Dems Demand DNI Bring Back Election Briefings

Leading congressional Democrats are calling on Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to resume in-person briefings on election-related intelligence, which he suspended over concerns about leaks.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., House Intel Committee chair Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee chair Peter Visclosky, D-Ind., on Tuesday sent a letter to Ratcliffe condemning his decision as "an abdication of your responsibility to keep the American people and their elected representatives informed of foreign threats to the 2020 election."

They continue: "Written finished intelligence protests are no substitute for intelligence briefings. Only through regular and in-depth briefings can Members of Congress, as the people's elected representatives, hear directly from our career intelligence professionals, probe, and scrutinize the underlying reporting and basis for intelligence assessments, learn what steps the United States is taking to thwart foreign interference, and ensure that the intelligence judgments are not being influenced or skewed for political purposes."

The Democrats note the intel community reported last month Russia is attempting to interfere in the 2020 U.S. presidential election to "undermine former Vice President [Joe] Biden's candidacy."

Republicans and former acting DNI Richard Grenell to Newsmax TV have rebuked House Democrats' lack of interest in China's "crisis" of 2020 election meddling to support Biden.

The Congress members warn if Ratcliffe does not resume in-person briefings, "we will have no choice but to consider the full range of tools available to compel compliance."

• DNI Drops In-Person Briefings to Congress on Election Security
• DNI Ratcliffe: Scaled Back Elex Security Briefings Will Stop 'Leaks'