were briefed on sensitive covert actions. Under the George W. Bush administration, senior advisers to the President issued a statement indicating that if a bill containing this provision reached the President, they would recommend that he veto the bill. [ 174 ] The program was rumored vis-à-vis leaks made by anonymous government officials on July 23, to be an assassinations program, [ 175 ] [ 176 ] but this remains unconfirmed. "The whole committee was stunned....I think this is as serious as it gets," stated Anna Eshoo , Chairman, Subcommittee on Intelligence Community Management, U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). Allegations by Director Panetta indicate that details of a secret counterterrorism program were withheld from Congress under orders from former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney . This prompted Senator Feinstein and Senator Patrick Leahy , chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee to insist that no one should go outside the law. [ 177 ] "The agency hasn't discussed publicly the nature of the effort, which remains classified," said agency spokesman Paul Gimigliano. [ 178 ] The Wall Street Journal reported, citing former intelligence officials familiar with the matter, that the program was an attempt to carry out a 2001 presidential authorization to capture or kill al-Qaeda operatives. [ 179 ] Intelligence Committee investigation On July 17, 2009, the House Intelligence Committee said it was launching a formal investigation into the secret program. [ 180 ] Representative Silvestre Reyes announced the probe will look into "whether there was any