Cheney's moves on secrecy stir storm over office's dual role
The vice president argues his office is exempt from executive branch classified-data protocol.
from the June 26, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
Administration officials say Cheney's office is exempt from the executive order, since it has both executive branch and legislative functions. Per the US Constitution, the vice president serves as president of the Senate, and may vote to break ties in that chamber.
On June 22, White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said the executive order didn't intend Cheney's office to be treated as an administration agency.
"He's not exempt from following the laws of the United States," said Ms. Perino. "He's exempt just from this reporting requirement in this particular executive order."
Rep. Henry Waxman (D) of California rejected this assertion as absurd. Representative Waxman is chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which is investigating the classification matter. In general, Waxman has been a thorn in the side of the White House since the Democrats gained control of Congress.
"The vice president can't unilaterally decide he is his own branch of government and exempt himself from important, commonsense safeguards for protecting classified information," said Waxman on June 22.
Waxman has also asserted that Cheney, in response to this controversy, has suggested that the Information Security Office be abolished. Perino said she did not believe that was the case.
The data that Cheney has refused to turn over is interesting, given the vice president's involvement in so many crucial national security decisions such as US policy on interrogation and detention of terror suspects, says one expert on government classification methods. A large number of classified documents might indicate an unusual degree of activity on the part of the vice president's office.
RSS feed
