Rep. Pete Hoekstra tells Newsmax that the policies of the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress are putting the United States at "greater risk" and providing our enemies with "a bigger opening to attack" the U.S. again.
The Michigan congressmen, the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee, also said the Democratic leadership is "undermining our intelligence professionals" and that their morale is "collapsing."
Newsmax.TV's Ashley Martella noted that Rep. Hoekstra has accused Democrats of playing politics with the careers of intelligence officers, and asked him to elaborate.
See Video: Rep. Pete Hoekstra discusses how the Obama administration is abandoning the intelligence officers who kept us safe - Click Here Now
"In the last couple of weeks we've had another example where an intelligence professional, someone who's been in the community for years, was nominated for a promotion that requires Senate confirmation," Hoekstra responded.
"And as the administration and the Senate then looked at it, they said, wait a minute. This person may have touched some of the anti-terrorism programs that have been in place for the last six or seven years, programs that were briefed to Congress, programs that were funded by Congress.
"They're saying, we don't think these people are qualified anymore. We think that their nomination may be too controversial because they did the programs we asked them to do. They kept America safe, but we don't want this controversy. In effect these people's careers have reached a dead end."
Martella asked why Democrats might want to punish those who have helped keep the nation safe.
"Remember, over the last two to four years some of these programs moved from being secret programs to finding their way into the mainstream press," Hoekstra said.
"All of a sudden the same Democrats that supported these programs, because they saw how effective they were, and they recognized that they were well within the framework of the legal system here in America, when the programs were public they said, oh these things are terrible.
"They created this myth that the Bush administration was violating U.S. law, was trampling all over American citizens' rights and civil liberties, and so they didn’t want to take responsibility for these programs. Even though they knew about them, even though they funded them, they wanted to side with the left and say these things are terrible. They should never have happened."
Are the Democrats completely beholden to radical left groups? Martella asked.
"On a couple of occasions the president has backed away, although the speaker has not," Hoekstra said.
"An example is on the [disclosures about] alleged abuse by our military at selected prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan. The president was going to release these videos. The ACLU, the left wanted them released.
"Finally, after four or five weeks of intense pressure, the president realized, we're still at war. This is a really bad idea. So we pulled them back. But Speaker Pelosi still wants these videos, these photographs released.
"By and large on these types of issues, the president and the Democratic leadership and rank and file in Congress have sided with the radical left in undermining our intelligence professionals and undermining our military folks.
"I can tell you that as we talk with frontline troops, with frontline intelligence professionals, the morale in the front lines is absolutely collapsing.
"They hear the president saying they're making mistakes or they’ve made mistakes in the past. They hear the president talking about potentially holding these people accountable by putting them in front of the courts.
"And at the same time they see politicians like Speaker Pelosi say, I never knew. I never condoned. And even if I did there was nothing I could do. What they're seeing is a real double standard as to what is going on."
Discussing President Obama's vow to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay within a year and the possibility that terror suspects could be relocated in the U.S., the congressman declared:
"I think as he moves through this process he jeopardizes America's security. He makes it a less safe place for Americans, because the records show — some of it is classified but I do have access to the classified material — that these are dangerous individuals who are still intent on attacking the United States and our allies around the world."
Hoekstra called the administration's directive to read Miranda rights to terror suspects detained in Afghanistan "absolutely ridiculous" and a "very bad step" that "jeopardizes the safety of our troops in the field."
Martella asked if liberal Democrats are making decisions that are putting the nation at risk.
"There was a lot of rationale as to why we had the policies in place that we did over the last 7 1/2 years," Hoekstra said.
"We also recognize that there has not been another attack on the homeland, so the policies worked.
"The administration and liberal Democrats have a different agenda and a different framework for how to combat these terrorists, these threats to the United States. I personally believe that they will not be as successful as what we've had.
"You could then make the rationale conclusion that, yes, I do believe that they're putting the country at greater risk.
"I think the threats are very very real, and we're now providing our enemies with a little bit more latitude and a bigger opening to attack the United States again."
See Video: Rep. Pete Hoekstra discusses how the Obama administration is abandoning the intelligence officers who kept us safe - Click Here Now
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