It would have been illegal for him to tell the truth in that testimony, since it was public. I know people don't like that, but it's true. He could either lie or break serious secrecy laws. There's no immunity just because you're talking to congress.
You are mounting the most ridiculous defence of perjury I have ever seen. Do you seriously think that Congress passed laws they intended to be interpreted in the way you propose? That they want to be lied to?
Clapper lied under oath. He should have paid the penalty for that. He didn't because the US Government has decided that it either can't or doesn't want to control the shadow state.
Thus my point. The CIA should not be running programs that "do not exist". Classified, sure, but not hidden programs nobody knows about. That is not what we are paying them for.
