http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/house-republicans/breaking-house-dems-will-investigate-secret-cia-program/Breaking: House Dems Will Investigate Secret CIA Program
This release just out from House Intel committee chair Silvestre Reyes, which says that House Dems have decided to probe the secret CIA program that had been concealed from Congress and was revealed the other day by CIA director Leon Panetta, is a big deal:
“After careful consideration and consultation with the Ranking Minority Member and other members of the Committee, I am announcing an official Committee investigation into possible violations of federal law, including the National Security Act of 1974.
“This investigation will focus on the core issues of how the congressional intelligence committees and Congress are kept fully and currently informed. To this end, the investigation will examine several issues, including the program discussed during {CIA} Director {Leon} Panetta’s June 24th notification and whether there was any official decision or direction to withold information from the Committee.”
This is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, it suggests House Dems are bucking the Obama administration. Recall that Obama’s intel chief, Dennis Blair, went out of his way earlier this week to say he didn’t think the secret program was illegal, which seemed like an effort to tell Congressional Dems to back off. But here Reyes is clearly stating a probe into “possible violations of federal law.”
Second, it means House Dems are ignoring the insistence by some Republicans and conservatives that continuing to raise questions about the CIA’s conduct is bad politically for Democrats. House GOPers have repeatedly sounded the refrain that the continued focus on the CIA by House Dems is very, very bad news for Nancy Pelosi, because it plays into GOP efforts to paint her and Democrats as weak on terror.
It seems Dems are forging ahead and ignoring the GOP’s well-intentioned advice.