Intelligence Appropriations: Will the Senate Reform?

This post was authored by Timothy Little, a Research Intern for The American Strategy Program

A couple months ago I commented on a new attempt by Senator Bond (R-MO) to create a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Intelligence. With the election and the financial crisis dominating much of the conversations in Congress, there has been little movement on this issue. However, recent changes in Senate chairmanships and the new WMD report released could revive this issue.

A commission chaired by Bob Graham and Jim Talent released its report on the prevention of WMD proliferation and terrorism. They concluded what many policy analysts have been saying for some time: "a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013." The year is open to debate, but it will likely be within the next decade.

However, the same report called upon Congressional leadership to "establish an Intelligence Subcommittee on the Appropriations Committees in both chambers of Congress with jurisdiction over the National Intelligence Program and Military Intelligence Program budgets."

The new Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) said in 2004 when he was Ranking Member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee:

"Linking Defense and Intelligence is critical. DOD cannot operate without good intelligence. The Defense Subcommittee has ensured that intelligence resources support the needs of the warfighter. Today, the Defense Subcommittee reviews the recommendations of both the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees. The Appropriations Committee can minimize redundancies and make sure that the needs of both Defense and Intelligence are met" (Internal note in a CRS Report)

Sen. Inouye is on the record as being against separating intelligence appropriations into a separate subcommittee arguing that the defense subcommittee should handle defense intelligence appropriations. Sen. Inouye appears to be towing the same line as his predecessor. It is unknown whether his stance has changed since 2004 when that statement was made or what effect his chairmanship of appropriations will have on this issue. However, in a Sept 2008 floor statement, Sen. Inouye was extremely critical of the Bond resolution creating the subcommittee stating, "the proposal made by the Senator from Missouri would not improve congressional oversight of intelligence."

In other congressional changes, Sen. Rockefeller (D-WV), a co-sponsor of the Bond Resolution is relinquishing chairmanship of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) for Chairmanship of the Senate Commerce Committee. The incoming chair of the Intelligence Committee will be Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) who has not signed on as a co-sponsor of the resolution, but has supported efforts to improve the intelligence community's appropriations process. In March 2008, Sen. Feinstein joined with other members of the SSCI in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and then Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-WV) supporting the creation of a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Intelligence.

The House of Representatives has already made significant progress by creating the House Appropriations Select Intelligence Oversight Panel. This group is comprised of members selected by the Speaker of both the House appropriations and intelligence committees. However, out of the 13 members on the oversight panel, 10 have to be from appropriations and 3 from intelligence. Clearly and uneven distribution this model has its failings. However, the panel is a step in the right direction. Full power should rest in neither the Intelligence Committee nor the Appropriations Committee.

The opportune time to create this new subcommittee is now. The beginning of the 111^th Congress and a new administration should make it their priority to enact a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission that is long overdue. Intelligence is one of the most vital aspects of our national security program. Proper oversight over appropriations to the intelligence community will have a lasting impact on America's national security environment.