Latest In

Breaking News

Behind Hoekstra’s Intel-Order Walkout

Jul 31, 2020
88.5K Shares
2.3M Views
The New York Sun’s Eli Lake reportsout the backstory behind something Rachel Maddow asked me about last night on the radio and I couldn’t answer. Why’d the GOPers on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence walk out of committee after learning about the revised intelligence executive order?
Rep. Peter Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, told The New York Sun yesterday that he would punish the intelligence community from now on when they asked to spend money in areas that were not initially authorized in the budgeting process. The chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate intelligence panels approve requests by intelligence agencies to “reprogram” funds from the areas to which they were initially budgeted.
“I will not sign off on any reprogramming until at least they provide us with the information by law that they are required to give us,” Mr. Hoekstra said.
It’s a bit churlish that EO 12333 (the official name for the executive order governing intelligence-community protocol) is, as Eli writes, “the straw that broke the camel’s back” for the HPSCI GOP, when, like, warrantless surveillance went much, much further than what only two House GOPers were briefed on and that didn’t cause any walkouts. Donald Rumsfeld’s only good piece of advice, delivered in Rumsfeld’s Rules, was that most interoffice acrimony boils down to “…but I wasn’t consulted!” Hoekstra is probably staging a demonstration campaign for the intelligence community under an Obama administration.
Dexter Cooke

Dexter Cooke

Reviewer
Dexter Cooke is an economist, marketing strategist, and orthopedic surgeon with over 20 years of experience crafting compelling narratives that resonate worldwide. He holds a Journalism degree from Columbia University, an Economics background from Yale University, and a medical degree with a postdoctoral fellowship in orthopedic medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina. Dexter’s insights into media, economics, and marketing shine through his prolific contributions to respected publications and advisory roles for influential organizations. As an orthopedic surgeon specializing in minimally invasive knee replacement surgery and laparoscopic procedures, Dexter prioritizes patient care above all. Outside his professional pursuits, Dexter enjoys collecting vintage watches, studying ancient civilizations, learning about astronomy, and participating in charity runs.
Latest Articles
Popular Articles