Crashers, White House Aide Face Intensifying Pressure To Testify

Dec. 4, 2009 — -- The ranking Republican on the House committee investigating the Nov. 24 White House security breach by Tareq and Michaele Salahi is not backing down from demands that the White House social secretary Desiree Rogers testify before Congress.

On "Good Morning America" Friday, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said the White House refusal to let Rogers answer questions on the basis of separation of powers amounts to "smacking Congress in the face."

"I think she should come up and explain what happened," King told ABC News' Bill Weir. "All I'm saying is they owe it to the Congress, they owe it to the American people to explain why for the first time in 20 years she decided to have no one from her office working with the Secret Service."

In testimony Thursday, Secret Service director Mark Sullivan said agents did not receive assistance from White House staff checking-in guests at the initial checkpoints on Nov. 24 – a break from previous administrations. King wants to Rogers to explain why that decision was made.

The White House insists it doesn't need to explain itself.

"I think, you know, that, based on separation of powers, staff here don't go to testify in front of Congress. She won't. ... She will not be testifying in front of Congress," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Wednesday.

Rep. King called Gibbs' "offhand answer" unacceptable and said Rogers' testimony has "nothing to do with any private dealings" with the president.

"I think [Gibbs] has sort of been a wise guy on this, flippant remarks at the news conferences," said King. "He said I had the audacity to bring this issue up. As I said, the only audacity I have is the audacity of hope that this White House will be honest. And so far they're not being honest on this issue."

The chairman of House Homeland Security committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said he intends to subpoena the Salahis to testify but blocked King's request to subpoena Rogers as well during Thursday's hearing.

"I believe there is a clear distinction here between Ms. Rogers and the Salahis… her role does not encompass security," Thompson said. "It would not be prudent to expend resources in protracted fight with the White House when the testimony sought" is not integral to security of the president.

Rep. King, the committee's top Republican, emphatically disagreed.

"I think it's wrong. I think it's stonewalling. It was a bipartisan request" to have her appear before the committee, Rep. King said.