Way back in December, Senate Dems came up with a brilliant solution to a nagging problem. The Bush administration continued to flout various laws and ethical guidelines, but Republicans in Congress refused to exercise their oversight responsibilities under any circumstances. No hearings, no questions, no problem.
So Dems decided to create a mechanism whereby they’d hold their own hearings and oversee their own investigations. Using the Democratic Policy Committee, Senate Dems announced shortly before the current Congress began that they will provide oversight of the executive branch if Republicans won’t.
“The fact is, with one-party rule — the presidency and the House and Senate — there is no oversight on anything,” said Democratic Policy Committee Chairman Byron Dorgan (N.D.). “The oversight function … is non-existent.”
There’s a catch. Because Republicans have abandoned any pretense about government accountability, they won’t endorse the DPC’s hearings. This means that the events aren’t officially sanctioned by the Senate, and more importantly, do not have congressional subpoena power.
But that hasn’t stopped the Dems have organizing some excellent hearings, with detailed testimony from expert witnesses. The first set of hearings dealt with employees at the Social Security Administration who were pressured to toe the White House line. The second was in February, examining serious financial abuses — with our money — in Iraq. The next one is tomorrow. Guess what the topic is.
On Friday, Senate and House Democrats will hold a joint hearing “to examine the national security implications of disclosing the identity of a covert intelligence officer.”
The hearing is not an official Congressional proceeding since Democrats are not in the majority and are not empowered to call hearings. But Senate Democratic Policy Committee Chairman Byron Dorgan (N.D.), who is co-chairing the proceeding, said it is still important for Congress to look into the matter even as special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald conducts his own investigation.
“People think this is a political game of gotcha,” Dorgan said. “It is not that at all. These issues are life and death.”
This is an excellent idea for a number of reasons.
First, as Dorgan noted, we’re talking about national security here. When classified information is leaked intentionally by the White House, this can have a sweeping impact. If Republicans aren’t interested in having a thorough discussion about this in Congress, it’s up to Dems to be the grown-ups. Again.
Second, the hearings will offer an outlet for experts who have an important message to share. Among the witnesses at the DPC hearing will be several former CIA officials, including Larry Johnson, who have unique insight into the consequences of the White House’s conduct in the Plame scandal.
And, finally, there’s the politics to consider. As the White House crudely tries to knock Karl Rove off the front page, it’s only reasonable for Dems to make an effort to put him back. Previous DPC hearings have been broadcast on C-SPAN and generated some print articles. Considering the recent interest in Rove’s role in the Plame scandal, this one is likely to spark some interest as well.