Democrats, White House spar over intelligence bill

House Intelligence Committee Democrats are engaged in a fierce showdown with the White House over lawmakers’ demands for more transparency and oversight of the intelligence community. President Barack Obama has twice threatened to veto the intelligence authorization bill, first in July of last year, when the committee approved it, and again this week. The White House has argued that the legislation’s new requirements would, in some cases, put American lives at risk. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), a senior member of the House Intelligence panel and a key ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), rejected the administration’s claims. Eshoo was referring to provisions in the House and Senate intelligence bills that would give the Government Accountability Office legal authority to review practices and operations throughout the intelligence community. The provisions also would allow any congressional committee with jurisdiction on intelligence matters to request a GAO investigation of that activity. The administration also opposes a provision in the bill establishing an agency inspector general to investigate the anthrax attacks, which the FBI has concluded were planned and committed by the late Dr. Bruce Ivins, acting alone. Possibly even more troubling to the White House are provisions in the bills proposing that interrogations of detainees or prisoners in CIA custody be videotaped, as well as the major changes to the congressional notification system...read more