By Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 29th, 2014
The Obama Administration must sack intelligence chief James Clapper if it hopes to reform the National Security Agency’s (NSA) spying programs, a number of lawmakers have declared.
Obama’s proposed changes to the NSA’s surveillance activities “fall short of substantial transparency and reform” which must include the firing of Clapper, according to a Congressional letter to the White House released on Jan. 27th. The document was signed by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA). Five other lawmakers also signed the letter.
“The continued role of James Clapper as Director of National Intelligence is incompatible with the goal of restoring trust in our security programs and ensuring the highest level of transparency,” stated the document.
“Director Clapper continues to hold his position despite lying to Congress, under oath, about the existence of bulk collection data programs in March 2013,” added the lawmakers, referring to the intelligence director’s March 2013 testimony before a Senate committee – in part, that testimony dealt with the NSA programs.
“Asking Director Clapper, and other federal intelligence officials who misrepresented programs to Congress and the courts, to report to you on needed reforms and the future role of government surveillance is not a credible solution,” the lawmakers declared.
The Obama Administration should create “immediate and effective safeguards to rein in federal surveillance programs and articulate workable, consistent standards to limit access to, and collection of, American citizens’ personal information,” stated the letter.
Four other Republican representatives joined Rep. Issa in signing the document: Paul Broun (R-GA), Doug Collins (R-GA), Ted Poe (R-TX) and Walter Jones (R-NC). One Democrat, Alan Grayson of Florida, also put his name to the letter.
Director Clapper has apologized for any ‘confusion’ his responses to lawmakers may have caused, and remains “focused on working with the intelligence committees to increase transparency while protecting critical intelligence sources and methods,” declared Shawn Turner, a Clapper spokesman, to Government Executive magazine via email.
“DNI Clapper has been testifying before members of Congress for more than two decades and he enjoys a well-earned reputation as a doggedly honest and honorable public servant,” added Turner.
And so far, it appears that Obama hopes to keep Clapper at the helm of U.S. intelligence.
“The president has full faith in Director Clapper’s leadership of the intelligence community,” White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden told reporters.
“The director has provided an explanation for his answers [to lawmakers] and made clear that he did not intend to mislead the Congress,” Hayden added.
