Greg Sargent at The Plum Line reports that House Intelligence Committee Dems are drafting a bill that would permit Intel Committee Members to sit in on CIA briefings of Congressional leadership on top secret programs and activities.
Dems on the House Intelligence Committee have drafted a new bill that would strip the President of his authority to limit such briefings to the so-called "Gang of Eight" — the leaders of the House and Senate from both parties, and the leaders of the Congressional Intelligence committees — and allow a larger group of members of Congress to attend.
The move, which is being championed internally by House Intel chair Silvestre Reyes, would also compel the CIA to keep a far more detailed record of these briefings, though these details still need to be worked out.
Republicans haven't reacted yet, but as with everything, it's a good bet they'll oppose the measure.
Of course, they just tried with all their might to turn the scandal of Dick Cheney's orders to torture prisoners in order to force "confessions" of an Iraq-al Qaeda link that would vindicate him politically into a story about what Nancy Pelosi knew and when she knew it. This bill would make it a lot less likely that there would be so much question about who knew what and when.
So of course, it's likely they'll oppose it. Because if we knew more about who knew what and when, it would be nakedly idiotic to try to make something as disgusting as political torture orders into a petty, partisan slapfight.
Expect Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI-02), the ranking Member of the House Intel. Committee, to loudly squawk that expanding the circle of Members who are briefed to compromise national security. Even though Members of the Intelligence Committees are all cleared for secret briefings anyway, by virtue of their positions. And even though Mr. Security is constantly compromising national security and his own, by doing things like tweeting about his location and activities while in Iraq.