Rep Will Hurd: Why I voted to release the Nunes memo

[Commentary] I voted to release the Nunes memo because I believe that the duty to inform the American public is one of my biggest responsibilities as an elected representative in our democratic republic. This is in accordance with the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, which directed House and Senate committees to “exercise continuous watchfulness” over executive-branch programs. Furthermore, according to rules of the House, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, on which I serve, may disclose publicly any information in its possession after a determination by the committee that the public interest would be served by such disclosure. All Americans should understand the implications of the actions taken by the leaders of our federal law enforcement agencies and their impact on our citizenry. I understand the FBI and Justice Department’s unprecedented public denunciation of the potential publication of the memo, because they don’t want to see a precedent set by which Congress firmly exercises its informing function. But it is the right of our citizens to demand that they are kept informed by the men and women they send to Washington, especially during troubling and contentious times. My vote to release this memo did exactly that. [Rep Will Hurd (R-TX) is a member of the House Intelligence Committee]