John O. Brennan, President Obama's pick to lead the CIA, defended the administration's drone execution program before Congress on Thursday, saying that in war the commander in chief has the right to order a targeted killing — but agreeing that Congress should be more involved in knowing what is happening.
Even though the White House Cabinet turnstile seems to be spinning out of control in recent weeks with first-term secretaries bolting for the private sector and fresh faces coming in rapidly, President Obama is still weeks behind in putting together his second-term team compared with the pace set by the previous two presidents.
Amid growing furor, among both Republicans and Democrats, over revelations about the Obama administration's use of drones for targeted killings, a prominent Senate Democrat on Wednesday made a thinly veiled threat to filibuster John Brennan's CIA director nomination.
With the fate of his pick to head the CIA in danger, President Obama reversed course Wednesday night and released to Congress the classified legal advice that the Justice Department has given the White House on using drones to execute American citizens in the war on terrorism.
White House homeland security adviser John O. Brennan is expected to face tough, new questions about the U.S. use of drones to target Americans suspected of terrorism, when he appears Thursday before a Senate committee considering his nomination to serve as CIA director.
President Obama has agreed to renew a controversial spy measure over objections from critics -- including many in his own party — who say it seriously threatens Americans' privacy and constitutional rights.
Congress on Friday voted to renew a key foreign surveillance law despite push-back from critics who say it seriously threatens constitutional privacy rights for Americans.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate gave final congressional approval Friday to a bill renewing the government's authority to monitor overseas phone calls and emails of suspected foreign spies and terrorists — but not Americans —without obtaining a court order for each intercept.
With talks stalled on averting the "fiscal cliff" ahead of Tuesday's deadline, the Senate spent hours Thursday debating whether to renew an antiterrorism measure that has led to warrantless wiretaps of Americans.
