Letter to Senators Susan Collins and Joseph Lieberman

September 20, 2004

Hon. SUSAN COLLINS, Chairman,
Hon. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN, Ranking Member,
Committee on Governmental Affairs,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.

DEAR CHAIRMAN COLLINS AND SENATOR LIEBERMAN: We would like to congratulate both of you for your hard work to draft legislation to reform and strengthen the Intelligence Community. We have covered much ground over the last few months, unraveling the complicated issue of intelligence reform. As a result of your outstanding leadership, we are close to enacting meaningful reform. We understand that your bill includes many important provisions, particularly the creation of a National Intelligence Director (NID) with strong budget authority.

We are writing to you, however, to express our serious concern that the current draft of the bill, as described by your summary and after review by Governmental Affairs Committee members and staff, does not give the NID additional authorities that will be required to provide the unity of leadership and accountability necessary for real intelligence reform. In particular, we feel strongly that the NID must have day-to-day operational control of all elements of the Intelligence Community performing national missions. To fulfill the historic intent of the National Security Act of 1947, we must provide the NID-as head of the Intelligence Community-the additional authorities necessary to match the position's responsibilities and to ensure accountability. To address these concerns, we request the opportunity to meet with you prior to any further committee action on the legislation.

In addition to day-to-day operational control of all elements of the Intelligence Community performing national missions, some members also believe that we must either explicitly create a new agency, or at least provide the NID with supervision, direction, and control similar to a department or independent agency head.

Clear lines of authority between the NID and our national intelligence agencies, extending beyond budgetary control, are critical to our success in countering 21st Century national security threats. There must be no doubt in anyone's mind that the NID is in charge and is accountable.

Thank you for you leadership under very challenging circumstances, and we look forward to meeting with you prior to the committee mark-up of intelligence reform legislation. Working together, we can achieve the real intelligence reform that we all seek.

Sincerely,

Pat Roberts, Mike DeWine, Trent Lott, George V. Voinovich, Bob Graham, Christopher S. Bond, Saxby Chambliss, Richard Shelby, Orrin Hatch, Olympia Snowe, Evan Bayh, Ron Wyden, Chuck Hagel, Arlen Specter.