Howard P. “Buck” McKeon Criticizes White House Executive Fiat on Detainees

Administration Continues to Ignore Offer to Work Together to Design Detainee Detention and Prosecution Programs.

Washington, D.C. — The top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee today criticized President Obama’s White House for repeating the mistakes of the Bush Administration by attempting to generate detainee policy by executive fiat rather than working with Congress to create a statutory framework that would stand up to judicial scrutiny. An offer (Letter to the President pm PDF FORMAT) by Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.), the panel’s chairman, to work with the Administration to develop comprehensive policies for the detention and prosecution of detainees captured in the ongoing war against terrorism has been ignored by the White House.

In response to a newly-released White House Executive Order, McKeon also signaled his intent to introduce legislation that would congressionally authorize a legal framework for the prosecution and detention of terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay and those captured on the battlefield in the future.

“It’s baffling to me that the White House, which prides itself on operating differently than its predecessor, would repeat the same mistakes by refusing to work with Congress to create a comprehensive plan for the long-term detention and prosecution of detainees at Guantanamo Bay,” said McKeon. “Not only has this White House failed to reach out to us to discuss the current executive order, but our offers to work with the Administration have gone unanswered as well. The President, while clinging to the rhetoric of bipartisanship, hasn’t followed up with the appropriate actions.”

“I am pleased, however, that that the President reversed his earlier decision and will re-start military commissions at Guantanamo,” continued McKeon. “This is a positive step in the right direction, but today’s announcement remains silent on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other co-conspirators of the 9/11 attacks. These terrorists must be held responsible for their crimes.”

In criticizing the President, Chairman McKeon pointed to a speech delivered by President Obama on May 21, 2009, in which the President committed to working with Congress “to develop an appropriate legal regime” for the detention and prosecution of terrorist detainees.

Specifically, the President stated the following during his high-profile speech at the National Archives:

"But I want to be very clear that our goal is to construct a legitimate legal framework for the remaining Guantanamo detainees that cannot be transferred. Our goal is not to avoid a legitimate legal framework. In our constitutional system, prolonged detention should not be the decision of any one man. If and when we determine that the United States must hold individuals to keep them from carrying out an act of war, we will do so within a system that involves judicial and congressional oversight. And so, going forward, my administration will work with Congress to develop an appropriate legal regime so that our efforts are consistent with our values and our Constitution." ###

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Armed Services Republicans Contact Info: Washington, D.C. Office 2120 Rayburn House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-4151 Fax: (202) 225-0858

Mike Simpson Grills EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson Over Budget

Chairman of House Interior and Environment Appropriations expresses concern about efforts to undo provisions aimed at limiting EPA’s regulatory authority.

March 7th, 2011 - Washington, DC -

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson, Chairman of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, questioned Environmental Protection Administrator Lisa Jackson regarding the EPA’s budget request for FY2012. Simpson also grilled Administrator Jackson regarding what many perceive as the EPA’s regulatory overreach and the impact that the agency’s actions are having on the economy.

Simpson questioned the agency’s decision to reduce the EPA’s budget on the backs of states, which are already struggling to balance their own budgets, as state grants have been reduced by 22% while EPA operations and research budgets are reduced by only 2%-4%. “This is not the blueprint for reduced federal spending and debt reduction that the American people and congressional Republicans are demanding,” said Simpson. “In stark contrast, we cut more spending out of the SRFs in the House-passed full year continuing resolution than has been proposed in your entire 2012 budget. The demand for 2012 is simple: cut more and regulate less.”

Simpson also defended provisions included in H.R. 1, the continuing resolution (CR) that reduces funding for the EPA by 30% for the remainder of the current fiscal year, which would have limited funding for what he called EPA’s “litany of overreaching regulations.” Simpson pushed for language to be included in the bill to limit EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gases, as well as language to prohibit funding for efforts to expand EPA’s jurisdiction over state waters. In addition, during consideration on the House floor over 20 amendments limiting funding for EPA were accepted by the House.

“It should be up to Congress, not the Administration, to determine whether and how to regulate greenhouse gases,” said Simpson. “We put a hold on all of these regulations in the House-passed CR in order to relieve the burden on industry and to give our authorizers the opportunity to address these issues in a more comprehensive fashion this year. The fact that so many amendments regarding the EPA were offered to the CR and passed so overwhelmingly makes it clear that there is a problem with the way the EPA is cranking out regulations, and I think these funding limitations provide us with an important roadmap for going forward in the 112th Congress.”


Contact: Nikki Watts, 202-334-1953

###

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Committee on Appropriations H-307, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Main Number: (202) 225-2771