Departments of Labor , Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008

Floor Speech

DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008 -- (Senate - October 17, 2007)

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CIA INSPECTOR GENERAL

Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, there was discussion on the floor this morning about intelligence matters. I wanted to spend a few minutes to discuss a matter of bipartisan concern in the Senate. What I am talking about is the very troubling development that came to light last week indicating that the head of the CIA, General Hayden, has decided to launch an investigation into the Agency's inspector general.

I and others--and I particularly commend Senator Bond, our vice chairman of the committee, for his excellent statement on this matter--are very concerned about this new development. It is particularly important that the inspector general of the Central Intelligence Agency function with independence. Because our work by its very nature--entrusted with those secrets essential to protect our country's security--has to be done in private and is classified, we need an independent inspector general to ensure accountability.

Because of a development such as this, I think this can have a chilling effect on the independence of the inspector general at the Central Intelligence Agency.

The Congress created these inspector general positions for a reason, and that is to ensure accountability, to ensure Government efficiency. Virtually all of the agencies have these key positions and, of course, it is their job to report findings to the Congress.

Perhaps General Hayden is concerned about the work of Mr. Helgerson, the inspector general for the Agency. There is an appropriate process for bringing up those concerns. If the head of the Central Intelligence Agency is concerned about how the CIA inspector general is doing his job, he ought to bring them to the President's Council on Integrity and Effectiveness.

It is my view that particular body has been handling complaints against inspectors general, and it is my view they are doing their job well and appropriately. But to have an investigation such as this, in my view, is going to interfere with the inspectors general independence. If the Director of the CIA is ordering investigations into the inspector general's activities and plans to ``suggest improvements'' for the inspector general to consider, my view is that can undermine the inspector general's independence.

I do not want to see inspectors general intimidated. That is the bottom line here, and I do not want the Director of the CIA interfering with the extraordinarily important activities of the inspector general at the Agency.

Let me also state that my concern is part of a view that there has been a pattern at the Agency of being less than transparent. I and, again, senior Members of this body, particularly Senator Bond and Senator Roberts, have worked very closely and in a bipartisan way to ensure that the inspector general's report on the role of the Agency in the runup to 9/11 was going to be made public. I can tell you that, unfortunately, General Hayden fought that bipartisan effort every step of the way.

The fact is, it was a balanced effort. The particular recommendations of the
inspector general were modest in nature. They did not require that anybody be fired or cavalierly dismissed. It called for what is known as an accountability board, something, again, to ensure that the watchdogs are in place to protect this country's security and do it in a fashion that is committed to the American principles of transparency and openness.

I have written Admiral McConnell who, of course, is the head of the national intelligence community, and asked him to direct General Hayden to cease and cease immediately the investigation that is now going on into the work of the inspector general at the Central Intelligence Agency.

It is my view that people who know they are doing the right thing are not afraid of oversight. It is time for the head of the intelligence community, Admiral McConnell, to put an end, and an immediate end, to General Hayden's attempt to muzzle the CIA's inspector general.

I wrap up by saying, again, we are not talking about a matter that is partisan. Senator Bond, who has been so cooperative on these matters relating to accountability and transparency, said it very well. Senator Bond said the inspector general had done great work. In his statement on this matter, Senator Bond noted that the Agency regrettably has a track record of resisting accountability.

So that is what this is all about. The ball is now in Admiral McConnell's court. It is my hope that in the next few days, Admiral McConnell will direct General Hayden to cease this investigation into the work of the CIA's inspector general.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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