I was just wondering if our lawmakers have access to state secrets. I think I would sleep better at night if I knew that my representatives knew what was going on…
Actually, I think I would sleep a bit less…
But it depends on what commitee your Rep is on. Just because you convince your local people to elect you into the House or Senate, doesn’t mean they hand you the little black book of all goverment secrets.
Just like most things that depend on secrecy of some type, it is handed out on a need to know basis. This is, of course, in theory. A young page and a tape recorder can get you lots too…
CandyMan
I believe that members of the House and Senate Select Committees on Intelligence have to pass security checks to take those seats.
Sen. Patrick Leahy got into trouble recently when he disclosed something that he shouldn’t have. I’m unsure of the details, but I don’t think the repercussions for him were more than having him being told, “Hey, don’t do that again.”
I suspect the intel bit is more widespread than most folks think. Recently, I attended a markup of the House version of the Energy and Water appropriations bill. The markup was held the day after the President had returned from Russia. Remember how they were discussing all those nukes and what to do with them?
Anyway, pleasantries were exchanged at the markup, and then it was time to get down to business. First order of business? Joe Knollenberg moves that the markup be conducted in closed session. I’m invited to leave. Other attendees were angered and confused, but I couldn’t help smiling at the thought of what was secretly being added to that bill–after all, the only “sensitive” part of that bill has to do with things nuclear.
Not twenty minutes later, the markup was complete. Nothing unexpected had been added, nor was anything taken away from the bill–in its public form, anyway.
However, if you look at the House Report, you’ll find near the end a description of a “long-term nonproliferation program” for Russia. I suspect that in the eyes-only version of this bill one would find a few extra billion for the purchase of a boatload of Russian nuclear material.