Congressman Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, criticized a decision by the Department of Justice to bar its briefers from attending an Intelligence Committee briefing scheduled for Wednesday on the CIA Peru shoot-down incident. He also faulted committee Democrats for the ham-fisted manner in which they tried to handle the briefing.

“Once again the Obama administration is stonewalling the intelligence committee and rebuffing the committee’s Democratic leadership,” Hoekstra said. “From closing Gitmo, to interrogation and detainee policy, to a number of questionable national security decisions, the administration has refused to appear before the committee to explain its rationale or answer any questions.

“The breakdown of intelligence oversight due to the deep mistrust between the intelligence community, the Holder Justice Department and congressional Democrats is cause for growing concern. It certainly has hurt the ability of this committee to get the job done.”

Yesterday’s briefing by the Justice Department into its review of the CIA Inspector General’s report into the tragic shoot down of a missionary plane over Peru that led to the deaths of two innocent Americans was canceled after committee Democrats insisted the briefers be sworn-in. Rather than take an oath, the Justice Department pulled out of the briefing despite the fact that, oath or not, witnesses are required by law to testify truthfully before Congress.

“There is a disturbing pattern that has emerged of the Obama administration refusing or finding reasons to refuse to share information with Congress,” Hoekstra said.

“While I think the oath demand was unnecessary, I don’t agree that, given the law, it provides a reasonable basis for which to refuse to do an agreed-upon briefing. Why is Attorney General Eric Holder afraid of having Justice Department employees be required to tell the truth? Congressional Democrats and the Obama administration are clearly not on the same page when it comes to intelligence, and the administration is using their differences to avoid meaningful attempts to provide oversight,” he said.

Hoekstra went on to add that his committee staff has been informed that the Democrats are in discussions to re-schedule the briefing or possibly turn it into a hearing, but he said that does not excuse the mishandling of the briefing scheduled for today.

“The Intelligence Committee has a solemn responsibility to the American people and this Congress, and it’s hard to argue that the responsibility is being kept at the moment.”