CNN American Morning - Transcript

CNN

SHOW: AMERICAN MORNING 07:00

HEADLINE: Gulf Coast Residents Running Out of Time Before Ivan Hits

GUESTS: Georgia Roussos, Jimmy Roussos, Jud Hale, Joseph Lieberman, Susan Collins

BYLINE: Bill Hemmer, Heidi Collins, Jack Cafferty, Rick Sanchez, Chad Myers

HIGHLIGHT:
Hemmer reports live on the approach of hurricane Ivan from Mobile, Alabama. Sanchez reports live from Panama City Beach, Florida. Myers reports the latest data on the strength and path of the storm while the Roussos discuss their losses in past storms and preparations for this one. Lieberman and Collins explain their new legislation in the wake of the 9/11 Commission report.

BODY:
H. COLLINS: Later this morning, two Senate leaders will unveil their plan for reforming the nation's intelligence community. The legislation could be the first to come out of the 9/11 Commission report. Maine Republican Susan Collins and Connecticut Democrat Joe Lieberman are behind it.

They are joining us this morning from Capitol Hill.

Thanks so much for being with us to the two of you.

We certainly appreciate it here on AMERICAN MORNING once again.

Senator Lieberman, I wanted to begin with you, indicated.

Some news to us this morning, coming out yesterday, actually. We had Porter Goss before the Senate Intelligence Committee, who actually said, you know, this is going to take a while, perhaps more than five years, to actually rebuild the intelligence community.

Your thoughts on that? That's a long time.

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: Well, I think I know what Porter Goss was talking about. He understands that he's got a job to do and he didn't want the committee that he was appearing for to believe that he thinks everything is great, because he's worked closely, actually worked in the CIA for 10 years of his career.

But a lot of what ails the intelligence community can and must be cured a lot quicker. I think the reforms that Senator Collins and I are going to put before our committee will do just that. We've got a lot of great assets. There's no intelligence service in the world like ours. We can do things that nobody else can do.

But it's not coordinated. There's no quarterback in charge. And that's what our legislation would do.

It may be that some of the things that Porter Goss wants to do, like recruiting experts in language and enough spies, human intelligence sources, that may take some years. But we can make this intelligence community of ours exactly what it should be quickly. And we have to because the threat from al Qaeda and the other terrorists is there right now.

H. COLLINS: All right, Senator Collins, on Monday now, we also heard something from Secretary Colin Powell, talking about how he really didn't think it was that great of an idea for the CIA, the FBI and the Pentagon to serve in that inner circle, if you will, of the NID.

But isn't that exactly what the recommendations from 9/11 Committee called for in order to have all of those agencies talking?

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS, (R-ME), CHAIR GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: Well, Secretary Powell actually gave a very strong endorsement to the outlines of the proposal that Senator Lieberman and I are presenting today. He endorsed a strong national intelligence director. What he expressed reservations about, and many of our witnesses and we ourselves agree, is the proposal that some of the deputies to this director would also run agencies in either the Department of Defense or the Department of Homeland Security or the CIA.

We agree that that creates a confusing situation and we did not adopt that particular formulation.

H. COLLINS: Yes, as a matter of fact, clearing up some of that confusion might be possible, Senator Lieberman. The 9/11 Commission wanting the national intelligence director to control nearly all intelligence gathering. But your plan talks about the Defense Intelligence Agency, otherwise known as the DIA, in control of the military.

Do you think that's going to help?

LIEBERMAN: Yes, it will help. In fact, that's exactly what the 9/11 Commission recommended, that so-called tactical military intelligence stay within the Department of Defense but the national intelligence programs go to the national intelligence director that we would create. This is a revolutionary change.

Today, more than 80 percent of the budget in intelligence goes to the Department of Defense. We're turning that around. I can't talk about the specific numbers because they're classified. But this national intelligence director is going to have the money and control of the money. When you have the control of the money, you can, as the quarterback, you can get the whole team working together in the national interests.

I do want to say that it's been a great pleasure to work with Senator Collins, who is chairman of our committee. And we've done this on a totally bipartisan basis. We've not divided into partisan caucuses or consulted party officials. This is all about national security. And it's what legislating should be all about, particularly in a time of crisis such as we're in today.

And I want to thank Senator Collins for that kind of leadership that she's offered.

H. COLLINS: Great.

Senator Collins, quickly, before we let you go, are you pleased with the progress of the legislation so far?

S. COLLINS: I'm very pleased. We've held eight hearings. We've consulted widely. The bill follows the blueprint set out by the 9/11 Commission. But it also reflects what we've learned at our hearings. As Joe indicated, we have gone forward in a bipartisan way. I think we're making great progress and this bill will be enacted this year.

H. COLLINS: Right. Well, people will be happy to hear that and to look forward to the progress.

Thanks so much to the two of you this morning, Senator Joe Lieberman and Senator Susan Collins.

LIEBERMAN: Thank you, Heidi.

S. COLLINS: Thanks, again.