presence
11-06-2013, 08:22 AM
Original co-sponsors to the measure, H.R. 3436 (http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th/house-bill/3436), are Reps. Paul Broun (R-GA), Mick Mulvaney (R-SC), Alan Grayson (D-FL), Kerry Bentivolio (R-MI), Tom Rice (R-SC), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Justin Amash (R-MI), Trey Gowdy (R-SC), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Joe Wilson (R-SC), and James Sensenbrenner (R-WI).
http://www.unitedliberty.org/articles/15492-legislation-filed-to-make-nsa-inspector-general-post-subject-to-confirmation
Legislation filed to make NSA Inspector General post subject to confirmation Tue, 11/05/2013 - 3:12pm | posted by Jason Pye (http://www.unitedliberty.org/users/jpye)
http://www.unitedliberty.org/files/images/NSA-surveillance.jpg The controversy surrounding the National Security Agency’s bulk data collection of innocent Americans phone and Internet record has led to a tremendous backlash in Congress. Not only have there been several pieces of legislation filed to end the agency’s spying, Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC) has introduced a measure — H.R. 3436 (http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th/house-bill/3436), The National Security Agency Inspector General Act of 2013 — that would subject the NSA’s inspector general to Senate confirmation.
“With information continuing to drip out regarding activities at the NSA that at best raise questions about the legality of their conduct and at worst are in direct violation of the Constitution, [last Wednesday] I introduced legislation to help correct this behavior, by making the NSA Inspector General (IG) position a presidential appointment, to be confirmed by the Senate,” said Sanford in a press statement from his office (http://sanford.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/sanford-introduces-hr-3436-the-nsa-inspector-general-act-of-2013).
Inspectors general have a duty of reporting rule violations and transparency issues to senior officials and/or members of Congress. For example, the Treasury Department’s Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) confirmed that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has wittingly targeted conservative and Tea Party groups attempting to apply for tax-exempt status.
Though the TIGTA isn’t subject to Senate confirmation, inspectors general at the CIA, Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security are, Sanford noted, and with the controversy surrounding the NSA, a measure of independence from high-level officials is needed.
“Right now, the IG is appointed by the Director of the NSA, which curbs their oversight effectiveness because the Director can remove them,” Sanford explained. “As recently noted in an op-ed by the former IG of the CIA, Britt Snider, this lack of independence creates an environment where employees of the IG’s office worry about their careers if their findings and conclusions are critical of the agency.”
“There are a number of reforms that need to be made at the NSA to ensure the Agency is not violating the privacy of Americans, but without a robust IG office, these reforms will lack the teeth they need to be enforced. In this vein, I feel this legislation is a reasonable and necessary step that will help bring positive change to the Agency,” he added.
Subjecting this post to Senate confirmation would require a president to submit a nominee to the chamber, needing 60 votes to bypass a filibuster and, eventually, a simple majority to approve the nominee to the post.
http://www.unitedliberty.org/articles/15492-legislation-filed-to-make-nsa-inspector-general-post-subject-to-confirmation
Legislation filed to make NSA Inspector General post subject to confirmation Tue, 11/05/2013 - 3:12pm | posted by Jason Pye (http://www.unitedliberty.org/users/jpye)
http://www.unitedliberty.org/files/images/NSA-surveillance.jpg The controversy surrounding the National Security Agency’s bulk data collection of innocent Americans phone and Internet record has led to a tremendous backlash in Congress. Not only have there been several pieces of legislation filed to end the agency’s spying, Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC) has introduced a measure — H.R. 3436 (http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th/house-bill/3436), The National Security Agency Inspector General Act of 2013 — that would subject the NSA’s inspector general to Senate confirmation.
“With information continuing to drip out regarding activities at the NSA that at best raise questions about the legality of their conduct and at worst are in direct violation of the Constitution, [last Wednesday] I introduced legislation to help correct this behavior, by making the NSA Inspector General (IG) position a presidential appointment, to be confirmed by the Senate,” said Sanford in a press statement from his office (http://sanford.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/sanford-introduces-hr-3436-the-nsa-inspector-general-act-of-2013).
Inspectors general have a duty of reporting rule violations and transparency issues to senior officials and/or members of Congress. For example, the Treasury Department’s Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) confirmed that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has wittingly targeted conservative and Tea Party groups attempting to apply for tax-exempt status.
Though the TIGTA isn’t subject to Senate confirmation, inspectors general at the CIA, Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security are, Sanford noted, and with the controversy surrounding the NSA, a measure of independence from high-level officials is needed.
“Right now, the IG is appointed by the Director of the NSA, which curbs their oversight effectiveness because the Director can remove them,” Sanford explained. “As recently noted in an op-ed by the former IG of the CIA, Britt Snider, this lack of independence creates an environment where employees of the IG’s office worry about their careers if their findings and conclusions are critical of the agency.”
“There are a number of reforms that need to be made at the NSA to ensure the Agency is not violating the privacy of Americans, but without a robust IG office, these reforms will lack the teeth they need to be enforced. In this vein, I feel this legislation is a reasonable and necessary step that will help bring positive change to the Agency,” he added.
Subjecting this post to Senate confirmation would require a president to submit a nominee to the chamber, needing 60 votes to bypass a filibuster and, eventually, a simple majority to approve the nominee to the post.