'll bet Grayson also, like Issa, will use this to fund raise.

"Both Congress and the American people deserve to hear both sides of the story," Grayson said. "There has been constant misleading information – and worse than that, the occasional outright lie – from the so-called intelligence community in their extreme, almost hysterical efforts, to defend these programmes."

Says it all.

[99th_Monkey]

14. You are only proving my point

If "legitimate uses of Congress" does not include telling both (or all) sides of the NSA
debacle, then you are only proving the point I was making, albeit with a bit of hyperbole.

i.e. I didn't really think you hated democracy, but now i'm starting to wonder.

[railsback]

15. Grayson already condemned the NSA defenders as 'liars'

There is NO other side.

Showboating.

Taxpayer funded showboating.

Issa.

[99th_Monkey]

16. Nothing to see here. Move along. EEeek! ...turn off those lights!!!

[railsback]

17. Peas in a pod..

[99th_Monkey]

18. I rest my case. eom

[railsback]

21. Thank you, Darrell.

[99th_Monkey]

24. No problemo Dr. Strangelove

[think]

30. Clapper gave the least untruthful answer.....

[nashville_brook]

6. showboating...really?

[kentuck]

9. Really?

????

[liberal_at_heart]

8. sometimes hearings are nothing more than showboating. Sometimes they really bring up

important issues that no one wants to talk about like when Congress had hearings on sexual assaults in the military. We do need to hear both sides on this issue so we can find out if and how far the NSA abused its powers and if the Patriot Act gives agencies like the NSA too much power to begin with.

[railsback]

13. Grayson already condemned the NSA defenders as 'liars'

Showboating for fund raising…and we pay for it.

[KittyWampus]

20. sometimes showboating can be useful. So even though you wish to characterize this as such

and it may very well be "showboating"… it's still very useful.

[railsback]

22. One can't say 'both sides should be heard'

and then call the other side a bunch of liars before it even starts. That's what FOX does.

[LondonReign2]

11. Yeah, why the heck would be want to have open discussions about this?

I mean, we all know Obama was just kiding when he said it should discussed, right?

On well, at least you let me know that I can safely ignore your opinion in the future

[think]

26. Comparing Issa's lies to an investigation of NSA malfeasance?

wow....

[railsback]

27. Yes, 'WOW'

And here we were, thinking we were superior to the GOP shenanigans… while doing the same thing. Breathtaking.

[think]

28. You may support secret laws and violations of the law by the NSA. I don't

sorry.....

[Mojorabbit]

36. I cannot believe you actually posted that. Are you in the right place? nt

[railsback]

37. Maybe not. Logic seems to be void here.

[WillyT]

5. HUGE K & R !!!

[Oilwellian]

7. Grayson is brilliant

"Both Congress and the American people deserve to hear both sides of the story," Grayson said. "There has been constant misleading information – and worse than that, the occasional outright lie – from the so-called intelligence community in their extreme, almost hysterical efforts, to defend these programmes."

On Edit: We even see those hysterical efforts to defend these unconstitutional programs right here on DU!

[kentuck]

10. You mean..??

We should hear from someone besides Alexander and Clapper? What a quaint idea!

[forestpath]

19. K&R for Alan Grayson

[Catherina]

23. Rec but why not clear all of Congress for Special Access so they can do their J-O-B

and we can hold them accountable?

I'll take a panel if that's all we can get but it has to be MINUS that awful gang of eight that already rebuffed previous whistleblowers and were specifically singled out by Snowden.

[hr]

Question:
User avatar for AhBrightWings
AhBrightWings
17 June 2013 2:12pm

My question: given the enormity of what you are facing now in terms of repercussions, can you describe the exact moment when you knew you absolutely were going to do this, no matter the fallout, and what it now feels like to be living in a post-revelation world? Or was it a series of moments that culminated in action? I think it might help other people contemplating becoming whistleblowers if they knew what the ah-ha moment was like. Again, thanks for your courage and heroism.

Answer:

I imagine everyone's experience is different, but for me, there was no single moment. It was seeing a continuing litany of lies from senior officials to Congress - and therefore the American people - and the realization that that Congress, specifically the ***Gang of Eight***, wholly supported the lies that compelled me to act. Seeing someone in the position of James Clapper - the Director of National Intelligence - baldly lying to the public without repercussion is the evidence of a subverted democracy. The consent of the governed is not consent if it is not informed.

"Being called a traitor by Dick Cheney is the highest honor you can give an American, and the more panicked talk we hear from people like him, Feinstein, and King, the better off we all are"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023033003

[hr]
The Gang of Eight

Background

The President of the United States is required by 50 U.S.C. § 413(a)(1) to "ensure that the congressional intelligence committees are kept fully and currently informed of the intelligence activities of the United States." However, under 50 U.S.C. § 413b(c)(2), the President may elect to report instead to the Gang of Eight when he thinks "it is essential to limit access" to information about a covert action.[not verified in body]
...
The individuals are sworn to secrecy and there is no vote process

The term "Gang of Eight" gained wide currency in the coverage of the Bush administration's warrantless domestic spying program, in the context that no members of Congress other than the Gang of Eight were informed of the program, and they were forbidden to disseminate knowledge of the program to other members of Congress. The Bush administration has asserted that the briefings delivered to the Gang of Eight sufficed to provide Congressional oversight of the program and preserve the checks and balances between the executive and legislative branches.[1]

Members of the Gang of Eight (intelligence)

United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence:

Mike Rogers (R): (Chair)
C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D): (Ranking member)

United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence:

Dianne Feinstein (D): (Chair)
Saxby Chambliss (R): (Ranking member)

Leadership in theUnited States House of Representatives:

John Boehner (R): (Speaker of the House)
Nancy Pelosi (D): (Minority leader)

Leadership in the United States Senate:

Harry Reid (D): (Majority leader)
Mitch McConnell (R): (Minority leader)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gang_of_Eight_%28intelligence%29

[99th_Monkey]

25. Hey, thanks for the rec

and the info as well.

I notice a distinct silence from the usual Snowden-haters about how Grayson
is now a "Paul-bot" or some ridiculous smear like that. The best they got
to date is accusing Grayson of "grandstanding" .<-- pretty lame.

[muriel_volestrangler]

31. Oh, railsback came up with today's smear: " Greyson = Issa"

I'm tempted to alert on it, seeing as Grayson is also a DUer.

[think]

32. That's a comparison to be proud of

[Catherina]

34. Grayson grandstanding? They must have no idea how pissed off the people are

but that's ok, in a few years, no one will even know or care who they were. History books will be kind to Snowden and the activists who backed him.

I don't even bother reading anything from the "impeachment is off the table" crowd. It's too worthless.

[Luminous Animal]

29. Glenn Greenwald is going to testify via satellite.

[Catherina]

35. Smart move. He already knows he's not safe in the US.

I wouldn't step foot in the US for many years in his place.

[grasswire]

33. a thousand recs! nt

[tritsofme]

38. By "special" they mean pretend. It's not a real hearing, it is a press conference/live chat.

No one will "testify"

[kentuck]

39. It means the leaders do not approve.

It is not just a press conference.

[tritsofme]

40. They can call it whatever they want, but it is not a real congressional hearing.

It is nothing more than a press conference/PR event.

[kentuck]

42. Right. If Issa had called it, it would have been a hearing.

This is just PR. Yep.

[tritsofme]

43. Such is the reality and consequences of power in our system.

As if the motives of people like Justin Amash and the other Republicans behind this as pure as the driven snow. This motley crew is a joke.

[Waiting For Everyman]

41. K&R Shine the big spotlight on this mess.

Can't wait to watch the insects scatter when the lights come on.

It's about time. Thank you, Alan Grayson!