Greta: Congressional Oversight doesn't mean 'after the fact'

'Off the Record', 12/12/13: Obama and Sebelius are responsible for ObamaCare's disastrous rollout but Congress should have been scrutinizing the law every step of the way since its passage in 2010

By Greta Van Susteren

Let's go "Off the Record" for a minute. At the risk of losing lots of friends on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill, let me tell you what really bothers me ... and it should bother you.

"Oversight" means oversight - an act of directing work while it is being done. It doesn't mean "after the fact." But that's how Congress and the White House are treating it. It is 100 percent true that President Obama and Secretary Sebelius are responsible for ObamaCare and its rollout. All those that voted for ObamaCare are up to their eyeballs in responsibility for this debacle. But, Congress is responsible for oversight right from the get-go.

Congress should have been scrutinizing each step of the way since ObamaCare was passed in 2010 so that the Obama administration towed the line and didn't inflict us with this mess that it now has. And don't tell me the Obama administration would not cooperate with Oversight and not appear without dragging its feet or readily answer document requests. I know that's true. The Obama administration anything but transparent.

But here is what makes people like Trey Gowdy and Mayor Giuliani, both former prosecutors, even me, want to pull their hair out. Congress has subpoena power and could have demanded all these answers every day without delay and busted through the disgraceful Obama administration gamesmanship.

But Congressional Oversight is no longer oversight. It's after sight. It's too late. It is after the problems, not during when they could be fixed. So, Americans suffer, and that's rotten.

That is my "Off the Record" comment tonight. If you have an important story or issue you think I should take "Off the Record," go to GretaWire.com and tell us about it.