Ratcliffe reinstates election briefings for intel panels

While Ratcliffe said Wednesday he will continue to provide all lawmakers with written intelligence reports, his decision deprives them of the ability to ask questions and engage in a conversation with intelligence officials.

The leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee welcomed Ratcliffe’s walkback.

In a joint statement, the committee’s acting chair, Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and vice chair, Mark Warner (D-Va.), said Ratcliffe “reaffirmed” that the historically bipartisan panel “will continue receiving briefings, including in-person, on all oversight topics — including election matters.”

“As we have in the past, the committee will continue to expect timely and complete information from our intelligence agencies,” they added.

Rubio told reporters that Ratcliffe is appearing before the committee next week.

“There’s never been any question in my mind that oversight committees that have oversight over the intelligence agencies are going to get briefings — like we do regularly, all the time. That’s going to continue,” Rubio said.

House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) confirmed that his committee was assured of an in-person briefing from Ratcliffe, but that a date and time had yet to be confirmed. The panel had initially been slated to receive an in-person briefing on Thursday.

Schiff described Ratcliffe’s reversal as the result of “extensive public criticism” and said Ratcliffe must also ensure that “all members and the American people” receive similar updates about foreign threats to the 2020 election.

Last month, Ratcliffe told congressional leaders that he would no longer provide those critical in-person briefings on election security, prompting widespread backlash.

His initial decision cited alleged leaks from earlier briefings. But it prompted bipartisan concerns and particular outrage from Democrats who said the Trump administration was trying to deprive Congress of evidence of Russian interference in the 2020 election, just weeks after intelligence officials confirmed publicly that the Kremlin was acting to boost President Donald Trump again and denigrate his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden.

Rubio suggested that he supports Ratcliffe’s latest directive.

“They’ll have the information. It’ll be available to them. They’ll be able to go in and read all of the material,” Rubio said in a brief interview, adding that with all-member briefings, “generally what that turns into is people leave those briefings and go out and turn it into political spin.”

Schiff and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) previously demanded that Ratcliffe reinstate all-member briefings on election security, which were initially scheduled to take place next week.