Consolidating Intelligence Appropriation and Authorization in a Single Committee: 9/11 Commission Recommendation and Alternatives
Abstract
On July 22, 2004, the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also known as the 9/11 Commission) issued its final report on the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Among other findings and recommendations, the commission stated that existing congressional oversight was dysfunctional and recommended two alternative proposals to change the existing intelligence committee structure: (1) replace the existing Senate and House Select Intelligence Committees with a joint committee on intelligence, or (2) consolidate intelligence appropriation and authorization functions in existing intelligence authorization committees. This report discusses the second of these two proposals. For information on the first proposal, see CRS Report RL32525, "A Joint Committee on Intelligence: Proposals and Options from the 9/11 Commission and Others," by Frederick M. Kaiser; and CRS Report RL32538, "9/11 Commission Recommendations: Joint Committee on Atomic Energy -- A Model for Congressional Oversight?," by Christopher M. Davis. Under existing Senate and House rules, intelligence appropriations are under the jurisdiction of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees. Each committee distributes these appropriations among five appropriations subcommittees, predominantly the Defense Appropriations Subcommittees. The 9/11 Commission recommended transferring jurisdiction over intelligence appropriations from the Senate and House Appropriations Committees to the intelligence authorization committees in each chamber. This report presents the arguments of proponents and opponents to the 9/11 Commission's recommendation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 29, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA447932
Entities
People
- Sandy Streeter
Organizations
- Library of Congress