Introduction Of The Intelligence Community Audit Act Of 2006

INTRODUCTION OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY AUDIT ACT OF 2006 -- (Extensions of Remarks - September 28, 2006)

SPEECH OF HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON OF MISSISSIPPI
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2006

* Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the Intelligence Community Audit Act of 2006.

* Representative ZOE LOFGREN (D-CA) has joined me in introducing this important measure. I am also pleased to report that a companion bill will be introduced in the Senate by DANIEL K. AKAKA (D-HI), FRANK LAUTENBERG (D-NJ).

* This bill, the Intelligence Community Audit Act of 2006, reaffirms the authority of the Comptroller General of the United States and head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct for Congress audits and evaluations of the intelligence community--including audits and evaluations pertaining to financial transactions, programs, and information sharing and other activities. It also prescribes the security procedures that GAO must follow in conducting audits for congressional intelligence oversight committees of intelligence sources and methods, or covert actions.

* There is a pressing need for this legislation. With the passage of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, the federal government now encompasses 19 distinct components that have intelligence responsibilities. Ensuring that these components--which range from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to the Department of Homeland Security to the Department of Treasury--are cooperating and performing their missions effectively is critical to our national security and winning the war on terrorism.

* But it is not just federal coordination and cooperation which is at issue. There is also a pressing need for state and local law enforcement officials to get the information they need to protect our constituents. Unfortunately, this has not happened. In a recent survey, the National Governor's Association noted that fully 70 percent of state homeland security directors are dissatisfied with the specificity of homeland security information they receive from federal sources, and the fully 55 percent who are disappointed with its actionable quality. Our state law enforcement officials need information to protect our constituents.

* And we in Congress need information to conduct our oversight functions. The availability of information to appropriate congressional committees is a paramount concern for this nation's system of checks and balances. The ability of the GAO to conduct thorough and nonpartisan reviews is well known. But what is not well known is the hurdles they sometimes face in conducting oversight. Earlier this year, shortly after GAO released a report on federal government policies relating to the sharing of terrorism-related and sensitive but unclassified (SBU) information (GAO-06-385). Specifically, the DNI declined to comment on a draft version of the report because it considered GAO's work in this non-sensitive area a ``review of intelligence activities'' that was ``beyond GAO's purview.'' But this bill makes it clear that the DNI cannot evade Congressional oversight by lumping the sharing of unclassified information and other non-sensitive matters together with the kinds of intelligence activities that understandably must be held to a stricter standard.

* This bill makes it clear that Congress has a real and continuing interest in reviews of the basic functions of the intelligence community, such as sharing of information with state and local law enforcement officials and transportation security. The events of 911 made it clear that systemic weaknesses in these areas can cost lives.

* I urge my colleagues to co-sponsor this bill.

http://thomas.loc.gov/