House Subcommittee Shreddergate Investigation
House Subcommittee Shreddergate Investigation
Color bars. Audio of man discussing public concern of the shredding of public documents by federal agencies. Discussion of public concerns over Dioxin levels in Missouri and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) action to resolve the issue.
House Subcommittee Shreddergate Investigation
House Public Works and Transportation Committee conducting hearing on EPA shredding public documents. Committee Chairman U.S. Representative James J. Howard (D-NJ) introduces U.S. Representative Elliot H. Levitas (D-GA). Rep. Levitas introduces hearing's topic, the placement of shredders within the EPA office and the use of those shredders to destroy public documents. Rep. Levitas questions EPA General Counsel Robert M. Perry, asking who made the decision to preclude the Public Works and Transportation Committee from seeing the public EPA documents in question (the document was subpoenaed by the committee prior to being shredded). Perry claims the order to preclude the committee came from the Justice Department.
House Subcommittee Shreddergate Investigation
House Public Works and Transportation Committee conducting hearing into the shredding of public documents by the Environmental Protection Agency. U.S. Representative Elliot H. Levitas (D-GA) questions EPA General Counsel Robert M. Perry, explaining Congress’ responsibility to proper conduct when dealing with EPA files. Perry claims the destruction of documents on Dioxin pollution site in Missouri was authorized by President Ronald Reagan, citing the President held Executive Privilege. Perry says it was his duty as an executive officer to ensure Executive Privilege was not compromised, by destroying the documents. Rep Levitas questions whether this was Executive Privilege, references previous questioning of EPA Administrator Anne M. Gorsuch. Perry says the EPA had to obey Reagan’s order. Rep. Levitas concludes questioning.
House Subcommittee Shreddergate Investigation
House Public Works and Transportation Committee conducting hearing on shredding of public documents by the Environmental Protection Agency. U.S. Representative Gene Snyder (R-KY) expresses concern over practice of destroying public documents, then expresses concern over the ability of Congress to subpoena documents from executive agencies; he discusses this with U.S. Representative Elliot H. Levitas. Rep. Snyder gives example of Congress subpoenaing the Drug Enforcement Agency for documents on criminal investigations, saying this might be crossing the line. Rep. Levitas refers to the fact that this is not a DEA criminal case, but a standard practice of the EPA to monitor pollution. Rep. Levitas questions why this situation would invoke Executive Privilege. Levitas and Snyder fail to agree on whether Congress has the right to investigate the EPA in this case.
House Subcommittee Shreddergate Investigation
House Public Works and Transportation Committee conducting hearing into shredding of public documents by the Environmental Protection Agency. U.S. Representative Gene Snyder (R-KY) asks Committee Chairman James J. Howard (D-NJ) if he may make some Unanimous Consent Requests, which Howard grants. Rep. Snyder asks that members of the EPA panel who have testified have one week to supplement any answers given in their testimony; Howard grants request. Snyder asks that Committee members have two days to submit additional written questions to the EPA Panel; Howard grants the request.
House Subcommittee Shreddergate Investigation
House Public Works and Transportation Committee conducting hearing on shredding of public documents by the Environmental Protection Agency. Committee Chairman U.S. Representative James J. Howard (D-NJ) calls the situation frustrating since Congress has been denied papers which prevent them from fulfilling its obligation to the people. Howard says the only way out would be for Congress to withhold funding for Superfund clean-up sites, admitting that this would be a Catch 22 for Congress. Howard begins to thank the EPA panel for their testimony.
House Subcommittee Shreddergate Investigation
House Public Works and Transportation Committee conducting hearing on shredding of public documents by the Environmental Protection Agency. EPA Chief of Staff John Daniel interrupts closing remarks by Committee Chairman U.S. Representative James J. Howard (D-NJ) to make a closing statement of his own. Daniel feels that oversight of the EPA can benefit from Congressional review, particularly by the House Public Works and Transportation Committee. Daniel credits the value of the Committee on the Clean Water Act of 1972. Daniel hopes something can be worked out for the Committee to see the documents and provide oversight in the future. Daniel discusses the extraordinary lengths the EPA has gone through to try and protect documents requested by the Committee. Daniel expresses his appreciation to the Committee for allowing the EPA to testify. Daniels thanks the Committee for their patience, quickly checking his watch.
House Subcommittee Shreddergate Investigation
House Public Works and Transportation Committee conducting hearing on shredding of public documents by the Environmental Protection Agency. Committee Chairman U.S. Representative James J. Howard (D-NJ) thanks EPA Chief of Staff John Daniel for his closing statement, expresses the Committee’s frustration with the situation, criticizing the EPA for only making available the documents it wants the Congress to see. Howard says government institutions cannot withhold evidence in a democracy. Howard says he has been notified that any subsequent statements made by the EPA panel will be statements not made under oath. Howard recesses the hearings until tomorrow at one o’clock when the Committee will hear Albert Brashear (EPA Chief of News and Media Relations), Richard C. Hoffman, Christian Rice, and Rita Lavelle (former EPA Assistant Administrator). Howard recesses Committee. EPA Panel gathers their belongings.