Jim Phelps Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I am hearing very bad things about your top man.. Rep. Darrel Issa (R. Calf.), Using him isn't good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Kelly Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 I am hearing very bad things about your top man.. Rep. Darrel Issa (R. Calf.), Using him isn't good. Yea, I know, he's the richest man in Congress and he's got a record for stealing a car. I didn't chose him and he's the one, the only one who can schedule a JFK ACT oversight hearing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Kelly Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 JFK Act Oversight Lobby 2011 Summer Offensive Section 12 (a) of the JFK Act states that "the provisions of the Act...shall continue in effect until such time as the Archivist certifies to the President and the Congress that all assassination records have been made available to the public in accordance with the Act." Section 7(1) OVERSIGHT - (1) The Committee on Government Operations (Oversight & Reform) of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate shall have continuing oversight jurisdiction witEh respect to the official conduct of the Review Board and the disposition of postponed records after the termination of the Review Board..." JFKcountercoup JFK ACT Oversight Hearings Getting Congressional oversight hearings on the JFK Act is one thing that can and should be done, and will happen as soon as someone convinces Rep. Darrell Issa (R. Calf.), the chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, to do his job and hold them. It's possible JFK Act Oversight Hearings could be held as early as September, or next March, during Sunshine Week, if enough people request the hearings, a big if. The Republicans controlled the House of Representatives for a decade and didn't conduct any oversight of anything, and when the Democrats finally got in there, with a Democrat in the White House, they didn't want to "rock the boat." Now the Republicans are back, and the responsible committees are controlled by Republicans who have the ability to schedule hearings and begin investigations. Issa has shown however, in the targets of his investigations, that he being very partisan and going after Democrats, especially the Obama administration. For instance his Op-Ed on reforming the Presidential Records Act, he doesn't mention how the Republicans destroyed White House emails, but only goes after Obama for failing to live up to his call for transparent government - Chairman Issa's Op-Eds The issue of JFK Act Oversight Hearings is not even a bi-partisan issue, it's a NON-partisan issue that not only Democrats and Republicans agree should happen, but it is backed by both liberals and conservatives, Lone-Nuts and Conspiracy Theorists alike. Getting new, sworn testimony on JFK assassination records issues would be huge, and if they try to answer just some of the outstanding questions related to the disposition of the records it is likely they will hold more than one hearing as the Oversight committee is the "investigative arm" of the House of Representatives. Officially, "The Congressional Oversight and Reform Committee is the main investigative committee of the House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction to investigate any federal program and any matter with federal policy implications." I think we have an excellent chance of convincing Issa that it's vitally important to hold hearings on the JFK Act, and get the sworn testimony of the Secret Service official who destroyed records AFTER the JFK Act was established by law, and determine who in the Air Force ordered the Andrews log for 11/22/63 thrown in the trash, and what became of the negative of the photo of the swearing in aboard AF1 that disappeared from the vaults NARA? If the Committee chair and Committee members want to learn the answers to these questions themselves, then we have a better chance of getting them to ask them. Why is the CIA stonewalling Jeff Morely on the Joannides/DRE records? What happened to the Air Force One radio tapes? Who at the White House Communications Agency was responsible for their now missing records? Why are records that were open in full years ago now being withheld? Are the agencies and departments of government responding to Obama's Executive Orders on FOIA and Open Government? What about the MLK Records of the HSCA? So many questions, with nobody to ask them and nobody to answer them. What can you do? Join us in the ancient methods of grassroots democracy, combined with the latest digital networked communications. The right to petition the government is one of the most basic democratic rights, and is one of the weapons we are using to try to get Congress to hold Oversight Hearings on the JFK Act, to get a Special Federal Grand Jury to investigate the assassination of President Kenendy and to obtain proper forensic autopsies of the victims, all things guaranteed in the Constitution and the way our government is supposed to work. A petition is merely a request, and you have to request what you want and what should happen or nobody is going to make a move. Once you ask, they might turn you down, but you got them to respond. More deep background on Congressional Oversight of JFK Act As the Final Report of the ARRB says: Section 12(a) of the JFK Act states that the provisions of the Act...shall continue in effect until such time as the Archivist certifies to the President and the Congress that all assassination records have been made available to the public in accordance with the Act." Therefore the JFK Act is a LIVING LAW, one that is still in effect and shall continue and remain in effect until all assassination documents are declassified, released and made available to the public, whenever that day comes, sometime in 2017. It has been over ten years now since the ARRB completed its work, so it is imperative that Congress take some action now to ensure that the work mandated by the JFK Assassination Records Act is completed. The House Government Reform and Oversight Committee is responsible for the oversight of the JFK Act, and when hearings are eventually held on the JFK Act, the responsible sub committee on Technology and Information Policy will be chaired by Rep. James Lankford (R. OK), whose jurisdiction includes public information, the Freedom of Information Act, the Presidential Records Act and the National Archives and Records Administration. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN: If you live in the district of any of these Congressmen, and they represent you, they will pay more attention to your letter, phone call, email or fax, because you are a constituent and represent a potential vote. If so, please go out of your way and ask your Representative to hold public hearings on the JFK Act and to notify you when they are scheduled before they happen so you can attend, view it on C-SPAN and be kept informed of what happens. Real Democracy depends on an educated electorate, so stay informed. JFK Act Oversight Hearings – SUMMER OFFENSIVE – 2011 Pro-active Strategies and Tactics will be employed in a campaign for Congressional oversight of the JFK Act and enactment of the MLK Act. When the Assassinations Records Review Board (ARRB) closed up shop nearly ten years ago, we thought that oversight hearings of the JFK Act would be forthcoming, a sort of After Action Report, as required by law, but it never happened and won't happen unless a concerted effort is made to make it happen. Once JFK Act oversight hearings are held, and new sworn testimony is taken, then the dominos will begin to fall, and it will become easier to accomplish other goals, such as the convening of a Special Federal Grand Jury to determine if anyone can be indicted for crimes related to the assassination, and order a proper forensic autopsy of the victims. The Congressional Oversight Hearings appear to be the easiest of things desired, but it has proved elusive. After years with no interest by the Republicans, who decided not to exercise their oversight responsibilities at all when they controlled the leadership, the Democrats are now equally busy with their own agendas on what issues they intend to hold public hearings on. There are others who are quietly trying to persuade Congress to hold JFK Act oversight hearings, and acting privately through correspondence and behind closed doors, but we are the most outspoken and broadest coalition of people interested in and intent on getting Congressional oversight of the JFK Act. So far, we have agreed, per Bill Simpich's suggestion, that we do something different every month – and build up some momentum and pubic support for Congressional hearings and oversight of the JFK Act. Towards this end we have laid out the following: 1) Rep. Darrel Issa (R. Calf.) Chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee Rayburn House Office Building B-350 A. Phone: 202-225-5051 Fax: 202-225-4784 2) Rep. James Lankford (R.OK), Chairman of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Information Policy. 202-225-2132 Fax: 202-226-1463 3) Rep. Gerald E. "Gerry" Connolly (D. VA), Ranking Minority member of Subcommittee 202-225-1492 Fax 202-225-3071 4) Senator John Kerry (D. Mass.), has endorsed the MLK Act and needs to be briefed on necessity of oversight hearings of JFK Act. 5) Your Representative will listen to you and reflect the need for JFK Act oversight hearings to these committee and subcommittee chairman or other members of the committee (See: List of House Oversight Committee ) who they work with on other issues. If any of these Congressmen represent you, please contact them and ask them to support oversight of the JFK Act. Why we need oversight hearings: * The JFK Records Collection Act (Public Law No. 102-526) mandated oversight hearings following termination of the Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB) to implement on going release of records by all agencies and to review the effectiveness of the Review Board process. Section 5 (g) PERIODIC REVIEW OF POSTPONED ASSASSINATION RECORDS (1) All postponed or redacted records shall be reviewed periodically by the originating agency and the Archivist consistent with the recommendations of the Review Board under section 9©(3)( Section 7 (l) OVERSIGHT -- (1) The Committee on Government Operations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate shall have continuing oversight jurisdiction with respect to the official conduct of the Review Board and the disposition of postponedrecords after termination of the Review Board; and shall have access to any records held or created by the Review Board SAMPLE LETTER: To: The Honorable William Lacy Clay, Jr. United States House of Representatives 2418 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515-2501 March 16, 2010 Dear Congressman Clay, Having lived in nearby St. Louis County for over 25 years, I know that I speak for thousands of your constituents and millions of Americans when I say that trust in government has reached an all time low. It is essential to the health of our democracy that our trust in our leaders and our institutions be restored. One step toward restoring this trust would be for Congress to insure that laws it has enacted are enforced. Where the rule of law has been ignored, Congress is entrusted to demand accountability. In disregard of Congress and the JFK Act of 1992, relevant official records continue to be withheld from the public, while other relevant official records have been destroyed! For this reason I think it is of the utmost importance that public oversight hearings on the JFK Act be convened. I thank you for your help in this important matter. Sincerely, Michael J. Griffin Committee Membership Majority Members (Republicans) Member Name DC Phone DC FAX Contact Form Darrell Issa (R-CA) [Chairman] 202-225-3906 202-225-3303 Dan Burton (R-IN) 202-225-2276 202-225-0016 John L. Mica (R-FL) 202-225-4035 202-226-0821 Todd Russell Platts (R-PA)202-225-5836 202-226-1000 Michael R. Turner (R-OH)202-225-6465 202-225-6754 Patrick McHenry (R-NC) 202-225-2576 202-225-0316 Jim Jordan (R-OH) 202-225-2676 202-226-0577 Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) 202-225-7751 202-225-5629 Connie Mack (R-FL) 202-225-2536 202-226-0439 Tim Walberg (R-MI) 202-225-6276 202-225-6281 James Lankford (R-OK) 202-225-2132 202-226-1463 Justin Amash (R-MI) 202-225-3831 202-225-5144h Marie Buerkle (R-NY) 202-225-3701 202-225-4042 Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ) 202-225-2315 202-226-9739 Raul Labrador (R-ID) 202-225-6611 202-225-3029 Patrick Meehan (R-PA) 202-225-2011 202-226-0280 Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) 202-225-6831 202-226-5172 Joe Walsh (R-IL) 202-225-3711 202-225-7830 Trey Gowdy (R-SC) 202-225-6030 202-226-1177 Dennis Ross (R-FL) 202-225-1252 202-226-0585 Frank C. Guinta (R-NH) 202-225-5456 202-225-5822 Blake Farenthold (R-TX) 202-225-7742 202-226-1134 Mike Kelly (R-PA) 202-225-5406 202-225-3103 Minority Members (Democrats) Member Name DC Phone DC FAX Contact Form Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) [Ranking Member] 202-225-4741 202-225-3178 Edolphus (Ed) Towns (D-NY) 202-225-5936 202-225-1018 Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) 202-225-7944 202-225-4709 Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) 202-225-8050 202-225-3002 Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) 202-225-5871 202-225-5745 John F. Tierney (D-MA) 202-225-8020 202-225-5915 h William Lacy Clay, Jr. (D-MO) 202-225-2406 202-226-3717 Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA) 202-225-8273 202-225-3984 Jim Cooper (D-TN) 202-225-4311 202-226-1035 Gerald E. (Gerry) Connolly (D-VA) 202-225-1492 202-225-3071 Mike Quigley (D-IL) 202-225-4061 202-225-5603 Danny K. Davis (D-IL) 202-225-5006 202-225-5641 Bruce Braley (D-IA) 202-225-2911 202-225-6666 Peter Welch (D-VT) 202-225-4115 202-225-6790 John Yarmuth (D-KY) 202-225-5401 202-225-5776 Chris Murphy (D-CT) 202-225-4476 202-225-5933 Jackie Speier (D-CA) 202-225-3531 202-226-4183 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Kelly Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 JFK Act Oversight Lobby 2011 Summer Offensive Section 12 (a) of the JFK Act states that "the provisions of the Act...shall continue in effect until such time as the Archivist certifies to the President and the Congress that all assassination records have been made available to the public in accordance with the Act." Section 7(1) OVERSIGHT - (1) The Committee on Government Operations (Oversight & Reform) of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate shall have continuing oversight jurisdiction witEh respect to the official conduct of the Review Board and the disposition of postponed records after the termination of the Review Board..." JFKcountercoup JFK ACT Oversight Hearings Getting Congressional oversight hearings on the JFK Act is one thing that can and should be done, and will happen as soon as someone convinces Rep. Darrell Issa (R. Calf.), the chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, to do his job and hold them. It's possible JFK Act Oversight Hearings could be held as early as September, or next March, during Sunshine Week, if enough people request the hearings, a big if. The Republicans controlled the House of Representatives for a decade and didn't conduct any oversight of anything, and when the Democrats finally got in there, with a Democrat in the White House, they didn't want to "rock the boat." Now the Republicans are back, and the responsible committees are controlled by Republicans who have the ability to schedule hearings and begin investigations. Issa has shown however, in the targets of his investigations, that he being very partisan and going after Democrats, especially the Obama administration. For instance his Op-Ed on reforming the Presidential Records Act, he doesn't mention how the Republicans destroyed White House emails, but only goes after Obama for failing to live up to his call for transparent government - Chairman Issa's Op-Eds The issue of JFK Act Oversight Hearings is not even a bi-partisan issue, it's a NON-partisan issue that not only Democrats and Republicans agree should happen, but it is backed by both liberals and conservatives, Lone-Nuts and Conspiracy Theorists alike. Getting new, sworn testimony on JFK assassination records issues would be huge, and if they try to answer just some of the outstanding questions related to the disposition of the records it is likely they will hold more than one hearing as the Oversight committee is the "investigative arm" of the House of Representatives. Officially, "The Congressional Oversight and Reform Committee is the main investigative committee of the House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction to investigate any federal program and any matter with federal policy implications." I think we have an excellent chance of convincing Issa that it's vitally important to hold hearings on the JFK Act, and get the sworn testimony of the Secret Service official who destroyed records AFTER the JFK Act was established by law, and determine who in the Air Force ordered the Andrews log for 11/22/63 thrown in the trash, and what became of the negative of the photo of the swearing in aboard AF1 that disappeared from the vaults NARA? If the Committee chair and Committee members want to learn the answers to these questions themselves, then we have a better chance of getting them to ask them. Why is the CIA stonewalling Jeff Morely on the Joannides/DRE records? What happened to the Air Force One radio tapes? Who at the White House Communications Agency was responsible for their now missing records? Why are records that were open in full years ago now being withheld? Are the agencies and departments of government responding to Obama's Executive Orders on FOIA and Open Government? What about the MLK Records of the HSCA? So many questions, with nobody to ask them and nobody to answer them. What can you do? Join us in the ancient methods of grassroots democracy, combined with the latest digital networked communications. The right to petition the government is one of the most basic democratic rights, and is one of the weapons we are using to try to get Congress to hold Oversight Hearings on the JFK Act, to get a Special Federal Grand Jury to investigate the assassination of President Kenendy and to obtain proper forensic autopsies of the victims, all things guaranteed in the Constitution and the way our government is supposed to work. A petition is merely a request, and you have to request what you want and what should happen or nobody is going to make a move. Once you ask, they might turn you down, but you got them to respond. More deep background on Congressional Oversight of JFK Act As the Final Report of the ARRB says: Section 12(a) of the JFK Act states that the provisions of the Act...shall continue in effect until such time as the Archivist certifies to the President and the Congress that all assassination records have been made available to the public in accordance with the Act." Therefore the JFK Act is a LIVING LAW, one that is still in effect and shall continue and remain in effect until all assassination documents are declassified, released and made available to the public, whenever that day comes, sometime in 2017. It has been over ten years now since the ARRB completed its work, so it is imperative that Congress take some action now to ensure that the work mandated by the JFK Assassination Records Act is completed. The House Government Reform and Oversight Committee is responsible for the oversight of the JFK Act, and when hearings are eventually held on the JFK Act, the responsible sub committee on Technology and Information Policy will be chaired by Rep. James Lankford (R. OK), whose jurisdiction includes public information, the Freedom of Information Act, the Presidential Records Act and the National Archives and Records Administration. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN: If you live in the district of any of these Congressmen, and they represent you, they will pay more attention to your letter, phone call, email or fax, because you are a constituent and represent a potential vote. If so, please go out of your way and ask your Representative to hold public hearings on the JFK Act and to notify you when they are scheduled before they happen so you can attend, view it on C-SPAN and be kept informed of what happens. Real Democracy depends on an educated electorate, so stay informed. JFK Act Oversight Hearings – SUMMER OFFENSIVE – 2011 Pro-active Strategies and Tactics will be employed in a campaign for Congressional oversight of the JFK Act and enactment of the MLK Act. When the Assassinations Records Review Board (ARRB) closed up shop nearly ten years ago, we thought that oversight hearings of the JFK Act would be forthcoming, a sort of After Action Report, as required by law, but it never happened and won't happen unless a concerted effort is made to make it happen. Once JFK Act oversight hearings are held, and new sworn testimony is taken, then the dominos will begin to fall, and it will become easier to accomplish other goals, such as the convening of a Special Federal Grand Jury to determine if anyone can be indicted for crimes related to the assassination, and order a proper forensic autopsy of the victims. The Congressional Oversight Hearings appear to be the easiest of things desired, but it has proved elusive. After years with no interest by the Republicans, who decided not to exercise their oversight responsibilities at all when they controlled the leadership, the Democrats are now equally busy with their own agendas on what issues they intend to hold public hearings on. There are others who are quietly trying to persuade Congress to hold JFK Act oversight hearings, and acting privately through correspondence and behind closed doors, but we are the most outspoken and broadest coalition of people interested in and intent on getting Congressional oversight of the JFK Act. So far, we have agreed, per Bill Simpich's suggestion, that we do something different every month – and build up some momentum and pubic support for Congressional hearings and oversight of the JFK Act. Towards this end we have laid out the following: 1) Rep. Darrel Issa (R. Calf.) Chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee Rayburn House Office Building B-350 A. Phone: 202-225-5051 Fax: 202-225-4784 2) Rep. James Lankford (R.OK), Chairman of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Information Policy. 202-225-2132 Fax: 202-226-1463 3) Rep. Gerald E. "Gerry" Connolly (D. VA), Ranking Minority member of Subcommittee 202-225-1492 Fax 202-225-3071 4) Senator John Kerry (D. Mass.), has endorsed the MLK Act and needs to be briefed on necessity of oversight hearings of JFK Act. 5) Your Representative will listen to you and reflect the need for JFK Act oversight hearings to these committee and subcommittee chairman or other members of the committee (See: List of House Oversight Committee ) who they work with on other issues. If any of these Congressmen represent you, please contact them and ask them to support oversight of the JFK Act. Why we need oversight hearings: * The JFK Records Collection Act (Public Law No. 102-526) mandated oversight hearings following termination of the Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB) to implement on going release of records by all agencies and to review the effectiveness of the Review Board process. Section 5 (g) PERIODIC REVIEW OF POSTPONED ASSASSINATION RECORDS (1) All postponed or redacted records shall be reviewed periodically by the originating agency and the Archivist consistent with the recommendations of the Review Board under section 9©(3)( Section 7 (l) OVERSIGHT -- (1) The Committee on Government Operations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate shall have continuing oversight jurisdiction with respect to the official conduct of the Review Board and the disposition of postponedrecords after termination of the Review Board; and shall have access to any records held or created by the Review Board SAMPLE LETTER: To: The Honorable William Lacy Clay, Jr. United States House of Representatives 2418 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515-2501 March 16, 2010 Dear Congressman Clay, Having lived in nearby St. Louis County for over 25 years, I know that I speak for thousands of your constituents and millions of Americans when I say that trust in government has reached an all time low. It is essential to the health of our democracy that our trust in our leaders and our institutions be restored. One step toward restoring this trust would be for Congress to insure that laws it has enacted are enforced. Where the rule of law has been ignored, Congress is entrusted to demand accountability. In disregard of Congress and the JFK Act of 1992, relevant official records continue to be withheld from the public, while other relevant official records have been destroyed! For this reason I think it is of the utmost importance that public oversight hearings on the JFK Act be convened. I thank you for your help in this important matter. Sincerely, Michael J. Griffin Committee Membership Majority Members (Republicans) Member Name DC Phone DC FAX Contact Form Darrell Issa (R-CA) [Chairman] 202-225-3906 202-225-3303 Dan Burton (R-IN) 202-225-2276 202-225-0016 John L. Mica (R-FL) 202-225-4035 202-226-0821 Todd Russell Platts (R-PA)202-225-5836 202-226-1000 Michael R. Turner (R-OH)202-225-6465 202-225-6754 Patrick McHenry (R-NC) 202-225-2576 202-225-0316 Jim Jordan (R-OH) 202-225-2676 202-226-0577 Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) 202-225-7751 202-225-5629 Connie Mack (R-FL) 202-225-2536 202-226-0439 Tim Walberg (R-MI) 202-225-6276 202-225-6281 James Lankford (R-OK) 202-225-2132 202-226-1463 Justin Amash (R-MI) 202-225-3831 202-225-5144h Marie Buerkle (R-NY) 202-225-3701 202-225-4042 Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ) 202-225-2315 202-226-9739 Raul Labrador (R-ID) 202-225-6611 202-225-3029 Patrick Meehan (R-PA) 202-225-2011 202-226-0280 Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) 202-225-6831 202-226-5172 Joe Walsh (R-IL) 202-225-3711 202-225-7830 Trey Gowdy (R-SC) 202-225-6030 202-226-1177 Dennis Ross (R-FL) 202-225-1252 202-226-0585 Frank C. Guinta (R-NH) 202-225-5456 202-225-5822 Blake Farenthold (R-TX) 202-225-7742 202-226-1134 Mike Kelly (R-PA) 202-225-5406 202-225-3103 Minority Members (Democrats) Member Name DC Phone DC FAX Contact Form Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) [Ranking Member] 202-225-4741 202-225-3178 Edolphus (Ed) Towns (D-NY) 202-225-5936 202-225-1018 Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) 202-225-7944 202-225-4709 Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) 202-225-8050 202-225-3002 Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) 202-225-5871 202-225-5745 John F. Tierney (D-MA) 202-225-8020 202-225-5915 h William Lacy Clay, Jr. (D-MO) 202-225-2406 202-226-3717 Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA) 202-225-8273 202-225-3984 Jim Cooper (D-TN) 202-225-4311 202-226-1035 Gerald E. (Gerry) Connolly (D-VA) 202-225-1492 202-225-3071 Mike Quigley (D-IL) 202-225-4061 202-225-5603 Danny K. Davis (D-IL) 202-225-5006 202-225-5641 Bruce Braley (D-IA) 202-225-2911 202-225-6666 Peter Welch (D-VT) 202-225-4115 202-225-6790 John Yarmuth (D-KY) 202-225-5401 202-225-5776 Chris Murphy (D-CT) 202-225-4476 202-225-5933 Jackie Speier (D-CA) 202-225-3531 202-226-4183 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Kelly Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 JFK Act Oversight Lobby 2011 Summer Offensive Section 12 (a) of the JFK Act states that "the provisions of the Act...shall continue in effect until such time as the Archivist certifies to the President and the Congress that all assassination records have been made available to the public in accordance with the Act." Section 7(1) OVERSIGHT - (1) The Committee on Government Operations (Oversight & Reform) of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate shall have continuing oversight jurisdiction witEh respect to the official conduct of the Review Board and the disposition of postponed records after the termination of the Review Board..." JFKcountercoup JFK ACT Oversight Hearings Getting Congressional oversight hearings on the JFK Act is one thing that can and should be done, and will happen as soon as someone convinces Rep. Darrell Issa (R. Calf.), the chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, to do his job and hold them. It's possible JFK Act Oversight Hearings could be held as early as September, or next March, during Sunshine Week, if enough people request the hearings, a big if. The Republicans controlled the House of Representatives for a decade and didn't conduct any oversight of anything, and when the Democrats finally got in there, with a Democrat in the White House, they didn't want to "rock the boat." Now the Republicans are back, and the responsible committees are controlled by Republicans who have the ability to schedule hearings and begin investigations. Issa has shown however, in the targets of his investigations, that he being very partisan and going after Democrats, especially the Obama administration. For instance his Op-Ed on reforming the Presidential Records Act, he doesn't mention how the Republicans destroyed White House emails, but only goes after Obama for failing to live up to his call for transparent government - Chairman Issa's Op-Eds The issue of JFK Act Oversight Hearings is not even a bi-partisan issue, it's a NON-partisan issue that not only Democrats and Republicans agree should happen, but it is backed by both liberals and conservatives, Lone-Nuts and Conspiracy Theorists alike. Getting new, sworn testimony on JFK assassination records issues would be huge, and if they try to answer just some of the outstanding questions related to the disposition of the records it is likely they will hold more than one hearing as the Oversight committee is the "investigative arm" of the House of Representatives. Officially, "The Congressional Oversight and Reform Committee is the main investigative committee of the House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction to investigate any federal program and any matter with federal policy implications." I think we have an excellent chance of convincing Issa that it's vitally important to hold hearings on the JFK Act, and get the sworn testimony of the Secret Service official who destroyed records AFTER the JFK Act was established by law, and determine who in the Air Force ordered the Andrews log for 11/22/63 thrown in the trash, and what became of the negative of the photo of the swearing in aboard AF1 that disappeared from the vaults NARA? If the Committee chair and Committee members want to learn the answers to these questions themselves, then we have a better chance of getting them to ask them. Why is the CIA stonewalling Jeff Morely on the Joannides/DRE records? What happened to the Air Force One radio tapes? Who at the White House Communications Agency was responsible for their now missing records? Why are records that were open in full years ago now being withheld? Are the agencies and departments of government responding to Obama's Executive Orders on FOIA and Open Government? What about the MLK Records of the HSCA? So many questions, with nobody to ask them and nobody to answer them. What can you do? Join us in the ancient methods of grassroots democracy, combined with the latest digital networked communications. The right to petition the government is one of the most basic democratic rights, and is one of the weapons we are using to try to get Congress to hold Oversight Hearings on the JFK Act, to get a Special Federal Grand Jury to investigate the assassination of President Kenendy and to obtain proper forensic autopsies of the victims, all things guaranteed in the Constitution and the way our government is supposed to work. A petition is merely a request, and you have to request what you want and what should happen or nobody is going to make a move. Once you ask, they might turn you down, but you got them to respond. More deep background on Congressional Oversight of JFK Act As the Final Report of the ARRB says: Section 12(a) of the JFK Act states that the provisions of the Act...shall continue in effect until such time as the Archivist certifies to the President and the Congress that all assassination records have been made available to the public in accordance with the Act." Therefore the JFK Act is a LIVING LAW, one that is still in effect and shall continue and remain in effect until all assassination documents are declassified, released and made available to the public, whenever that day comes, sometime in 2017. It has been over ten years now since the ARRB completed its work, so it is imperative that Congress take some action now to ensure that the work mandated by the JFK Assassination Records Act is completed. The House Government Reform and Oversight Committee is responsible for the oversight of the JFK Act, and when hearings are eventually held on the JFK Act, the responsible sub committee on Technology and Information Policy will be chaired by Rep. James Lankford (R. OK), whose jurisdiction includes public information, the Freedom of Information Act, the Presidential Records Act and the National Archives and Records Administration. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN: If you live in the district of any of these Congressmen, and they represent you, they will pay more attention to your letter, phone call, email or fax, because you are a constituent and represent a potential vote. If so, please go out of your way and ask your Representative to hold public hearings on the JFK Act and to notify you when they are scheduled before they happen so you can attend, view it on C-SPAN and be kept informed of what happens. Real Democracy depends on an educated electorate, so stay informed. JFK Act Oversight Hearings – SUMMER OFFENSIVE – 2011 Pro-active Strategies and Tactics will be employed in a campaign for Congressional oversight of the JFK Act and enactment of the MLK Act. When the Assassinations Records Review Board (ARRB) closed up shop nearly ten years ago, we thought that oversight hearings of the JFK Act would be forthcoming, a sort of After Action Report, as required by law, but it never happened and won't happen unless a concerted effort is made to make it happen. Once JFK Act oversight hearings are held, and new sworn testimony is taken, then the dominos will begin to fall, and it will become easier to accomplish other goals, such as the convening of a Special Federal Grand Jury to determine if anyone can be indicted for crimes related to the assassination, and order a proper forensic autopsy of the victims. The Congressional Oversight Hearings appear to be the easiest of things desired, but it has proved elusive. After years with no interest by the Republicans, who decided not to exercise their oversight responsibilities at all when they controlled the leadership, the Democrats are now equally busy with their own agendas on what issues they intend to hold public hearings on. There are others who are quietly trying to persuade Congress to hold JFK Act oversight hearings, and acting privately through correspondence and behind closed doors, but we are the most outspoken and broadest coalition of people interested in and intent on getting Congressional oversight of the JFK Act. So far, we have agreed, per Bill Simpich's suggestion, that we do something different every month – and build up some momentum and pubic support for Congressional hearings and oversight of the JFK Act. Towards this end we have laid out the following: 1) Rep. Darrel Issa (R. Calf.) Chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee Rayburn House Office Building B-350 A. Phone: 202-225-5051 Fax: 202-225-4784 2) Rep. James Lankford (R.OK), Chairman of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Information Policy. 202-225-2132 Fax: 202-226-1463 3) Rep. Gerald E. "Gerry" Connolly (D. VA), Ranking Minority member of Subcommittee 202-225-1492 Fax 202-225-3071 4) Senator John Kerry (D. Mass.), has endorsed the MLK Act and needs to be briefed on necessity of oversight hearings of JFK Act. 5) Your Representative will listen to you and reflect the need for JFK Act oversight hearings to these committee and subcommittee chairman or other members of the committee (See: List of House Oversight Committee ) who they work with on other issues. If any of these Congressmen represent you, please contact them and ask them to support oversight of the JFK Act. Why we need oversight hearings: * The JFK Records Collection Act (Public Law No. 102-526) mandated oversight hearings following termination of the Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB) to implement on going release of records by all agencies and to review the effectiveness of the Review Board process. Section 5 (g) PERIODIC REVIEW OF POSTPONED ASSASSINATION RECORDS (1) All postponed or redacted records shall be reviewed periodically by the originating agency and the Archivist consistent with the recommendations of the Review Board under section 9©(3)( Section 7 (l) OVERSIGHT -- (1) The Committee on Government Operations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate shall have continuing oversight jurisdiction with respect to the official conduct of the Review Board and the disposition of postponedrecords after termination of the Review Board; and shall have access to any records held or created by the Review Board SAMPLE LETTER: To: The Honorable William Lacy Clay, Jr. United States House of Representatives 2418 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515-2501 March 16, 2010 Dear Congressman Clay, Having lived in nearby St. Louis County for over 25 years, I know that I speak for thousands of your constituents and millions of Americans when I say that trust in government has reached an all time low. It is essential to the health of our democracy that our trust in our leaders and our institutions be restored. One step toward restoring this trust would be for Congress to insure that laws it has enacted are enforced. Where the rule of law has been ignored, Congress is entrusted to demand accountability. In disregard of Congress and the JFK Act of 1992, relevant official records continue to be withheld from the public, while other relevant official records have been destroyed! For this reason I think it is of the utmost importance that public oversight hearings on the JFK Act be convened. I thank you for your help in this important matter. Sincerely, Michael J. Griffin Committee Membership Majority Members (Republicans) Member Name DC Phone DC FAX Contact Form Darrell Issa (R-CA) [Chairman] 202-225-3906 202-225-3303 Dan Burton (R-IN) 202-225-2276 202-225-0016 John L. Mica (R-FL) 202-225-4035 202-226-0821 Todd Russell Platts (R-PA)202-225-5836 202-226-1000 Michael R. Turner (R-OH)202-225-6465 202-225-6754 Patrick McHenry (R-NC) 202-225-2576 202-225-0316 Jim Jordan (R-OH) 202-225-2676 202-226-0577 Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) 202-225-7751 202-225-5629 Connie Mack (R-FL) 202-225-2536 202-226-0439 Tim Walberg (R-MI) 202-225-6276 202-225-6281 James Lankford (R-OK) 202-225-2132 202-226-1463 Justin Amash (R-MI) 202-225-3831 202-225-5144h Marie Buerkle (R-NY) 202-225-3701 202-225-4042 Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ) 202-225-2315 202-226-9739 Raul Labrador (R-ID) 202-225-6611 202-225-3029 Patrick Meehan (R-PA) 202-225-2011 202-226-0280 Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) 202-225-6831 202-226-5172 Joe Walsh (R-IL) 202-225-3711 202-225-7830 Trey Gowdy (R-SC) 202-225-6030 202-226-1177 Dennis Ross (R-FL) 202-225-1252 202-226-0585 Frank C. Guinta (R-NH) 202-225-5456 202-225-5822 Blake Farenthold (R-TX) 202-225-7742 202-226-1134 Mike Kelly (R-PA) 202-225-5406 202-225-3103 Minority Members (Democrats) Member Name DC Phone DC FAX Contact Form Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) [Ranking Member] 202-225-4741 202-225-3178 Edolphus (Ed) Towns (D-NY) 202-225-5936 202-225-1018 Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) 202-225-7944 202-225-4709 Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) 202-225-8050 202-225-3002 Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) 202-225-5871 202-225-5745 John F. Tierney (D-MA) 202-225-8020 202-225-5915 h William Lacy Clay, Jr. (D-MO) 202-225-2406 202-226-3717 Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA) 202-225-8273 202-225-3984 Jim Cooper (D-TN) 202-225-4311 202-226-1035 Gerald E. (Gerry) Connolly (D-VA) 202-225-1492 202-225-3071 Mike Quigley (D-IL) 202-225-4061 202-225-5603 Danny K. Davis (D-IL) 202-225-5006 202-225-5641 Bruce Braley (D-IA) 202-225-2911 202-225-6666 Peter Welch (D-VT) 202-225-4115 202-225-6790 John Yarmuth (D-KY) 202-225-5401 202-225-5776 Chris Murphy (D-CT) 202-225-4476 202-225-5933 Jackie Speier (D-CA) 202-225-3531 202-226-4183 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Kelly Posted July 26, 2011 Author Share Posted July 26, 2011 (edited) With the Republicans taking charge in the House, they have changed committee assignments and subcommittee chairs, so the following information reflects the new regime. TARGETING THE INFORMATION POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE What we need is to find a Congressman on the Information Policy Subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee who will take up our cause and request the Chairman to schedule a JFK Act Oversight Hearing, even if it is a hearing of just the subcommittee. Of the members of the Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform, there are three leading Republicans, the Chairman Rep.James Lankford (OK-5), who seems like a nice guy who likes to workwith kids, and two Congressmen from Pennsylvania, Mike Kelly and Pat Meehan. Aspossible candidates on the subcommittee to make a pitch for JFK Act oversight hearings Republican Vice Chair: Rep. Mike Kelly (PA-3), along with Pat Meehan,are representatives of districts in Pennsylvania that include a number of JFK Assassination researchers who could get easy access to them to try persuadethem to seek oversight hearings. Thenthere are a few others, who could be sympathetic and I urge anyone who isresident of their district to write and fax them a letter requesting the JFKAct oversight hearings, including Jason Chaffetz (UT-3), Tim Walberg (MI-7), RaulLabrador (ID) and Blake Farenthold (TX-27). Amongthe Democrts, there's Ranking Member Gerald Connolly of Virginia, Christopher Murphy of Connecticut and Stephen Lynch, Massachusetts, with one Vacancy that may already be filled. Here's the relevant partof the rules that concern us: House Committee on Oversight andGovernment Reform Rules and Jurisdiction Rule 2 Meetings "The regular meetings of the full committee shall be held on the second Thursday of each month at 10 a.m., when the house is insession. The chairman is authorized to dispense with a regular meeting or to change the date of and to call and convene additional meetings, when circumstances warrant. A special meeting of the committee may be requested by members of the committee pursuant to the provisions of House Rule XI, clause 2 C (2).Subcommittees shall meet at the call of the subcommittee chairs…" The Chairman of theSubcommittee is Rep. James Lankford of Okalahoma. Washington, D.C. – Congressman James Lankford (R-OK) has been named Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform today.The subcommittee has legislative jurisdiction over federal information technology and data standards, public information, and procurement reform. Thesubcommittee will also oversee the federal Freedom of Information Act and AdvisoryCommittees and the relationship between the federal government, the states andmunicipalities including oversight of unfunded mandates. "Congressman Lankford will be an excellent leader in our fight to protect the taxpayers and the job-creating private sector from the waste,fraud, and abuse of their money. We cannot succeed without fundamental changesin how the government buys goods and services and unless we have complete,accurate, and timely data," said full Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, (R-CA)."Updating the technology and standards that the government uses to manage itsmoney and track program performance, along with procurement reform, is a keypart of our legislative agenda." "It is an honor to be asked by Chairman Issa to take on this critical subcommittee and I am ready to address the challenges ahead," said CongressmanLankford. "All too often, the federal government has been wasteful with itsresources. We need increased scrutiny to make certain that taxpayer dollarsaren't flying out the window. The status quo that requires states, cities andbusinesses to bear the financial weight of unfunded federal mandates must alsocome to an end. It's time to get our fiscal house in order and I look forwardto working with Chairman Issa and other members of the subcommittee as we take these vital first steps forward." http://lankford.house.gov/ http://lankford.hous...3&Itemid=100005 Rep. James Lankford Washington, D.C. Office 509 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 ph: (202) 225-2132 Oklahoma City Office 1015 N. Broadway Suite 310 Oklahoma, OK 73102 ph: (405) 234-9900 Shawnee Office 20 East 9th, Suite 100 Shawnee, OK 74801 ph: (405) 273-1733 James Lankford was first elected to the United States Congress on November 2nd, 2010. Before being elected, he directedthe Falls Creek Youth Camp from 1996 to 2009, the largest Christian camp in thenation with more than 51,000 guests every summer. While James directed FallsCreek, the camp experienced the greatest growth in its nearly 100 year history.In this capacity, James earned real-world leadership and business experience.James has also coordinated mission and community service projects in Belize, Malawi, England, Wales, and Germany as well as many areas of Oklahoma. He serves on the Oversight& Government Reform Committee, where he is the Chairman of the Subcommitteeon Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and ProcurementReform. James enjoys spending time withhis family, sport shooting, and reading. BK NOTES: If you want to email him, you will only get a responseif you are a resident of his district, but you can still send him an email andtell him and his staff what's on your mind – you want him to do his job andhold the required oversight hearings of the JFK Act. Lankford's email contact form: https://forms.house....n_contact.shtml Lankford-CoburnJoint Statement on Grant Oversight and Accountability Hearing June 23, 2011 Washington, D.C. – Congressman James Lankford (R-OK), Chairman of the Subcommitteeon Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and ProcurementReform, issued the following statement after holding a hearing Thursday morningthat initiated a series of examinations on discretionary grants allocated bythe Executive Branch to determine weaknesses in the grant process to improveoversight and accountability, ensuring taxpayer dollars are not wasted. "The federal government has more than tripledgrant payments in the past twenty years but with little accountability andoversight," said Congressman Lankford. "There are twenty-three federaldepartments and agencies that offered 1,670 grants last fiscal year but withlittle uniformity or transparency. These agencies have few requirements,resulting in tens of billions of dollars that are left untracked to guaranteethese taxpayers dollars are spent wisely. This is the moment to bring light tothe grant process to enforce accountability and bring competition into the process. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), who testified atthe hearing and recently released a report listing numerous problems with thegrant process, issued the following statement. "Today'shearing helped provide some long-overdue oversight of federal grant programs,"said Senator Coburn. "I applaud my colleagues in the House for forcing thisdiscussion. One recent report I authored identified nearly $3 billion that hasbeen lost to waste, duplication and fraud through grants programs managed bythe National Science Foundation. Recklessly wasting taxpayer money underminesthe public's trust. At a time when our economic future is in question, it is upto Congress to restore the public's confidence with effective oversight andcommon sense cuts." MIKE KELLY - VICE CHAIR OF THE INFORMATION POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE MikeKelly was born in Pittsburgh and raised in Butler, PA,where he has lived for the past 53 years. After graduating from Butler High School in 1966, Mike attended the University of Notre Dame on afootball and academic scholarship. After college, Mike moved back to Butler to work at Kelly Chevrolet-Cadillac, Inc., a companyfounded by his father in the early 1950s. Mike took ownership of the dealershipin 1995, expanding its operations to include Hyundai and KIA franchises. http://kelly.house.g.../full-biography Send anemail to Mike Kelly and let him know how you feel: https://kelly.house.gov/contact-me Write andfax a letter to Mike Kelly: Washington, DC 515Cannon HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone:(202) 225-5406 Fax:(202) 225-3103 Butler 108 E. Diamond St., 1st Floor Butler, PA 16001 Phone:724-282-2557 Fax:724-282-3682 Erie 208 E. Bayfront Parkway, Suite 102 Erie, PA 16507 Phone:(814) 454-8190 Fax:(814) 454-8197 Greenville 182 Main St. Greenville, PA 16125 Phone:724-885-1113 Fax:724-885-1114 Meadville Office 908Diamond Park Meadville, PA 16335 PATRICKMEEHAN IS A SENIOR REPUBLICAN ON THE SUBCOMMITEE, ALSO FROM PENNSYLVANIA Patrick Meehan represents Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional Districtin the United States Congress. http://meehan.house....ectiontree=2,63<br style="mso-special-character:line-break"> Elected in 2010, Congressman Meehan serves on the Oversightand Government Reform, Homeland Security and Transportation and InfrastructureCommittees. As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, CongressmanMeehan was appointed Chairman of the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism andIntelligence, becoming one of only a few freshmen to chair a subcommittee. Prior to his election to the United StatesCongress, Meehan earned an impressive record as one of the Philadelphia area's most respectedprosecutors. Appointed by the President, Meehan served as the United StatesAttorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, a position that made him thetop federal prosecutor in a district that spanned nine counties with apopulation of over five million residents. Sworn in just six days after the September 11, 2001 attacks, Meehan immediatelywent to work combating the threat of terrorism. He set up an Anti-TerrorismAdvisory Council to coordinate the region's response to the attacks. The ATAC quickly became a nationalmodel for coordination among law enforcement agencies and ensured that criticalinformation and intelligence on terrorist threats was disseminated to theappropriate federal, state and local law enforcement personnel. While U.S. Attorney, Meehan took on nursing homesneglecting seniors, drug companies defrauding customers and pioneeredinnovative new strategies to combat domestic violence. Meehan also prosecutedcases under Operation Stolen Valor, an initiative that took in individuals whofalsely claimed to have won military awards and decorations. He was appointedby the Attorney General to sit on the Corporate Fraud Task Force and prosecutedgovernment contractors overcharging taxpayers. During his tenure, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia became a national leader inprosecuting corrupt government officials. Meehan helped to put behind bars someof the biggest names in Philadelphia's corrupt pay-to-playpolitical culture, including former Philadelphia Treasurer Corey Kemp,Councilman Rick Mariano, and State Senator Vincent Fumo. Meehan earned praisefrom both sides of the aisle for his integrity and his commitment to rootingout political corruption. Prior to his appointment as United StatesAttorney, Meehan served as the District Attorney of Delaware County. As D.A.,he successfully prosecuted several high-profile cases, including the murdertrial of millionaire John DuPont and the trial of the murderer of local collegestudent Aimee Willard. Meehan formed the Internet Crimes Against Children TaskForce, a working group dedicated to protecting children from online predators.A native of Cheltenham, Montgomery County, Meehan is a graduate of Bowdoin College and the Temple UniversitySchool of Law. Prior to entering public service, CongressmanMeehan spent two years as a referee in the National Hockey League. Meehan,his wife Carolyn, and their three sons live in Drexel Hill, Delaware County. WASHINGTON, D.C. OFFICE 513 Cannon HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-2011 Fax: (202) 226-0280 SPRINGFIELD OFFICE 940 Sproul Road Springfield, PA 19064 Phone: (610) 690-7323 Fax: (610) 690-7329 BK NOTES: There are only three democrats on thesubcommittee so far, and gone are the black caucus members we had placed ourhope in, but in the place we do have some liberals who could take up the openrecords cause. The Senior Democrat is Gerald Connally of Virginia. Then there are two New England democrats, Chris Murphy of Conn. and Steve Lynch of Mass., both feasible targets whocould be persuaded to make open records an issue. Congressman Gerald E. Connolly 11th District of Virginia Congressman Gerald E. "Gerry" Connolly is servinghis second term in the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 11th District, which encompasses Fairfax County, Prince William County, and the City of Fairfax in Northern Virginia. He was firstelected in 2008 and reelected in 2010. Congressman Connolly serves on the House Committeeon Oversight and Government Reform and the House Committee on ForeignAffairs. He is the Ranking Member of the Oversight andGovernment Reform Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy,Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform…Connolly is also a member ofthe New Democrat Coalition, chair of the Innovation Task Force, co-chair of theSmart Contracting Caucus, Connolly has earned a reputation in Congress as aresults-oriented legislator who does his homework and gets results for hisNorthern Virginia district. After graduating from Harvard, Connolly spent 10years on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he handlednumerous foreign policy issues including oversight of international economicissues and policies concerning the Middle East and the United Nations. CongressmanConnolly also worked in the non-profit and private sectors for organizationsand companies involved in international trade, regulatory matters, technology,and research. Congressman Gerry Connolly has three offices toserve you: our office on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.; our Fairfax District Office in Annandale; and our Prince William District Office in Woodbridge. https://connolly.hou...m?sectionid=132 OFFICES LOCATIONS: Washington DC Office 424 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-1492 Fax: (202) 225-3071 Fairfax District Office 4115 Annandale Road Suite 103 Annandale, VA 22003 Phone: (703) 256-3071 Fax: (703) 354-1284 Prince William District Office 4308 Ridgewood Center Dr. Woodbridge, VA 22192 Phone: (703) 670-4989 Fax: (703) 670-6042 Click Here toWrite Congressman Connolly GET HELP OR INFORMATION: It can be difficult to navigate the maze of thefederal government or to determine the correct person or agency to contact tohelp you with your issue. My offices can help you with this process. I am committed to providing excellent services to the residents of the 11thDistrict of Virginia. My staff and I will do everything possible tohelp you with your problem or question. Please click one of the below links for additional information on: LEGISLATION: If you'd like to contact me about a legislative issue, please e-mail me; phone me at (202) 225-1492;or mail me a note at 424 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC20515. CongressmanChristopher S. Murphy U.S.Representative, Fifth District, Connecticut https://forms.house....e_subscribe.htm Congressman Christopher S. Murphy is currentlyserving his third term representing Connecticut's Fifth District, which includes the towns of Danbury, Meriden, New Britain, and Waterbury. He serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee and its Middle Eastand South Asia Subcommittee. Healso serves on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and itsTechnology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and ProcurementReform and Health Care, District of Columbia,Census and the National Archives Subcommittees. Murphy is also a member of the Oversight and GovernmentReform Committee, which is the main investigative committee in the U.S. Houseof Representatives, and has broad jurisdiction over federal governmentmanagement. The committee'shigh-profile hearings have covered subjects from reconstruction in Iraq, to the state of our economy, to pharmaceuticalmarketing practices. Through this committee, Murphy has pushed to makecommon sense reforms to strengthen our Buy America laws and protect Connecticut's manufacturing firms. Washington D.C. Office 412 Cannon HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-4476 New Britain Office 114 West Main St. Suite 206 New Britain, CT 06051 Phone: (860) 223-8412 Fax: (860) 827-9009 Danbury Office 198 Main St. Danbury, CT 06810<br style="mso-special-character:line-break"> CONGRESSMAN STEPHEN F. LYNCH Congressman Stephen F. Lynch was first sworn in to theUnited States Congress in October 2001, following the sudden passing oflegendary Congressman John Joseph Moakley. The son of Francis Lynch, anironworker, and Anne Lynch, a postal clerk, Congressman Lynch was born andraised in the public housing projects of South Boston. Upon graduation from South Boston High School in 1973, Congressman Lynch entered the IronworkersApprenticeship Program and later joined his father as a member of Boston's Ironworkers Local 7. He worked as a structuralironworker for 18 years and was eventually elected to serve as president of TheIron Workers Union, the youngest president in the history of the 2000 memberunion. In 1994, Congressman Lynch was elected to the MassachusettsHouse of Representatives. After just fourteen months in office, he was electedto the Massachusetts State Senate in a special election. In the Senate, heserved as the Chair of the Joint Committee on Commerce and Labor. In 1999, he earned a Master's Degree in PublicAdministration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. During his career as an ironworker, Congressman Lynchworked at the General Motors Plant in Framingham, Massachusetts, the General Dynamics Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts and the U.S. Steel Plant in Gary, Indiana, all of which were either shut down or severlycurtailed due to unfair foreign trade practices. Congressman Lynch's first-handexperience in seeing the effects of plant closings on American workers and onlocal communities has led him to focus on efforts to improve U.S. Trade Policyand protect American jobs. In the 112th Congress, Congressman Lynch is a member of theFinancial Services Committee and the Committee on Oversight and GovernmentReform, where he serves as Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on FederalWorkforce, U.S. Postal Service and Labor Policy. Lynch is also a member of theSubcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations andthe Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relationsand Procurement Reform. Edited September 12, 2011 by William Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Kelly Posted September 12, 2011 Author Share Posted September 12, 2011 (edited) National Archives NDCBlog Releasing All We Can, Protecting What We Must http://blogs.archives.gov/ndc/ At the June 2010 public forum, Archivesofficial Michael Kurtz stated that one percent of the five million pages of JFKassassination records is still withheld and that these records will beprocessed by the National Declassification Center asit tries to clear the backlog by the end of 2013. In light of thepublic interest in these records, would the Archives consider establishinga project to ensure that these JFK assassination records are processed prior tothe Fiftieth Anniversary of the JFK assassination in November2013? Answer: Records associated with the JFK assassination, having previously undergone appropriate government-wide declassification review and processing, are not technically part of our 400 million page processing back log; however, they do fall under the high interest, high historical value category. Recall that these valuable records were subject to the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, which mandated that all assassination records must be released in full by 2017, 25 years after the date of the passing of the Act in 1992. To apply that requirement vigorously, the Act established the Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB), an independent agency set up to make sure all assassination-related records were identified and sent to NARA and that they were open to the greatest extent possible. The power wielded by the ARRB meant that more records were declassified and made available under the JFK Act than would have been released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or under mandatory and systematic review provisions of the Executive Order. [Thework of the ARRB is well described in their Final Report: http://www.archives....w-board/report/ ] The Collection includes over five million pages, and as noted by this and other questioners, less than 1% of the documents in the Collection are withheld in full. NARA believes that the declassification review process on these withheld records was vigorously applied under the strictest standards and at great expense. We believe Agencies were required to release documents that they would not have voluntarily released, or been compelled to release, under the previous Executive Order review guidelines. That said, NDC will examine whether the recent changes reflected in the new Executive Order (13526) are likely to result in a change of declassification status for these historical records and if that change could allow for declassification of there remaining classified material prior to 2017 in an efficient manner. I must caution you, however, that in prioritizing parts of the backlog, we look for collections of both high interest and "declassifiability." In the case of these records, that "declassability" standard may have already been surpassed. As I must focus our and other government agency limited resources on the back log due December 2013, I have to take that into account before I ask other agencies to re-look at documents they may already feel they have re-reviewed sufficiently. Edited September 12, 2011 by William Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Rosen Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 This is encouraging. Thank you for your continuous efforts, Bill. - Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Kelly Posted September 15, 2011 Author Share Posted September 15, 2011 (edited) This is encouraging. Thank you for your continuous efforts, Bill. - Steve US NARA - NDC official: The Collection includes over five million pages, and as noted by this and other questioners , less than 1% of the documents in the Collection are withheld in full. NARA believes that the declassification review process on these withheld records was vigorously applied under the strictest standards and at great expense. We believe Agencies were required to release documents that they would not have voluntarily released, or been compelled to release, under the previous Executive Order review guidelines. That said, NDC will examine whether the recent changes reflected in the new Executive Order (13526) are likely to result in a change of declassification status for these historical records and if that change could allow for declassification of these remaining classified material prior to 2017 in an efficient manner. Therefore - that says to me that the NARA - NDC are looking into the possibility of adopting a change in declassification policy reflected in ExO 13526 and release "the remaining classified material prior to 2017 in an efficient manner." Hey, that's the best news I've heard in a long time. Now we just have to put some pressure on these people and let them know that it really is a high-interest - priority ONE case. BK JFKCountercoup.blogspot.com Edited September 15, 2011 by William Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hogan Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Therefore - that says to me that the NARA - NDC are looking into the possibility of adopting a change in declassification policy reflected in ExO 13526 and release "the remaining classified material prior to 2017 in an efficient manner." Hey, that's the best news I've heard in a long time. Now we just have to put some pressure on these people and let them know that it really is a high-interest - priority ONE case. BK JFKCountercoup.blogspot.com I wouldn't hold my breath. From that same NDC Blog Forum there was this question from Jim Lesar: Jim Lesar, President, Assassination Archives and Research Center (AARC): Question: At the first NDC Public Forum, June 23, 2010, Michael Kurtz promised the review and release of the outstanding Kennedy Assassination records. Why haven’t the remaining 50,000 pages been declassified? The 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination will be in November 2013. Response by Jay Bosanko – NARA must follow the requirements established by the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 and Executive Order (EO) 13526. And from John Judge: John Judge, Coalition on Political Assassinations (COPA): Question: Why can’t specific collections be targeted for review and declassification? Response by Sheryl Shenberger – The NDC must balance the overall review and declassification of documents with focusing on specific collections. Response by Jay Bosanko – The declassification process has been established over the past twenty years, and is becoming increasingly proficient. In addition Sheryl Shenberger, Director, NDC, NARA wrote: The challenges of processing the backlog provide new opportunities to excel in the review of RD/FRD equities. One key challenge is that 50% of the remaining records in the backlog still require Kyl-Lott page level review. Another challenge is that there will probably be difficult funding issues ahead which may impact review output. Robert Warrington, Chief of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) declassification team at Archives II wrote: CIA must balance the need to keep the public informed, versus the needs of national security. ....“Sanitization” of classified sections of documents is a key method of releasing information to the public for the remainder of the document which isn’t sanitized. ....The challenges to reviewing and releasing records are enormous. ....Managing risk is a key process. CIA is seeking a managed risk approach to document reviews. In addition, there is this answer you already posted: I must caution you, however, that in prioritizing parts of the backlog, we look for collections of both high interest and “declassifiability.” In the case of these records, that “declassability” standard may have already been surpassed. As I must focus our and other government agency limited resources on the back log due December 2013, I have to take that into account before I ask other agencies to re-look at documents they may already feel they have re-reviewed sufficiently. Bold added I think the two words “declassifiability” and “declassability” was some sort of Freudian slip. Or a typo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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