(Washington, DC)—Today, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations called Stuart Levey, Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence to defend the Administration’s decision not to disclose its Terrorist Finance Tracking Program to Congress. Congressman Cleaver serves on the Subcommittee which, by law, has oversight over financial surveillance programs. 

The hearing quickly turned from an examination of the actions of the NY Times to a discussion of the Administration’s decision not to disclose the program to Congress. “Among the critical institutional issues that this topic has helped to shed light on is the importance of Congressional oversight with respect to fighting terrorism and implementing other federal programs and activities.  I am sure that my colleagues and the Administration will agree that Congressional oversight is an integral part of our system of checks and balances, as fundamental to our nation as the right to vote,” said Congressman Cleaver in his opening statement.

Prior to the public disclosure of this program by the NY Times, The LA Times and the Wall Street Journal, only three sitting members of Congress had been briefed on the program. Among the three was Rep. Peter Hoekstra (MI-02), Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, who this weekend expressed concern over the Administration’s relationship with Congress. “The U.S. Congress simply should not have to play Twenty Questions to get the information that it deserves under our Constitution,” said Rep. Hoekstra in a letter to the President.

“This is a critical matter that we need to take seriously. If the NY Times broke the law they should be held accountable, but over the long term, I am much more concerned with the Administration ignoring the oversight role of Congress. The Constitution establishes Congress as the oversight agent in the government,” said Cleaver.

“More specifically, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act says, as a matter of law, the President is to report to this Committee the actions taken to track terrorist financing. I am for doing whatever is necessary to hunt down terrorists. But that does not include ignoring the law.”

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Belton, Raymore and Peculiar, Missouri. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee.