U.S. SENATOR MARK UDALL
Armed Services, Energy and Natural Resources, and Intelligence Committees
March 11, 2014
Udall Statement on CIA's Unprecedented Obstruction, Misrepresentations About Misguided Detention, Interrogation Program
Mark Udall, who serves on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement in response to Chairman Dianne Feinstein's (D-Calif.) floor speech today on the CIA's unprecedented actions against the committee:
"I applaud Chairman Feinstein for setting the record straight today on the Senate floor about the CIA's actions to subvert congressional oversight," Udall said. "The actions the chairman outlined are the latest events that illustrate why I directly pushed CIA Director Brennan to acknowledge the flaws in and misrepresentations about the CIA's brutal and ineffective detention and interrogation program. Unfortunately, the CIA responded by trying to hide the truth from the American people about this program and undermine the Senate Intelligence Committee's oversight role by illegally searching committee computers. The U.S. Constitution is clear and Coloradans agree: The separation of powers and aggressive oversight are fundamental to our democracy, and Coloradans can count on me to continue to protect these foundational pillars no matter who is in the White House."
During a confirmation hearing for CIA's general counsel in December, Udall pressed nominee Caroline Krass on discrepancies between a CIA internal review of its detention and interrogation program and the official agency response to the committee's study. He said the contents of the internal review raise "fundamental questions about why a review the CIA conducted internally years ago ... is so different from the CIA's formal written response to the committee study."
Udall has been the leading voice in Congress for the White House and CIA to come clean about the agency's deeply flawed detention and interrogation program. Udall also has criticized statements made by former Bush administration officials on the effectiveness of enhanced interrogation techniques.
Please contact Mike Saccone at 202-224-4334.
McClatchy Washington Bureau