Members Of Congress Say They’re Tired Of Playing ’20 Questions’ With NSA

[Purveyor]

By Patricia Zengerle and Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Some members of the Congress say that getting straight answers from intelligence agencies about top-secret surveillance is like playing the game “20 Questions,” where answers come only if a questioner knows exactly what to ask.

They say quality of closed briefings depends largely on who conducts the sessions and whether members go in with a working knowledge of programs and pointed questions.

--CLIP
“We, here, Congress needs to be informed of what’s going on, and we’re not, and that’s very disturbing to me,” said Democratic Senator Jon Tester, a sponsor of new legislation to force more disclosure to Congress.

A confidential briefing for the full Senate is set for Thursday to discuss details of the NSA surveillance. But a similar briefing Tuesday by officials from the Department of Justice, FBI, NSA and the office of the Director of National Intelligence for all 435 members of the House of Representatives left many lawmakers unsatisfied.

“I think there are still more questions than answers,” Republican Representative Tom Price said after the session.

- See more at: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/13/members-of-congress-say-theyre-tired-of-playing-20-questions-with-nsa/#sthash.t7HrIKNK.dpuf

[dkf]

1. And there goes the illusion of congressional oversight.

I still have a feeling they would get a better description from Snowden than they will get from the NSA.

[woo me with science]

6. +100000 Theater for the masses.

[Hydra]

8. That was my first thought

But we knew that if they WERE informing Congress, it was only in the form of "You don't really need to know about this..."

The people using the defense that the NSA is overseeing this should read back to Clapper point blank lying to them.

[upaloopa]

2. Would we be seeing congress take this move if there hadn't been leaks?

I haven't taken a side in this debate yet but it seems to me to be a benefit of the leaks that Congress wants more information

[longship]

5. My position is basically the same.

There are some troubling inconsistencies with Snowden's story, but these things often do have such things.

But if these leaks force new legislation with tighter oversight, that's good. If they repeal even just the most odious parts of the Patriot Act and FISA, so much the better. I am not sure if that will happen given the overwhelmingly bipartisan votes when these things were first adopted. After all, Teddy Kennedy was one of the FISA authors.

Still, I am hopeful from the way this seems to be turning.

[Politicalboi]

3. I am willing to bet

Congress skated on their duty to keep informed about the NSA program. These assholes care more about their time than the time of the people. Was it up to Obama to tell the congress they have oversight? They act like they didn't know, and that's their excuse IMO.

[SugarShack]

4. If they're tired, then they need to be "retired".

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. Well, there goes the last illusion of "of the People, By the People, and For the People".

Abe must have had a girlfriend in Hawaii when leaked that in 1863.