GOP House intel chair told Bush not informing Congress about 'special projects' may be illegal 
In a letter sent
this past May, Republican House Intelligence Committee chairman Peter Hoekstra told Bush that not informing Congress about "special projects" may be illegal and warned him that he may lose support from some party members on national security matters, the New York Times reveals in its Sunday edition.
In a letter sentthis past May, Republican House Intelligence Committee chairman Peter Hoekstra told Bush that not informing Congress about "special projects" may be illegal and warned him that he may lose support from some party members on national security matters, the New York Times reveals in its Sunday edition.
"I have learned of some alleged intelligence community activities about which our committee has not been briefed," Rep. Hoesktra wrote in May. "If these allegations are true, they may represent a breach of responsibility by the administration, a violation of the law, and, just as importantly, a direct affront to me and the members of this committee who have so ardently supported efforts to collect information on our enemies."
"The U.S. Congress simply should not have to play Twenty Questions to get the information that it deserves under our Constitution," Hoekstra added in the letter obtained by the Times.
Excerpts from the
article written by Eric Lichtbau and Scott Shane:
article written by Eric Lichtbau and Scott Shane:
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The letter from Representative Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, did not specify the intelligence activities that he believed had been hidden from Congress.
But Mr. Hoekstra, who was briefed on and supported the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program and the Treasury Department's tracking of international banking transactions, clearly was referring to programs that have not been publicly revealed.
Recently, after the harsh criticism from Mr. Hoekstra, intelligence officials have appeared at two closed committee briefings to answer questions from the chairman and other members. The briefings appear to have eased but not erased the concerns of Mr. Hoekstra and other lawmakers about whether the administration is sharing information on all of its intelligence operations.
....
Mr.
Hoekstra's blunt letter is evidence of a rift between the White House and House Republican leaders over the administration's perceived indifference to Congressional oversight and input on intelligence matters. Mr. Hoekstra wrote that he had shared his complaints with House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, Republican of Illinois, and that the speaker "concurs with my concerns."
Hoekstra's blunt letter is evidence of a rift between the White House and House Republican leaders over the administration's perceived indifference to Congressional oversight and input on intelligence matters. Mr. Hoekstra wrote that he had shared his complaints with House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, Republican of Illinois, and that the speaker "concurs with my concerns."
A spokesman for Mr. Hastert declined to comment.
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