Jul 9th, 2009 | WASHINGTON -- Stymied by a White House veto threat, House Democrats say they will work with the Obama administration to soften a legislative provision that would broaden access to secret intelligence briefings.
Democrats on the intelligence committee say that an intelligence authorization bill containing the controversial provision would likely pass the House intact but would be adjusted in negotiations with the White House and the Senate. The provision would have expanded the number of legislators given secret intelligence briefings.
The White House threatened Wednesday to torpedo the bill, the same day that Democrats said that CIA director Leon Panetta had testified secretly that agency briefers had misled lawmakers in the past. The bill was expected to come to the House floor Thursday afternoon, but has likely been delayed.
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