Post by bot on Feb 5, 2017 18:41:12 GMT -5
Hoyer: Reorganization of the National Security Council Weakens Our Security and Puts Americans' Safety at Risk
WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement in response to President Trump's reorganization of the National Security Council:
“President Trump’s reorganization of the National Security Council weakens our security and puts Americans’ safety and the safety of our troops at risk. By removing the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Director of National intelligence, and the Secretary of Energy – who oversees the readiness of our nation’s nuclear arsenal and is statutorily part of the NSC – from the group of NSC principals who meet regularly, this reorganization will make it harder for the NSC to have the full picture of our intelligence, defense capabilities, and threat assessments.
“Furthermore, by making Steve Bannon a full member of the NSC principals group, the President is sending a message that ideology and partisan politics will be injected into the process of decision-making over questions of national security. Historically, presidents have not included political advisors in these meetings to make it clear that political concerns would not drive national security decisions.
“This is an outrageous, incompetent move that flies in the face of common sense, and it ignores the lessons learned from the September 11 attacks, identified in the 9/11 Commission Report, about ensuring that national security and defense decision-makers can sift carefully through the enormous intelligence being received and identify the most significant threats and how to meet them. The American people expect the President and his national security advisors to do everything in their power to keep this country safe, but weakening and politicizing the NSC will put our safety at risk. President Trump and his national security team will now have to take full responsibility for any lapses in threat assessment or missteps that occur on their watch.”