03/06/2008
Grassley wants FBI answers
Tim Rohwer , Staff Writer


Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley wants some answers - good answers - on why the FBI is waiving background checks for aliens seeking legal status to live in the United States.
"It appears the FBI is so far behind in name checks, they just decided to forego background work," he said Wednesday during his weekly telephone news conference. "This isn't a reasonable answer to a very major underlying problem, particularly when we are worried about terrorism. Rather than kicking the can down the road, I think the checks need to be done on time, applications should be reviewed completely - not just rubber-stamped.

"It takes only one person slipping through the system for national security to be very risky. And, with more than 600,000 people in the United States who have defied orders to leave, I question the FBI will even find a person once they do get around to giving that person a background check."

Grassley also expressed concern that the FBI was provided $20 million by Congress in December to take care of this problem.

"So, if they're not doing background checks, what are they doing with the $20 million?"

The FBI has also refused to answer congressional letters concerning government oversight issues, Grassley added.

"It's time for the FBI to stop stonewalling congressional oversight," he said.

Later, on the floor of the Capitol, Grassley continued his push for more FBI openness, citing numerous cases, including the questionable use of luxury executive jets.

"I asked for the audit after a Washington Post article detailed evidence that the jets were being used for travel by senior FBI officials, rather than for counter-terrorism purposes as Congress intended. However, the FBI director has refused to commit to providing the flight logs to Government Accountability Office officials," Grassley said.

"This has gone on too long. It's time for the stonewalling to stop."


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