Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, released a statement following the announcement that President Trump ended a requirement that U.S. intelligence officials publicly report the number of civilians killed in drone strikes and other attacks on terrorist targets outside of war zones:

“There is simply no justification for the Trump Administration’s decision to cancel the requirement for the Director of National Intelligence to produce and publish an annual report on civilian casualties that result from the U.S. government’s use of targeted lethal force abroad. The requirement put in place by the Obama Administration in 2016 to issue a report on civilian casualties represented an important measure of transparency, and our commitment to holding ourselves accountable. The Trump Administration’s failure to issue the report required under the Executive Order in 2018, and now to withdraw the requirement altogether is a troubling retreat from transparency. Today’s decision underscores the need for Congress to make this reporting mandatory, something I intend to pursue through the Intelligence Authorization Act this year."