| SPEAKER PELOSI’S SILENCE ON CIA ACCUSATIONS PITS DEMS VS. AMERICA’S INTEL PROFESSIONALS WHILE DEMOCRATS VOTE TO PROTECT THE SPEAKER, HOUSE REPUBLICANS SEEK ACCOUNTABILITY, TRUTH FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE |
| June 19, 2009 | House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) | Permalink Weeks
ago, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) committed a rhetorical
hit-and-run, charging the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with
engaging in a systematic pattern of lying to Congress, then refusing to
comment further on the serious allegation she had leveled against
America’s intelligence professionals. House Republicans continue to
press the issue with a series of measures seeking answers for these
professionals and the American people they help protect. Despite those
efforts, however, House Democrats continue to stonewall and sweep the
matter under the rug at every opportunity. - Democrats Block Release of Unclassified Interrogation Records.
Just last night, Intelligence Committee Republicans offered an
amendment to the Intelligence Authorization bill during committee
consideration requiring the CIA to make publicly available an
unclassified version of the records on enhanced interrogation briefings
to Congress as well as certain finished intelligence products assessing
the information gained from detainee reporting. Even
though Speaker Pelosi asked for the release of the CIA briefing notes,
Democrats blocked public disclosure on a party-line vote.
Ranking Republican Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) said it was more proof that
Democrats have done nothing to “address or follow-up on her claim that
the CIA lies to Congress ‘all the time.’”
- Democrats Block Roskam Amendment to Fund Pelosi Investigation.
This week, Democrats initially made in order an amendment by Rep. Peter
Roskam (R-IL) to the Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill to
fund an investigation into Speaker Pelosi and her accusations. But
Democrats later banned Roskam’s amendment and many others as well. On
FOX News’ Special Report Wednesday, Bret Baier noted: “Democrats have
stripped three amendments from a bill that funds the Justice and
Commerce Departments…The third amendment would have funded an
investigation of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her allegation that the
CIA lied to her about detainee interrogations.” Click HERE for video.
- Democrats Block Bipartisan Ethics Investigation of Pelosi Accusations.
On the House floor Tuesday, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) again offered a
resolution that, if passed, would initiate a bipartisan investigation
into the Speaker’s allegations of systematic lying to Congress by the
CIA. A similar resolution offered by Rep. Bishop was offered weeks
ago, only to be defeated as rank-and-file Democrats voted with their
leadership to stonewall the proposed investigation. They voted to
stonewall again on Tuesday.
Democratic leaders have
tried the “let’s stay silent and hope this all just blows over”
approach, and it hasn't worked. As evidenced by an article earlier
this week in Roll Call,
the situation continues to plague the Majority, driving a wedge between
senior Democrats, and between the Democratic leadership and the
nation’s intelligence community: | “[House
Speaker Nancy] Pelosi is engaged in a high-profile spat with CIA
Director Leon Panetta over what she was told in 2002 about
interrogation techniques. The aftermath of that tit-for-tat, in which
Pelosi contended that the CIA misled her and failed to tell her it was
already using waterboarding and other techniques, saw Pelosi’s standing
with the public take a hit in opinion polls. Pelosi now refuses to
talk about the issue. ‘The American people think that public safety
comes before public relations,’ House Republican Conference Chairman
Mike Pence (Ind.) said Monday when asked about the GOP’s national
security attacks.” | Rep.
Mike Rogers (R-MI) has offered a resolution, cosponsored by Republican
Leader John Boehner (R-OH), that would honor America’s intelligence
officials. As the Washington Times reported: | “[Rep.
Rogers] has proposed a resolution that he says honors ‘the brave men
and women of the intelligence community of the United States, whose
tireless and selfless work has protected America from a terrorist
attack for the past eight years. . .These professionals, at home or
across the globe, execute a critical mission with quiet dedication and
without the luxury or need of public recognition. . .’ [Rep.] Rogers
said he and House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican,
have called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to quickly bring the
resolution to a vote. That could put Mrs. Pelosi, California Democrat,
in a potentially awkward situation as she has recently been embroiled
in controversy after accusing the CIA of lying to Congress about the
use of interrogation techniques that some consider torture. ‘We should
send a clear signal that the United States stands firmly behind its
intelligence professionals and we support them as they risk their lives
every day to keep America safe,’ Mr. Rogers said.” | Will
House Democrats schedule the Rogers resolution and honor our
intelligence professionals? Or will they continue to stonewall on
behalf of Speaker Pelosi, who continues to stand by her accusations
without any evidence to back them up? |
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