Showing posts with label Intelligence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Intelligence. Show all posts

Monday, August 7, 2017

National Security Advisor’s Serial Insubordination and Personnel Actions Undermine Trump Presidency, Requires His Termination

Washington, D.C. - August 7, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- The Center for Security Policy has joined with others who are alarmed at the disloyal and subversive behavior of National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster. They have joined together in calling on President Trump to dismiss McMaster from his office immediately. Such disloyal and subversive behavior from McMaster includes undermining the President’s policies on virtually every important foreign and defense policy issue and purging staff members who support these issues, while retaining or hiring others – including large numbers of Obama holdovers – who do not.

“No voter in this country – not one – elected H.R. McMaster to run U.S. foreign policy. Actually, the winner of the 2016 election was a man who opposed virtually every aspect of the McMaster agenda – and that of the president who made its architect a three-star general, Barack Obama,” said Center for Security Policy President Frank Gaffney in a nationally syndicated radio commentary today.

“It may be hard to square that reality with what has happened since McMaster became Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor. At every turn, the Army general has been insubordinate to his Commander-in-Chief. For example, he has openly opposed Mr. Trump on “radical Islamic terrorism,” Syria, Qatar, Iran, Russia and the Muslim Brotherhood.

“Of late, McMaster has taken to purging Mr. Trump’s most loyal staff members, including senior intelligence advisor Ezra Cohen-Watnik – a man the President had previously, personally insisted be retained. If such misconduct is tolerated, Trump voters will have unknowingly elected President McMaster.”


Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coates described the administration’s redoubled efforts to stop leaks that compromise national security. One place that must receive close scrutiny is McMaster’s own office in light of Thursday’s revelation by Sara Carter of Circa News that last April, the National Security Advisor personally granted one of his most notorious predecessors, Susan Rice, continued access to classified information and vouched for her trustworthiness with respect to safeguarding it. Given Ms. Rice’s record of playing fast-and-loose with sensitive information for partisan political purposes, this action speaks volumes about Gen. McMaster’s poor judgment and loyalties – and affirms the necessity of his termination forthwith.

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Intelligence Authorization Act Passes House

Washington, D.C. - August 3, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3180, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018:

“New and evolving threats around the world present grave challenges to the international community and require sophisticated abilities to combat. This legislation helps ensure America’s intelligence agencies have the resources and authorization needed to carry out their sensitive, strategically critical work that advances our nation’s goals and keeps our country safe.

“I’m glad that the bill includes language I submitted that requires the Intelligence Community to brief Congress on our intelligence capabilities in the South China Sea. Ongoing territorial disputes in the sea threaten the principles of a rules-based order and the security of the United States and our allies. The more Congress knows about conditions in the region, the better policymakers will be able to support intelligence priorities there.”

Monday, June 19, 2017

Synthetic Drugs, Intelligence, Apprenticeship, Sugar, Student Loans, Hot Cars, General Flynn, and Comey

FOLLOWING SURGE OF SYNTHETIC DRUG OVERDOSES LOCALLY, REP. JOHN KATKO INTRODUCES GROUNDBREAKING, BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO COMBAT EPIDEMIC
John Katko (R-NY, 24th)
June 19, 2017

Toxic, synthetic drugs are designed to mimic street drugs like marijuana, LSD, cocaine, Ecstasy and other hard drugs. They can be more potent than the real thing and just as deadly. Currently, manufacturers and distributors of these substances are able to slightly alter the chemical structure of drugs to avoid law enforcement scrutiny and prosecution. Since being elected to represent Central New York in Congress, Rep. Katko has prioritized addressing this crisis.
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KENNEDY INTROS BILL TO CREATE RUSSIAN RESPONSE CENTER
Joseph P. Kennedy, 3rd (D-MA, 4th)
June 15, 2017

“Russia’s attack on our election was not guided by party affiliation but instead by a deep desire to weaken trust in our institutions and shake the very foundation of our democracy. Without a strong, coordinated response from our government, adversarial assaults on our electoral system, economy and national security will only become more sophisticated and sustained in the coming years. By uniting our agencies and our allies against this common threat, our Response Center will ensure our government is ready and willing to respond to any future meddling before it takes root.”
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STATEMENT: REP. KHANNA SAYS FUNDING NEEDS TO MATCH RHETORIC ON APPRENTICESHIP EXECUTIVE ORDER
Ro Khanna (D-CA, 17th)
June 15, 2017

“Today’s announcement by the White House to create 5 million apprenticeships in the next decade is an aspirational goal. I see this pledge as a way for Congress, the White House, and employers to come together and find new ways to give working families the economic security they deserve. But in order to achieve a 10-fold increase in apprenticeships—from 500,000 to 5 million—the President has to match his rhetoric with funding. His proposed increase to the apprenticeship program is not enough, and the cuts in other parts of the Department of Labor programs undermine his goal.
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STATEMENT BY CONGRESSMAN DAN KILDEE ON FINAL U.S.-MEXICO SUGAR DEAL
Daniel Kildee (D-MA, 5th)
June 19, 2017

“I am pleased that the Department of Commerce has reached a deal with the Mexican government to stop illegal dumping of foreign sugar in America. Family farms in my district and across the country are struggling, and this agreement will help provide relief from unfair trade practices. I applaud Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for their work. I will work with them to ensure that this deal is enforced and that our sugar policy works in the best interests of American farmers.”
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Herrera Beutler and Derek Kilmer introduce ocean acidification bill
Derek Kilmer (D-WA, 6th)
June 16, 2017

Acidification is a result of increasing carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels. When carbon dioxide — a chief “greenhouse gas” — is absorbed by the oceans, chemical reactions occur that change the pH level in the seawater, making it more acidic. As a result, the water eats away at oyster larvae shells and kills them, according to marine biologists and oyster growers.
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Rep. Kind Cosponsors Bill to Extend the Perkins Loan Program
Ron Kind (D-WI, 3rd)
June 16, 2017

US Rep. Ron Kind cosponsored the bipartisan bill, H.R. 2482 – the Federal Perkins Loan Program Extension Act of 2017, which will extend the Perkins Loan Program for a period of 2 years so that students enrolled in the program can continue to receive financial aid. Currently, the Perkins Loan program is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2017. If the program is allowed to expire, around 500,000 students across the country will lose access to the program.
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Rep. Peter King Touts Bill to Protect Kids From Dying in Hot Cars
Pete King (R-NY, 2nd)
June 13, 2017

“The reality is that this can happen to anyone," he says. "People are in a rush -- they forget, they run into the store, they have to get something done in a hurry and what they don’t realize is that very quickly in summer heat the temperature inside a car can go to 120 degrees. And a young kid is three times more affected by it than an adult is."
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Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Of The House Oversight Committee Calls For A Complete Review Of General Flynn’s International Dealings In Response To Explosive New Revelations
Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL, 8th)
June 19, 2017

“In the wake of disturbing new reports on Michael Flynn’s business ties, I’m calling for a complete review of the former National Security Advisor’s international dealings. The last two days have brought a string of disturbing new revelations about Flynn’s suspicious business interests, including his involvement in a plan to build nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia and sell Russian military equipment to Arab states. Flynn also worked with a foreign cyberweapons company that helped repressive governments launch hacking efforts against human rights advocates and political dissidents.
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Jordan questions Justice Department official about Comey's Loretta Lynch comments
Jim Jordan (R-OH, 4th)
June 15, 2017

“The highest officials at the Department of Justice should be straight with the American people, and that did not happen. … And they were misled at the direction of the attorney general! Mr. Comey’s testimony was real clear, he even questioned – he said, ‘Do we really want to do that? Don’t we want to tell the American people the truth?’ And yet he followed, he carried out the order from the attorney general to mislead the American people and say it was a ‘matter,’ not an ‘investigation,’ and of course as I’ve said a couple times, he allowed the perception to continue that our current president of the United States was under investigation when in fact he was not.”
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Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Nunes Introduces FY 2017 Intelligence Authorization Bill

Washington, D.C. - November 29, 2016 (The Ponder News) -- House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes has introduced the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (H.R. 6393) in the House of Representatives.

This bipartisan legislation provides the Intelligence Community authorization needed to protect and defend the United States. It is similar to H.R. 5077, which passed the House in May 2016 by a 371-35 margin, and also reflects negotiations with the Senate. The bill supports critical national security programs such as those protecting Americans against terrorism and cyberattacks. Among other things, the legislation:

  • Sustains critical capabilities to fight terrorism and counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
  • Shines a light on Guantanamo transfers by requiring declassification reviews of intelligence on past terrorist activities of individuals transferred out of Guantanamo Bay.
  • Strengthens Congressional oversight of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) by setting authorization requirements for the PCLOB and directing PCLOB to keep Congress fully informed of its activities in a timely way.
  • Caps fees for mandatory declassification reviews to match costs of similar Freedom of Information Act requests.
  • Updates Intelligence Community whistleblowing procedures.
  • Clarifies eligibility for death benefits for Central Intelligence Agency personnel.
  • Improves Intelligence Community reporting to Congress.



  • For more information on H.R. 6393 click here.