Senators threaten to subpoena base closing documents

[The Straight Story]

Senators threaten to subpoena base closing documents

By David McGlinchey
[e-mail]

Two senators said Saturday that they plan to subpoena Defense Department documents on base realignment and closure recommendations if Pentagon officials do not hand them over willingly.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., the chairwoman and ranking member on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said they have had no success with "repeated requests" to the Defense Department.

On Friday, the senators sent a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld again demanding the documents. They also wrote to President Bush, asking for his assistance gaining the release of the papers. The senators say members of the BRAC commission and congressional staffers need the Pentagon documents in order to thoroughly examine - and perhaps challenge - the realignment and closure recommendations.

A spokeswoman for Collins said Tuesday that Defense officials have promised to hand over some documents in the near future. The spokeswoman said that congressional staffers will review those documents and decide whether they are sufficient. The senators might still be compelled to issue a subpoena, she added.

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0505/053105d1.htm

[indepat]

1. How dare anyone in Congress to question any action of the Executive Branch

[Dinger]

2. Floriduhhh and Texa$$ Made Out Real Well, Didn't They? (nt)

[zbdent]

3. Ohio actually gained jobs - just shipped them out of Dem areas

and put them into Repuke areas . . .

[theboss]

4. This is going to be fun

Base closing fights are always a circus.