Vice President Cheney Needs to Take a Civics Class--He is a Member of the Executive Branch

Floor Speech

VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY NEEDS TO TAKE A CIVICS CLASS--HE IS A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH -- (House of Representatives - June 26, 2007)

(Ms. WATSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney has been serving as the Vice President now for 7 years, and he is claiming that he is not a member of the executive branch.

We didn't hear the Vice President disputing his place in the executive branch when he claimed executive privilege at congressional attempts to have Cheney make public his energy task force members.

No, Cheney is once again trying to do an end-run around the rules. Last week the House Oversight Committee learned that Cheney had exempted his office from the Presidential order that establishes government-wide procedures for safeguarding classified national security information.

Editorials nationwide are decrying Cheney's actions. The Kansas City Star said that this is another example of his ``insistence on secrecy and his disdain for open government.'' USA Today said there was ``no surer way for leaders to get the country in trouble than to mix arrogance with secrecy.''

Let's see if the President is still actually standing up to his second.

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