Thread by @NGrossman81

Only part of shutdown-ending CR that matters:
Trump admin can fund intelligence activities not authorized by Congress.
The rest is theater.
How did this end up in the bill? You’re a co-equal branch. Intel oversight is the job of intel oversight committees.
What’s wrong with you?

Seriously, most Americans--and evidently most members of Congress--don't realize how big a deal this is.
Giving Congress oversight of intelligence was the major reform of the Church Committee (1975) in response to Watergate.
The shutdown-ending CR undermined that.
2/x

Intelligence reform and organization of the federal bureaucracy is one of those things most people don't pay much attention to, but it's a really big deal
We authorize intelligence agencies to do shady things on our behalf, which citizens, military, cops aren't supposed to do
3/x

Nixon used intel agencies as his personal goons. That led to the Church committee reforms, which gave Congress oversight powers.
I know many Americans still criticize CIA, NSA and the other US intelligence agencies--FYI, there are 17--but Church reforms greatly improved them.
4/x

At the request of the Office of Management and Budget, headed by Mick Mulvaney, the shutdown-ending continuing resolution included language authorizing the executive branch to spend money on intelligence that wasn't explicitly authorized by Congress.
5/x

Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Richard Burr (R-NC), Ranking Member Mark Warner (D-VA), and Appropriations Committee Chair Thad Cochran (R-MS) have all objected.
But somehow, this authoritarian power grab passed anyway.
Seems Congress wasn't really paying attention.
6/x

This shows how badly Democrats messed up the shutdown fight
They accepted CR + CHIP deal that was on the table pre-shutdown, and kicked the rest down the road, while somehow giving Trump allies cover for this dangerous intelligence reform
Details here:
mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-…
7/x

The one saving grace: Congress abdicated its full intelligence oversight responsibilities and allowed the Trump administration to fund unauthorized activities only as long as this CR lasts, through Feb. 8.
Congress must not allow this power grab into the next funding bill.
(END)

Tweet 6/8 says Cochran joined Burr and Warner in objecting to the CR's intel funding provision. Cochran actually objected to Burr and Warner's objection, thus preventing the consensus necessary to change it. The rest of the thread is accurate. Apologies for the confusion.