United States of Secrecy

"New Obstacle to Senate Panel's Release of Report on Torture of C.I.A. Detainees"
Current Event of December 5, 2014

Taking of the Cape

          In recent news, there has been a disagreement between Obama's administration and Congress regarding the release of of a report to the American public. For a while now, the Senate Intelligence Committee, headed by Dianne Feinstein, has been working on writing the statement. The report covers how the C.I.A. was found to have tortured some of their captives. Everything was going well, and the statement was planned to be released next week. However, in the final steps, just days before the public was to know the truth, John Kerry, the Secretary of State, was reported to have called Ms. Feinstein regarding the issue. The executive branch did not believe that the release of the report would be beneficial to the country as a whole. With everything that is going on in the Middle East with ISIS, Obama's administration does not want to risk getting negative publicity. Regardless, the report will still be released in the next week as planned. 
          Public opinion has an immense impact on the actions of a national government. When people read the report about the torture of those held captive by a division of the U.S. government, there is bound to be unrest. This is partly why Obama's administration acted the way they did by trying to prevent, or at least delay, the statement from being accessible to the public eye. Dianne Feinstein held her ground as a member of the Senate and made it so that the average American will know the truth. This is an example of how people within the same party can sometimes disagree. Ms. Feinstein, representing liberal Californians, and Obama are both Democrats. It seems that their viewpoints would be the same. But, when it comes to individual issues, such as when to release a report to the public, things are no longer as black and white as the Republican and Democratic parties. 

Bop to the Top

When the Budget Gets Tense 
Mike Enzi Slides into the Spotlight

Who needs anything when they can chair a committee?

          As the year comes to a close, the tension within the Republican Party is growing. Soon, the GOP will be the majority party in Congress. In the case of Mike Enzi, he has proclaimed that he wants to be the chair of the Senate Budget Committee. But, this is easier said than done. Mike Enzi is not the current ranking member of the committee, although he is the member with the most seniority. In order to chair the committee, Enzi will have to push Jeff Sessions, the current ranking member, out of his spot. This is bound to cause controversy in the Senate because both men will not back down. Enzi refused to explain his tactics for how he plans on achieving the coveted spot, claiming that he does not want the media to have anything to do with the outcome. 
          Mike Enzi's intentions have not yet been discussed with Mitch McConnell, the current minority leader, or the other Republican members of the Senate Budget Committee. January is when the group will have a vote to elect the next person to chair the committee. Committee chairs, by far, have the most power as compared to the other members of the group. Their opinions can determine the actions of a committee as a whole. This is the perfect opportunity for Mike Enzi to shine, as the Republicans take control of the Senate. He has been in Congress since 1997, so he deserves to at least attempt to cement his place as the chair of a committee. As the new year rolls around, Enzi will have to fight for what he wants in order to end up on top.