HEARING ADVISORY: Oversight Leaders Express Disappointment That Only Director Clancy Will Testify

Mar 24, 2015
Press Release

HEARING ADVISORY: Oversight Leaders Express Disappointment That Only Director Clancy Will Testify

WASHINGTON – The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (OGR) will hold a hearing tomorrow that will examine recent and longstanding problems at the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), including a recent March 4th incident at the White House.

The Committee originally invited four officials on duty before and during the March 4th incident to answer questions at the hearing. Upon receiving news that USSS would not provide these witnesses, Chairman Jason Chaffetz and Ranking Member Elijah Cummings issued the following statement: 

“It has been nearly three weeks since senior agents disrupted a crime scene involving an alleged bomb outside of the White House Complex with the President in the residence.  At a briefing last week, Director Clancy was unable to provide adequate answers to basic questions surrounding the incident.  It is extremely disappointing that agents with first-hand knowledge of the March 4th event have not been allowed to appear before this Committee.  In order to conduct proper oversight and initiate proper reforms, fundamental questions still need to be answered by this agency.”

HEARING BACKGROUND:

  • On March 4, 2015,  high-ranking Secret Service agents, who were allegedly drinking and driving after a retirement party for a colleague, drove through a temporary barricade within feet of a suspicious package near the White House.  The two agents were not given a sobriety test and were allowed to leave the scene.
  • On March 17, 2015, Director Joseph Clancy briefed Members of Congress about the incident.
  • The Committee previously held a hearing on February 12, 2015, where they heard recommendations from members of the U.S. Secret Service Protective Mission Panel on ways to improve the agency.     

HEARING DETAILS:

WHAT:  “USSS: Holding the Protectors Accountable”

WHERE: 2154 Rayburn House Office Building

DATE: Tuesday, March 24, 2015

TIME: 10:00 a.m. EST

WITNESS LIST:

The Honorable Joseph P. Clancy

Director

U.S. Secret Service

 

 

 

The meeting is open to the public and a live video stream will be broadcast here.  For live updates during the hearing, follow us on Twitter @GOPOversight.

114th Congress