In theory, there can be no conflict between Senate and CIA as equal entities

[cthulu2016]

The CIA and the Senate are not supposed to be coequal elements of government that can have a stand-off. The CIA is not an independent entity.

Any such conflict is supposed to be, ultimately, between the Senate and the President of the United States. If the CIA is doing the incorrect thing the President tells the director to do the correct thing, or be replaced with somebody who will.

There are elements of the executive branch that are outside the President's proper scope. The President is not supposed to pick who the Justice department prosecutes or who the IRS audits or who gets contracts, for instance.

But I've never heard that the CIA's interactions with Congress are supposed to be insulated from the Presidency in that way.

So, are we just flat out saying that the CIA is a new branch of government?

Must be.

[House of Roberts]

1. The CIA is in control of the Executive branch,

regardless of who the President appoints as Director

[Warren Stupidity]

2. The security state is it's own branch.

It emerged out of WWII and had created its own self perpetuating organization independent of the other three branches.

[trackfan]

3. Auspicious Incident. The CIA should bear in mind what happened to the Janissaries. n/t