GOP Fails in Second Attempt to Investigate Pelosi’s CIA Charge
Updated: 3:28 p.m.
House Democrats on Tuesday killed for the second time a Republican resolution to open an investigation into Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) accusations that the CIA lied to Congress about its use of enhanced interrogation techniques during the Bush administration.
Democrats, with the help of two Republican Members, voted to table the GOP resolution, 247-171. GOP Reps. Walter Jones Jr. (N.C.) and Ron Paul (Texas) sided with the Democrats.
The measure, introduced by Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah), was nearly identical to one offered last month that would have created a bipartisan subcommittee under the House Intelligence Committee to review Pelosi’s charges that the CIA deliberately misled Congress about its use of harsh interrogation techniques like waterboarding during former President George W. Bush’s first term.
In the GOP’s latest resolution, Republicans added a “whereas— clause that documented a June 4 press conference where Pelosi said that she still received intelligence briefings.
“It has been a month since Speaker Pelosi made serious allegations against our nation’s intelligence professionals,— Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said in a statement. “Since then, the Democratic leadership has stonewalled a bipartisan investigation into the matter, while the Speaker has declined to provide evidence to back up her allegations.—
Boehner again vowed that Republicans would continue to press Pelosi until she provides evidence that the CIA lied to Congress, or until she apologizes for her statement.
“Until the Speaker finally agrees to provide them, Republicans will continue to insist on answers on behalf of our intelligence professionals and the American people,— Boehner said.
After the vote, Pelosi’s spokesman, Nadeam Elshami, said: “We remain focused on the urgent issues of concern to the American people — putting our nation’s fiscal house in order while working on affordable and quality health care and climate change legislation — not diversionary tactics by the Republicans.—