The Proposed Authorities of a National Intelligence Director: Issues for Congress and Side-by-Side Comparison of S.2845, H.R. 10, and Current Law
Abstract
The 9/11 Commission, in its recent report on the attacks of September 11 2001 criticized the U.S. Intelligence Community's (IC) fragmented management structure and questioned whether the U.S. government, and the IC, in particular, is organized adequately to direct resources and build the intelligence capabilities that the United States will need to counter terrorism, and to address the broader range of national security challenges in the decades ahead. The Commission made a number of recommendations, one of which was to replace the current position of Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) with a National Intelligence Director (NID) who would oversee national intelligence centers on specific subjects of interest including a National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) __ across the U. S. government, manage the national intelligence program; oversee the agencies that contribute to it; and have hiring, firing, and budgetary authority over the IC's 15 agencies. Although the Commission recommended that the director be located in the Executive Office of the President, the Commission Vice Chairman in testimony before Congress on September 7, 2004, withdrew that portion of the recommendation in light of concerns that the NID would be subject to undue influence. The Commission further recommended that a deputy NID be established to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The Commission's recommendation to strengthen management authority over the IC is the latest contribution to an IC structural reform debate that dates at least to 1955, when arguments for stronger IC authority began to surface. 0MB deputy director James Schlesinger in 1971 first broached the NID concept. Congress currently is considering two principal bills, S. 2845, introduced by Senators Collins and Lieberman, and H.P. 10, introduced by Representative Hastert, that would establish the NID position.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 05, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA477199
Entities
People
- Alfred Cumming
Organizations
- Library of Congress