Senator Roberts Convinces White House to Allow Full Intelligence Committee to be Briefed on Terrorist Surveillance Program
WASHINGTON, DC –In anticipation of General Michael Hayden’s confirmation hearing to be the next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), in negotiations with The White House, insisted on briefing every member of the Senate Intelligence Committee on the President’s Terrorist Surveillance Program. Today, the President agreed to expand the briefing to the entire committee.
Roberts said, “It became apparent that in order to have a fully informed confirmation hearing, all members of my committee needed to know the full width and breadth of the President’s program. This issue will be central to the committee’s deliberations on General Hayden’s nomination and there was no way we could fulfill our collective constitutional responsibilities without that knowledge.”
This announcement follows Roberts’ earlier efforts to brief more members of the Senate Intelligence Committee. In March, Roberts pressed the White House to expand the oversight of the program from just the Chairman and Vice Chairman to a subcommittee of seven of the 15 Senate committee members.
General Hayden’s open confirmation hearing will take place as scheduled at 9:30 am EST on Thursday, May 18, 2006. The 15 members of the committee will receive their briefing on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 in preparation for the hearing.
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