Former US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle “testified” (and I use the term loosely) before the House Homeland Security Committee on Monday. As expected (at least to me), the lengthy hearing did not produce a single shred of evidence that wasn't previously publicly known. The only surprise at the end of the day was that some members of the committee seemed to actually expect that would not be the case.

At least some of the committee members from both parties seem unaware of one of the fundamental principles by which governments (including ours) operate: bureaucracies are designed and run in the following way: avoid Accountability.

This is by no means breaking news. The National Civil Service Academy states:A culture of no accountability Congress is considering a “revival” that would disrupt the operation of government. The Appointments Clause of the Constitution It would force presidential appointments to be more accountable. However, the U.S. Supreme Court has in recent years Status requirements will be strengthened, not relaxed This condition must be met in order for government officials to be held accountable in court.

I learned this lesson in lack of accountability during my first term in Congress in 1995, and my views on government accountability have remained the same ever since.

The immutability of government accountability was brought home to me during a series of hearings I participated in in the spring of 1995 to investigate the tragedy that had occurred two years earlier at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, a tragedy of horrific proportions in which, after a nearly two-month standoff, four federal law enforcement officers and more than 70 civilian men, women, children and infants had died in a completely avoidable conflagration.

The Waco tragedy occurred during the administration of Democratic President Bill Clinton, with Attorney General Janet Reno in charge of the Department of Justice. To understand how and why such a tragedy occurred and to hold those responsible to some level of accountability, the new Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich, directed the House of Representatives to conduct a full-scale investigation, and we did.

The hearings took place over several days, during which we questioned dozens of witnesses from federal law enforcement, the U.S. military, state law enforcement, Branch Davidian survivors, and non-governmental organizations. The resulting lengthy report detailed many mistakes made by those in charge of the operation, including the Attorney General himself, and answers many, but not all, of the questions surrounding this tragedy.

In the end, one fact stood out: Not a single person high up the chain of command at the FBI or Department of Justice who led the Waco scene was ever disciplined (let alone fired) for poor judgment or flagrant violations of federal regulations and laws (such as the Posse Comitatus Act). In other words, there was a total lack of accountability.

If the Attorney General, the Director of the FBI, and several other heads of federal agencies involved in the Branch Davidian operation can avoid responsibility for causing the needless deaths of dozens of men, women, children, and infants, then it should surprise no one that the United States Secret Service can avoid responsibility for a single botched shot at a presidential candidate.

Most Americans don't realize how much bureaucracy there is within our federal agencies and departments, and how each layer represents another hurdle that must be overcome before there can be any meaningful accountability for illegal or irresponsible actions that result in loss, damage, and even death.

The Secret Service is part of a vast bureaucratic organization called the Department of Homeland Security, currently led by Alejandro Mayorkas, who has pledged to keep the border secure. Secret Service Organization Chart As such, it reflects a more complicated roadmap than that of the FBI, which has historically been a model for unaccountable agencies.

Yes, Kimberly Cheatle resigned as head of the Secret Service on Tuesday. But it was a largely symbolic move that doesn't address the myriad problems within the agency she led. Addressing those systemic issues will require something Congress has so far shown little: months of diligence and focused effort.

BOber currently serves as the president of the National Rifle Association. He served as a U.S. Representative from Georgia's 7th Congressional District from 1995 to 2003. He was the U.S. Attorney in Atlanta from 1986 to 1990 and was a CIA officer in the 1970s. He currently practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, and serves as director of Liberty Guard.

The views and opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Daily Caller.