Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined Your World with Neil Cavuto on Fox News today to discuss the ongoing fallout from recently leaked highly classified documents. On Wednesday, senior defense officials briefed Senators on the leaked documents.
During the interview, Sen. Fischer emphasized the impact such leaks can have on our national security and noted the need for a review of the classification process, including which personnel can access classified documents.
Click the image above to watch video of Sen. Fischer’s questioning
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Following is a transcript of Senator Fischer’s interview:
Neil Cavuto: Senator, good to have you. I know there’s not much you can share with us, Senator. I appreciate that. But we are learning that some of the leaks go beyond those that we were originally discussing. What do you know? Or, what can you share?
Senator Fischer: Well, I want to be clear that, when you have an intelligence leak like this, it’s a major blow to our national security. It can reveal sources and methods. It can cause our allies to be in jeopardy, and it really is a major blow to our foreign policy. I was disappointed when the Biden administration came out at the earliest breaking news on this, that it was no big deal. Because this is a big deal. We need to get to the bottom of it. We need to know exactly what documents were out there, which ones were doctored for Russian disinformation, and what’s going to be the process going forward to make sure that there is more control on this by the Department of Defense and the Department of State going forward.
Neil Cavuto: You know, Senator, I wonder sometimes whether we just have too many documents, too many classified documents, too many that wander and get lost or, you know, holed up at a former president’s home in Florida. Another one, a present chief executive in Delaware, former vice president. Itinerary and travel plans of the President of the United States while he’s in Ireland, all of this stuff. What is going on here?
Senator Fischer: Well, I think the main thing we need to look at is who has access to these documents. I know when many people retire from government service — whether it’s with the Department of Defense, Secretary of Defense, generals, for example — they are still getting briefed after they leave government service. So, I think we need to look at things like that, on who has the need to know on these things. I happen to support looking at declassifying some material, as long as we don’t put individuals in jeopardy, reveal sources, things like that, how we gained that information, for example. But, when we look at our peer competitors, Russia and China, and the advancements that they are making, for example, with their nuclear enterprise, their triads. I am a strong supporter of getting information like that to the American people. Because I believe that if the American people have a fuller understanding of the threats that this country faces, they will be more supportive, more open in bolstering our national defense to meet those threats.
Neil Cavuto: Real quickly, Senator, more than two million have some sort of security clearance that gets them access to stuff like this. That sounds like about maybe one and a half million to many.
Senator Fischer: That sounds like an awful lot, and that’s one thing I want to look at. You know, my staff has to go through months and months to get a security clearance, to be able to attend some of those classified briefings with me. And these are people that have worked on the Hill for years. But, in order to get the clearance that I have to go to some of these hearings, they have to—
Neil Cavuto: No, you gotta crack down. You gotta crack down, to your point. Sorry to jump on you, Senator. Very good seeing you, Senator.
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