Progressive Minds

Wow.....is that a backbone I see growing in Senate Democrats?  Who knew?

A Senate panel today voted to defund Dick Cheney's office, until Cheney decides to actually abide by the law and obey an executive order on the handling of classified information.

From the Associated Press:

Senate Democrats moved Tuesday to cut off funding for U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's office in a continuing battle over whether he must comply with national security disclosure rules.

A Senate appropriations panel chaired by Democratic Sen. Richard Durbin refused to fund $4.8 million in the vice president's budget until Cheney's office complies with parts of an executive order governing its handling of classified information.

At issue is a requirement that executive branch offices provide data on how much material they classify and declassify. That information is to be provided to the Information Security Oversight Office at The National Archives.

Cheney's office, with backing from the White House, argues that the offices of the president and vice president are exempt from the order because they are not executive branch "agencies."

More at: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/10/america/NA-GEN-US-Democrats-Cheney.php

NOTE TO DICK CHENEY: You are not a government branch unto yourself.  And if you want to say that you don't fall under the executive branch of our government, perhaps you shouldn't receive any funding for the Office of the Vice President, and you can live off of your salary as President of the Senate.