GOP Senators voted down an amendment "To protect classified information and to protect our servicemen and women.", attached to a "Department of Homeland Security Appropriations" Bill. The amendment would have revoked access to classified information from federal employees who disclose the information to unauthorized sources. This followed an attempt by Democratic Senators to strip White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove of his security clearance. The amendment comes as George W. Bush declined to reaffirm his pledge to fire any official involved in the leaking of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame after documents subpoenaed by the U.S. Supreme Court named his chief advisor Karl Rove as a source of the leak. In a press briefing on September 29th, 2004, White House spokesman Scott McClellan , in response to the question " " Scott, has anyone -- has the president tried to find out who outed the CIA agent? And has he fired anyone in the White House yet?", stated that "The president has set high standards, the highest of standards for people in his administration. He's made it very clear to people in his administration that he expects them to adhere to the highest standards of conduct. If anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration." The next day, in a meeting with business people, George W. Bush said that "If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action." The New York Times and The Washington Post however, misrepresented Bush's promise as a promise to fire only those administration officials who "knowingly" or "illegally" disclosed Plame's identity. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada added this amendment to the Bill: "No federal employee who discloses or has disclosed classified information, including the identity of a covert agent of the Central Intelligence Agency, to a person not authorized to receive such information shall be entitled to hold a security clearance for access to such information." Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. ,  amended the amendment:"...or any federal officeholder who makes reference to a classified Federal Bureau of Investigation report on the floor of the United States Senate, or any federal officeholder that makes a statement based on a FBI agent¹s comments which is used as propaganda by terrorist organizations thereby putting our servicemen and women at risk, shall not be permitted access to such information or to hold a security clearance for access to such information." The first part of this amendment was in response to Joe Wilson's correction of George W. Bush's representation of his and his associates' intelligence assessment regarding uranium in Niger . The second was in response to recent criticism of the treatment of prisoners in detention facilities operated by the United States, most notably at Guantanamo Bay by officials including Senator Richard Durbin . House Representative Rush Holt, D-N.J. , has introduced legislation for an investigation that would compel senior administration officials to turn over records relating to the Plame disclosure.
 Senators voted down an amendment "To protect classified information and to protect our servicemen and women.", attached to a "Department of Homeland Security Appropriations" Bill. The amendment would have revoked access to classified information from federal employees who disclose the information to unauthorized sources. This followed an attempt by Senators to strip Karl Rove of his security clearance. The amendment comes as George W. Bush declined to reaffirm his pledge to fire any official involved in the leaking of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame after documents by the named his chief advisor Karl Rove as a source of the leak. In a press briefing on September 29th, 2004, White House spokesman , in response to the question " Scott, has anyone — has the president tried to find out who outed the CIA agent? And has he fired anyone in the White House yet?", stated that "The president has set high standards, the highest of standards for people in his administration. He's made it very clear to people in his administration that he expects them to adhere to the highest standards of conduct. If anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration." The next day, in a meeting with business people, George W. Bush said that "If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action." The and The however, misrepresented Bush's promise as a promise to fire only those administration officials who "knowingly" or "illegally" disclosed Plame's identity. Senate leader Harry Reid of added this amendment to the Bill: "No federal employee who discloses or has disclosed classified information, including the identity of a covert agent of the Central Intelligence Agency, to a person not authorized to receive such information shall be entitled to hold a security clearance for access to such information." Senate Majority Leader , -., amended the amendment:"...or any federal officeholder who makes reference to a classified Federal Bureau of Investigation report on the floor of the United States Senate, or any federal officeholder that makes a statement based on a FBI agent¹s comments which is used as propaganda by terrorist organizations thereby putting our servicemen and women at risk, shall not be permitted access to such information or to hold a security clearance for access to such information." The first part of this amendment was in response to Joe Wilson's correction of George W. Bush's representation of his and his associates' intelligence assessment regarding . The second was in response to recent criticism of the treatment of prisoners in detention facilities operated by the United States, most notably at by officials including Senator . Representative , , has introduced legislation for an investigation that would compel senior administration officials to turn over records relating to the Plame disclosure.
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GOP
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Democratic
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White House Deputy Chief of Staff
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subpoenaed by the U.S. Supreme Court
by the
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Scott McClellan
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"
R
--
—
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New York Times and The Washington Post
and The
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Democratic
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Nevada
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Bill Frist, R-Tenn.
A
-.,
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uranium in Niger
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Guantanamo Bay
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Richard Durbin
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House Representative Rush Holt, D-N.J.
Representative ,