Wyden: We Have a Lot of Overclassification, ‘People Want to Guard Their Kind of System’

On Wednesday’s broadcast of the Fox Business Network’s “Kennedy,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) stated that there are huge problems with America’s classification system and there is “a bunch of stuff classified that ought to be declassified.” Wyden also stated that there are turf battles over classification because “a lot of people want to guard their kind of system.” And the issue goes “above and beyond what is being discussed with the presidents.”

Wyden said, “It is truly broken, Kennedy. And it is not a partisan issue, it is so messed up that I’m not convinced that — you see classified something that ought to be classified and then you see a bunch of stuff classified that ought to be declassified. And we are just drowning, literally drowning in these new digital records. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS)…he and I are working to do something about it. And I want to credit the Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines for being willing to take on some big turf battles, because a lot of people want to guard their kind of system. But this is not serving America. And obviously, this is sort of above and beyond what is being discussed with the presidents.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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