Citing a POLITICO investigation, Republican leaders of the House oversight committee said Friday they have launched a sweeping investigation into whether the Obama administration, in trying to win support for a nuclear deal and prisoner swap with Tehran last year, undermined an ambitious U.S. counterproliferation effort to thwart Iranian weapons trafficking networks.

Also in response to the POLITICO investigation, 13 Republican senators have demanded answers about whether the Obama administration jeopardized U.S. national security as a result of its protracted top-secret negotiations with Tehran, and then misled the American public when disclosing the terms of the two deals in January 2016.

The House and Senate lawmakers cited various portions of an April 24 report by POLITICO that found that the Obama administration, through actions in some cases and inaction in others, significantly hampered a much-touted federal law enforcement effort known as the National Counterproliferation Initiative at a time when it was making unprecedented headway in thwarting Iran’s illicit weapons proliferation activities.

The POLITICO investigation also reported that during their public rollout of the two deals, Obama and other key administration officials downplayed the threat posed by the Iranian traffickers they were freeing as part of the swap that also freed five Americans held by Iran. The Obama administration officials focused their public comments only on seven Iranian-born men in the U.S. whose convictions or prosecutions were being dropped as part of the swap, and described them as civilians involved in mere sanctions-related offenses but not charged with terrorism or any violent offenses.

In reality, many of the men — and 14 other Iranian fugitives not named publicly by the top Obama officials — had been accused or convicted of charges stemming from their alleged involvement in clandestine networks supplying Iran with parts and technology for its weapons, ballistic missile and nuclear programs, POLITICO reported. The Justice Department itself had characterized many of them as threats to national security, the investigation found.

In their May 5 letter, Republican Reps. Jason Chaffetz and Ron DeSantis asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions to produce an exhaustive volume of Justice Department documents that they said would “help the Committee in better understanding these issues.” They sent a nearly identical letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson demanding all related documents in the State Department’s possession, and gave both officials until May 19 to provide one copy of them to committee Republicans, and another to committee Democrats. A Democratic Committee staffer said the minority side wasn't asked to sign the letter or given an advance copy of it before it went out.

Chaffetz and DeSantis, who were unavailable for comment, also directed Sessions and Tillerson to “please also make your staff available for a briefing on these issues no later than May 25.” They characterized the committee’s interest in following up on the POLITICO report as an investigation in its role as the “principal oversight committee of the House of Representatives.”

The two committee leaders demanded all documents relating to the January 16, 2016, prisoner exchange agreement with Iran, including the negotiations that preceded it. They also asked for any and all information about the 21 Iranian-born men for whom the U.S. dropped convictions or charges and international arrest warrants, and information about whether State and Justice department officials delayed or blocked efforts to lure Iranian suspects to U.S.-friendly countries so they could be arrested, citing details in the POLITICO report.

But the committee leaders also made it clear that their investigation would delve into much broader topics. For instance, they asked for information not only about all individuals and entities whose cases or convictions were dropped, but also any “for whom any enforcement action was modified or cancelled in connection with the [swap], and indicate the action taken and how it was modified or cancelled.”

And they asked for information about “any Iranian national or entity investigated for, charged with, or convicted of engaging in violations of export controls, terrorism, arms sales, nonproliferation, money laundering, or other financial crimes, from January 1, 2013, to the present.”

Chaffetz, (R-Utah) is chairman of the committee, formally titled the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. DeSantis, (R-Fla.) is chairman of its Subcommittee on National Security. A spokesperson for the committee declined to comment on the scope of the investigation, except to confirm that it was underway.

Kevin Lewis, a spokesman for President Obama, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Justice and State department officials also had no immediate comment in response to the letters. But they said last week in response to a separate demand for information from the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee that they would comply with the request.

Late Thursday, 13 senators led by Republican David Perdue of Georgia also wrote to Sessions, Tillerson and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to say they were concerned about issues raised in the POLITICO report, and to ask for a broad array of documents.

“We write to request your assistance in providing Congress with more information regarding the Obama Administration’s decision” to drop the charges or convictions in the 21 cases, the senators wrote, quoting from the POLITICO article. “Based on new reports, we are concerned that President Obama and certain previous administration officials intentionally suppressed the seriousness of the charges against these individuals in order to garner public support for the nuclear deal with Iran, and we fear that these individuals may still pose a threat to the national security of the United States.”

The senators’ letter, released Friday, was co-signed by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), James Inhofe (R-OK), John Boozman (R-AK), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tim Scott (R-SC) and Luther Strange (R-Ala.).

The senators, in their letter, included a list of questions they wanted answered, including whether the 21 men whose cases were dropped were “still engaging in illicit activities on behalf of the Iranian government.”

The senators also asked the top Trump officials if they could provide Congress with more information about whether any investigations and prosecutions were derailed by the Obama administration. Also, they asked, “What counter-proliferation activities are we currently pursuing in order to combat Iran’s attempts to illicitly procure sanctioned goods?”

“Given that much of this information was previously kept from the American public, we respectfully request a report or an in-person briefing to Congress on this investigation at your earliest convenience,” the senators wrote.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/05/house-oversight-panel-iran-deal-investigation-238049

Congratulations, House Republicans. You just passed the second-worst socialized medicine bill in American history.

And, if it passes the U.S. Senate, you will own the disaster formerly known as Obamacare — just in time for the 2018 elections.

It will be called “Trumpcare” or “Ryancare” or GOPcare.” And it will still be government-run health care brought to you by the experts at the U.S. Postal Service and Veterans Affairs Department.

To be sure, there are some great aspects of this bill. It makes Obamacare less terrible. It includes Medicare reforms that will save innocent taxpayers and our grandchildren many billions of dollars over future years.

That one part of GOPcare is the first decent thing Congress will have accomplished in the past decade (other than confirming Justice Neil M. Gorsuch).

But will it be worth it?

After all, Republicans have just finally conceded the entire argument against socialized medicine in America. They have officially retreated from the belief that liberty, self-governance and free markets are ultimately the best way to provide the most people with the best health care.

By supporting government-run health care — even if it is a little less government-run than Obamacare — Republicans have, in fact, endorsed government-rationed health care. Remember those evil death panels we used to all be opposed to?

Well, now you are the death panels.

What about politically? Will it be worth the carnage at the polls?

With this, Republicans give up all claims to campaign against Democrats for foisting disastrous Obamacare on the American people.

As usual these days, it was President Trump who had the sharpest and most farsighted political instincts on the whole matter when he said Republicans would be better off just letting Obamacare collapse of its own weight. Then Republicans could win two more elections by blaming Democrats for all the misery they had caused.

But Mr. Trump said it would be wrong to punish voters for the decisions of their terrible politicians. That is true statesmanship.

Watching Republicans in Congress jump on this political grenade reminds me of another time Republicans dutifully lined up for a senseless Kamikaze mission, a trillion-dollar spending bill back in 2011.

Rep. Paul Gosar, Arizona Republican, described the bill as a “crap sandwich.”

Believe it or not, Mr. Gosar described the bill as a “crap sandwich” — by way of explaining why he voted IN FAVOR of the bill.

“You definitely do not want to bite into it, you cannot stand the taste, but you know you have to eat it,” he said in an actual press release issued by his office explaining — again — why he voted FOR the bill.

See, this is the whole problem with Washington. It is the only place in America where someone finds a “crap sandwich” and they feel compelled to vote for it. Then they decide they have to eat it.

Out in actual America, nobody has ever seen a “crap sandwich” because since there is no market for them — nobody is making them. And if ever a “crap sandwich” escaped Washington and wound up in normal America, nobody would pick it up, vote for it or dream of eating it.

Look, I am not a politician and have lived my entire life with the single goal of rendering myself unelectable to any public office. But I have to tell you, I would never vote for a “crap sandwich.”

But the more I look around this place, I start to wonder if we haven’t all been voting for a bunch of “crap sandwiches” for a very long time.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/05/06/the-nuclear-option-reality-check-gops-bill-is-still-government-run-health-care/

Good! Stay scared....moron!

Victory is sweet!!!!

Ingalls launches amphibious assault ship 13 weeks ahead of schedule.

http://www.wlox.com/story/35335147/ingalls-launches-amphibious-assault-ship-13-weeks-ahead-of-schedule

You leftists love your stupid statements! Have another bowl of stupid.

Stupid. But, then when have you ever posted anything that wasn't stupid?

Remember the government's projections for the cost of Medicare when it was first introduced? It was about a tenth of what it initially cost at the start, and it has gone way above that over the years. When it comes to CBO scoring, or government estimations, I don't trust them because you can't cost inefficiency, waste, fraud , and abuse. In short, they're never right, they're always way off. If you want to see what government provided single payer will look like, quality and cost, look no farther than the VA.

And, the U.S. government has unfunded liabilities for all entitlement programs of $105T! That's TRILLION! Medicare alone has $28T in unfunded liabilities. At some point, and that point could very well be when this country is stupid enough to pass single payer, will be the tipping point and the country goes bankrupt. Socialism only works until you run out of other peoples money.

BTW, the entire wealth of the whole world is estimated at only $200T. And, the top 20% of income in this country is only a couple trillion....if you confiscated it all, you would only put a small dent in it.

And, it would bankrupt the country!

Because I paid into it since I was 16, for one, and if they had medical savings accounts at the time, I would have had one. But, SS and Medicare were the only choices. Then, I made a career out of the military, taking lower pay than the outside, to obtain all their promises of free healthcare, eye vision, and dental for life....which they reneged on, at least the eye care and dental. So, your argument is bogus.

What is it about the $28 TRILLION of unfunded liabilities for JUST Medicare that you don't understand? So, instead, in all your economic ignorance, you want to triple that for the whole country? How are you going to pay for it? There isn't enough money in the whole country to pay for it! You can confiscate ALL THE WEALTH OF THE TOP 20% and you would only put a small dent in it. The wealth of the WHOLE WORLD is estimated at around $200T, and we have a TOTAL UNFUNDED LIABILITY OF ALL ENTITLEMENTS of $105T! If this country is stupid enough to adopt a single payer health system, this country will go bankrupt....period. There is only so much money, and your type of socialism only lasts until you run out of other peoples money. You socialists think money grows on trees and that there is an infinite amount....not so. Wake up.

Why did I even bother to respond....sigh. A total waste of time debating a socialist moron like you....like spitting into the wind. Oh, BTW, I don't give a shit what you think!!!!!!!

You are throwing a hypothetical question based on the current system, so of course you can't turn them away. But, who pays for it? The taxpayer, if they can't pay themselves, that's who. I'm for medical savings accounts, and getting the government out of the healthcare system. Now, this would take several years to implement as the mind set has to be changed. The current system, and foreseeable system (Obamacare, Trumpcare, or single payer), like Medicare, will get more and more expensive, and we already have something like $28T in Medicare unfunded liabilities. Under the current system, nobody expects to pay that much out of their pockets, because of Medicaid, Medicare, etc. Remember, Medicare turned out to cost something like ten times what it was initially projected. People are living longer, and getting more benefits out of the system then they ever paid in.

Socialism (and government healthcare) only works until you run out of other peoples money.

To answer your question, yes, I'm on Medicare and Tricare for life. And, the wife and I pay something like $275 a month each for part B. We're fortunate enough to live near a small town with excellent healthcare clinics and an excellent hospital. But we still pay for some things out of our pocket, like $3300 for better lens for duel cataract surgery than what Medicare pays for. And, $530 for glasses over what Medicare pays for. Plus, I have to pay for vision care and dental care.

I'm not uncomfortable at all. I just refuse to swallow the propaganda you post, and anyone with an ounce of grey matter between their ears knows that it is propaganda. It's nonsense!

What other conspiracies do you believe in? The earth is actually flat?

Think about it.