releases: http://pittenger.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pittenger-how-is-preventing-terror-attack-not-essential-video
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://pittenger.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pittenger-how-is-preventing-terror-attack-not-essential-video | Pittenger: How is preventing terror attack "not essential?" (VIDEO) | 2013-12-13 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | NC | Robert Pittenger | P000606 | pittenger.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 13, 2013 CONGRESSMAN PITTENGER: HOW IS PREVENTING A TERROR ATTACK ON THE U.S. “NOT ESSENTIAL?” WASHINGTON – Top political appointees were deemed “essential” and continued work at the U.S. Treasury Department during October’s partial government shutdown, while staff responsible for disrupting terror network financing was deemed “non-essential” and sent home. Congressman Robert Pittenger (NC-09), who Chairs the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, questioned Treasury Secretary Jack Lew about these decisions during a Financial Services Committee hearing on Thursday, December 12th. “During the government shutdown, according to news reports, Treasury kept top political appointees on the job as ‘essential’ so they could tell the world you had furloughed almost everyone who is tasked with stopping the funding of terror and stopping people doing business with Iran’s rouge regime. By that decision, those jobs were deemed ‘non-essential.’ “That troubles me,” said Congressman Pittenger, “and leads to a few questions.” “First, how is preventing a terror attack on the U.S., and preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, ‘not essential,’ and what sort of jobs were more important than that?” In response, Treasury Secretary Lew stated, “that’s just a consequence of shutting down the government.” Prior to the shutdown, on September 27th, the Treasury Department announced these critical functions would continue in the event of a shutdown, leading Congressman Pittenger to question if the furloughs were politically-motivated. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |