Patrick Leahy: “the Senator from Maine, in asking the question actually gives my answer, because if the issue is simply where are they…”

“the Senator from Maine, in asking the question actually gives my answer, because if the issue is simply where are they sitting, that determines jurisdiction. The Secret Service, for years and years, would have been under the jurisdiction of the Finance Committee because they are in the Treasury Department. They have been in the Treasury Department forever. But the jurisdiction has been under the Judiciary Committee because of their unique law enforcement aspects. Now, the Senator from Maine says, quite properly, we should not put the Attorney General under this committee, even though these various groups, various entities for criminal prosecution have to go to the U.S. attorney but because the Attorney General is under the Department of Homeland Security. By the same token, when the Secret Service was in Treasury, everybody knew, because of the criminal jurisdiction and involvement, they would be under the jurisdiction of a committee that deals all the time with criminal law, with the courts, and with title 18. This is title 18 in my hand, the Federal Criminal Code and Rules. Taking up the whole middle part of this is Secret Service jurisdiction. Do we want to make them better? Do we want proper oversight? Do we want to say, by golly, look at this, we came out with this closed door item and put it out here and immediately the Senate has saved the world--no hearings, nothing? Here it is.…”