Senate panel cuts off funds to Cheney
10 July, 2007
By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer 2 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats moved Tuesday to cut off funding for Vice President Dick Cheney‘s office in a continuing battle over whether he must comply with national security disclosure rules.
At issue is a requirement that executive branch offices provide data on how much material they classify and declassify. That information is to be provided to the Information Security Oversight Office at The National Archives.
The funding cut came as the appropriations panel approved 5-4 along party lines a measure funding White House operations, the Treasury Department and many smaller agencies.
"Neither Mr. Cheney or his staff is above the law or the Constitution," Durbin said. "For the vice president to believe that he has no responsibility to meet this requirement of the law is a dereliction of duty."
The vice president is also the president of the Senate, able to vote to break ties and preside over the chamber, though he is not eligible to sponsor legislation or participate in debates.
Republicans on the Senate panel said Durbin was going overboard in using Congress‘ power of the purse to try to force Cheney to conform with the order.
"This is going to further erode any sort of working relationship back and forth," Brownback said. "This is a patently bad idea."
On Tuesday, two panel Democrats — moderates Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Ben Nelson of Nebraska — registered discomfort with Durbin‘s move, though they backed him when Republicans forced a vote.
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