Only part of shutdown-ending CR that matters: Trump admin can fund intelligence activities not authorized by Congress. The rest is theater. How did this end up in the bill? You’re a co-equal branch. Intel oversight is the job of intel oversight committees. What’s wrong with you?
-
Show this thread
-
Seriously, most Americans--and evidently most members of Congress--don't realize how big a deal this is. Giving Congress oversight of intelligence was the major reform of the Church Committee (1975) in response to Watergate. The shutdown-ending CR undermined that. 2/x
3 replies 106 retweets 149 likesShow this thread -
Intelligence reform and organization of the federal bureaucracy is one of those things most people don't pay much attention to, but it's a really big deal We authorize intelligence agencies to do shady things on our behalf, which citizens, military, cops aren't supposed to do 3/x
1 reply 60 retweets 98 likesShow this thread -
Nixon used intel agencies as his personal goons. That led to the Church committee reforms, which gave Congress oversight powers. I know many Americans still criticize CIA, NSA and the other US intelligence agencies--FYI, there are 17--but Church reforms greatly improved them. 4/x
1 reply 72 retweets 125 likesShow this thread -
At the request of the Office of Management and Budget, headed by Mick Mulvaney, the shutdown-ending continuing resolution included language authorizing the executive branch to spend money on intelligence that wasn't explicitly authorized by Congress. 5/x
6 replies 131 retweets 107 likesShow this thread -
Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Richard Burr (R-NC), Ranking Member Mark Warner (D-VA), and Appropriations Committee Chair Thad Cochran (R-MS) have all objected. But somehow, this authoritarian power grab passed anyway. Seems Congress wasn't really paying attention. 6/x
6 replies 114 retweets 130 likesShow this thread -
Replying to @NGrossman81
Thad Cochran didn't object to the language in the CR. He was the one who kept Burr and Warner from getting it removed.
1 reply 3 retweets 3 likes
Right, thanks. Cochran objected to their objection, preventing consensus. I was writing quickly and didn't explain that clearly. Rereading the thread this morning, I noticed that mistake. But the rest is accurate.
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.