White House threatens veto over intel disclosure

The White House said Thursday that if the intelligence authorization
bill contains language broadening who the president must inform on
covert activities, President Obama would be advised to veto the bill.

Currently,
the White House is required by law to inform the “Gang of Eight,” the
leadership of both Houses and intelligence committees, of covert
actions deemed too sensitive to disclose to full committees or
legislative bodies.

{mosads}Officials at the Office of Management and
Budget, which distributed the statement of administration policy, also
raised concerns about language in the bill that would require “the
disclosure of internal executive branch legal advice and deliberations”
on covert actions. OMB argues that provision would run afoul of the
Constitution.

“Administrations
of both political parties have long recognized the importance of protecting the
confidentiality of the executive Branch’s legal advice and deliberations,” the statement said.

In defending the current “Gang of Eight” set-up, OMB noted that “there is a long
tradition spanning decades of comity between the branches regarding
intelligence matters, and the administration has emphasized the importance of
providing timely and complete congressional notification, and using ‘Gang of Eight’
limitations only to meet extraordinary circumstances affecting the vital
interests of the United States.”

The
language in the bill “undermines
this fundamental compact between the Congress and the president,” OMB
said, calling the current agreement “an arrangement that for decades
has balanced
congressional oversight responsibilities with the President’s
responsibility to
protect sensitive national security information.”

The statement
noted other areas of concern the administration has, which is not
unusual in such statements, but warned that these two provisions would
result in a recommended veto from the president’s advisers. The OMB
statement expresses optimism that administration officials will be able
to reach an agreement to avoid the veto.

This is the second such
threat since Obama took office. Administration and Pentagon officials
have also recommended a veto of the defense authorization bill over
some proposed defense spending.