[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 141 (Tuesday, September 12, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H8778-H8781]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1655, INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION 
                               ACT, 1996

  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call 
up House Resolution 216 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 216

       Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this 
     resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 1(b) of rule 
     XXIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee
      of the Whole House on the state of the Union for 
     consideration of the bill (H.R. 1655) to authorize 
     appropriations for fiscal year 1996 for intelligence and 
     intelligence-related activities of the United States 
     Government, the Community Management Account, and the 
     Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability 
     System, and for other purposes. The first reading of the 
     bill shall be dispensed with. Points of order against 
     consideration of the bill for failure to comply with 
     section 302(f), 308(a), or 401(b) of the Congressional 
     Budget Act of 1974 are waived. General debate shall be 
     confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally 
     divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking 
     minority member of the Permanent Select Committee on 
     Intelligence. After general debate the bill shall be 
     considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. It 
     shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the 
     purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule the 
     amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the 
     Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence now printed in 
     the bill, modified by the amendment recommended by the 
     Committee on Government Reform and Oversight now printed 
     in the bill and by an amendment striking title VII. The 
     committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, as 
     modified, shall be considered by title rather than by 
     section. The first section and each title shall be 
     considered as read. Points of order against the committee 
     amendment in the nature of a substitute, as modified, for 
     failure to comply with clause 7 of rule XVI, clause 5(a) 
     of rule XXI, or section 302(f) or section 401(b) of the 
     Congressional Budget Act of 1974 are waived. No amendment 
     to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, 
     as modified, shall be in order unless printed in the 
     portion of the Congressional Record designated for that 
     purpose in clause 6 of rule XXIII. At the conclusion of 
     consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee 
     shall rise and report the bill to the House with such 
     amendments as may have been adopted. Any Member may demand 
     a separate vote in the House on any amendment adopted in 
     the Committee of the Whole to the bill or to the committee 
     amendment in the nature of a substitute, as modified. The 
     previous question shall be considered as ordered on the 
     bill and amendments thereto to final passage wihtout 
     intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or 
     without instructions.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Florida [Mr. Goss] is 
recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the 
customary 30 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California 
[Mr. Beilenson], pending which I yield myself such time as I may 
consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is 
for the purpose of debate only.
  (Mr. GOSS asked and was given permission to include extraneous 
material.)
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 216 provides for the 
consideration of H.R. 1655, the Intelligence Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 1996. The Rules Committee met last week to grant this rule, 
which was requested jointly by the chairman of the committee, Mr. 
Combest, and the ranking member, Mr. Dicks. As has been customary in 
the Intelligence Committee, of which I am proud to be a new member, 
bipartisan cooperation was apparent in the rule request. I am pleased 
that our Rules Committee was able to grant the committee's reasonable 
request by providing an open amendment process while injecting a small 
point of caution for the sensitivity of the subject matter by including 
a preprinting requirement.
  Mr. Speaker, this rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally 
divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking member of the 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The rule waives sections 
302(f), 308(a) and 401(b) of the Budget Act against consideration of 
the bill, waivers that are all related to the issue of new entitlement 
authority. Our committee is most appreciative of the detailed and 
comprehensive explanation the Intelligence Committee provided to us in 
support of these waiver requests. Section 305 of the bill allows a 
spouse who fully cooperates in a Federal investigation of his wife or 
her husband to receive spousal benefits upon a determination by the 
Attorney General that the spouse has fully cooperated with the 
Government's investigation and prosecution of national security 
offenses. Section 601 makes a technical correction to clarify that a 
retired military officer who is appointed as Director or Deputy 
Director of Central Intelligence can receive pay at the appropriate 
level of the Executive schedule. Although we technically have new 
entitlements, in both cases we are talking about very small amounts of 
money. In fact, the Budget Committee, which generally plays ``budget 
cop'' in instances where Budget Act waivers are requested, has reviewed 
these requests without complaint.
  This rule makes in order as an original bill for the purpose of 
amendment the Intelligence Committee's amendment in the nature of a 
substitute now printed in the bill, as modified by the Government 
Reform and Oversight Committee amendment striking section 505 now 
printed in the bill and by an amendment striking title VII.
  Although we generally try to avoid self-executing amendments such as 
this, this change in the reported bill reflected a compromise agreement 
worked out among the committees of jurisdiction. There was legitimate 
concern in the Government Reform and Oversight Committee about the 
provision the Intelligence Committee had included in section 505, 
waiving the 2 percent retirement annuity reduction that NSA employees 
normally incur when expecting early retirement. This is a pilot program 
at NSA that raised concerns among our colleagues on the Government 
Reform Committee and we respect their conclusion that it should not be 
included in this bill. The second matter deleted from the bill by this 
rule is title VII, which addressed a consolidation issue within the 
State Department. This provision had raised some red flags with the 
Committee on International Relations, and hence agreement was reached 
to remove it. All in all, I am proud of the level of communication and 
cooperation among all the committees in agreeing to this consensus 
product.
  Mr. Speaker, this rule provides that the committee amendment in the 
nature of a substitute, as modified, shall be considered by title with 
the first section and each title considered as read. The rule also 
waives clause 7 of rule 17 prohibiting nongermane amendments against 
the committee substitute as modified. In addition, the rule waives 
clause 5(a) of rule 21 prohibiting appropriations in a legislative bill 
against the committee substitute as modified. And, as I discussed 
earlier, 

[[Page H 8779]]
the rule waives section 302(f) and section 401(b) against the committee 
substitute as modified for the same reasons that made the waivers 
necessary for consideration of the bill.
  In addition, the rule requires that all amendments be preprinted in 
the Congressional Record, an important provision to assist the 
committee in protecting the security of classified matters contained 
within this bill, while protecting the rights of Members by 
guaranteeing an open amendment process. Finally, the rule provides one 
motion to recommit with or without instructions.
  Mr. Speaker, I know my friend from California, Mr. Beilenson, who 
served his country admirably as chairman of the Intelligence Committee, 
understands the important of this subject matter. The paradox of the 
intelligence business is that successes, by their very nature, go 
unremarked and often unknown to most people. That is because 
intelligence success stories generally prevent bad things from 
happening. So the public picture presented of intelligence is generally 
skewed toward the negative, the problems, the times when things go 
wrong and the sensational.
  Clearly, the Ames case and the recent flareup over Guatemala provide 
two examples of this phenomenon. It is the duty of the members of the 
select committee, and today of all Members of this House, to see the 
whole picture and ensure that our intelligence community has the 
necessary resources and oversight to fulfill its mission. As Members 
know, there are currently several comprehensive reviews being 
undertaken to assess the roles and capabilities of our intelligence 
services. I am privileged to be working on two of those efforts: IC 21, 
led by Chairman Combest, and the Aspin Commission, now led by Harold 
Brown. It is necessary to reassess where we are and where we want to be 
in world events, and then to determine what type of information is 
needed and how to best ensure that such information is available. In 
the meantime, I believe H.R. 1655 offers a responsible level of funding 
for intelligence activities, while setting appropriate priorities for 
how that money should be spent. As I have grown fond of saying to those 
who believe the end of the cold war provides a good time to slash 
funding for intelligence, it hardly makes sense to turn off the radar 
just as you are sailing the ship of State into the fog, in unfamiliar 
waters, without a reliable chart. I urge my colleagues to support this 
rule and the bill.
  The Speaker, I include material from the Committee on Rules for the 
Record, as follows:

  THE AMENDMENT PROCESS UNDER SPECIAL RULES REPORTED BY THE RULES COMMITTEE,\1\ 103D CONGRESS V. 104TH CONGRESS 
                                           [As of September 12, 1995]                                           
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  103d Congress                        104th Congress           
              Rule type              ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                       Number of rules    Percent of total   Number of rules    Percent of total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Open/Modified-open \2\..............                 46                 44                 43                 73
Modified Closed \3\.................                 49                 47                 14                 24
Closed \4\..........................                  9                  9                  2                  3
                                     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Total:........................                104                100                 59                100
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ This table applies only to rules which provide for the original consideration of bills, joint resolutions or
  budget resolutions and which provide for an amendment process. It does not apply to special rules which only  
  waive points of order against appropriations bills which are already privileged and are considered under an   
  open amendment process under House rules.                                                                     
\2\ An open rule is one under which any Member may offer a germane amendment under the five-minute rule. A      
  modified open rule is one under which any Member may offer a germane amendment under the five-minute rule     
  subject only to an overall time limit on the amendment process and/or a requirement that the amendment be     
  preprinted in the Congressional Record.                                                                       
\3\ A modified closed rule is one under which the Rules Committee limits the amendments that may be offered only
  to those amendments designated in the special rule or the Rules Committee report to accompany it, or which    
  preclude amendments to a particular portion of a bill, even though the rest of the bill may be completely open
  to amendment.                                                                                                 
\4\ A closed rule is one under which no amendments may be offered (other than amendments recommended by the     
  committee in reporting the bill).                                                                             


                          SPECIAL RULES REPORTED BY THE RULES COMMITTEE, 104TH CONGRESS                         
                                           [As of September 12, 1995]                                           
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  H. Res. No. (Date                                                                                             
       rept.)               Rule type             Bill No.                 Subject           Disposition of rule
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
H. Res. 38 (1/18/95)  O...................  H.R. 5..............  Unfunded Mandate Reform..  A: 350-71 (1/19/95)
H. Res. 44 (1/24/95)  MC..................  H. Con. Res. 17.....  Social Security..........  A: 255-172 (1/25/  
                                            H.J. Res. 1.........  Balanced Budget Amdt.....   95)               
H. Res. 51 (1/31/95)  O...................  H.R. 101............  Land Transfer, Taos        A: voice vote (2/1/
                                                                   Pueblo Indians.            95)               
H. Res. 52 (1/31/95)  O...................  H.R. 400............  Land Exchange, Arctic      A: voice vote (2/1/
                                                                   Nat'l. Park and Preserve.  95)               
H. Res. 53 (1/31/95)  O...................  H.R. 440............  Land Conveyance, Butte     A: voice vote (2/1/
                                                                   County, Calif.             95)               
H. Res. 55 (2/1/95).  O...................  H.R. 2..............  Line Item Veto...........  A: voice vote (2/2/
                                                                                              95)               
H. Res. 60 (2/6/95).  O...................  H.R. 665............  Victim Restitution.......  A: voice vote (2/7/
                                                                                              95)               
H. Res. 61 (2/6/95).  O...................  H.R. 666............  Exclusionary Rule Reform.  A: voice vote (2/7/
                                                                                              95)               
H. Res. 63 (2/8/95).  MO..................  H.R. 667............  Violent Criminal           A: voice vote (2/9/
                                                                   Incarceration.             95)               
H. Res. 69 (2/9/95).  O...................  H.R. 668............  Criminal Alien             A: voice vote (2/10/
                                                                   Deportation.               95)               
H. Res. 79 (2/10/95)  MO..................  H.R. 728............  Law Enforcement Block      A: voice vote (2/13/
                                                                   Grants.                    95)               
H. Res. 83 (2/13/95)  MO..................  H.R. 7..............  National Security          PQ: 229-100; A: 227-
                                                                   Revitalization.            127 (2/15/95)     
H. Res. 88 (2/16/95)  MC..................  H.R. 831............  Health Insurance           PQ: 230-191; A: 229-
                                                                   Deductibility.             188 (2/21/95)     
H. Res. 91 (2/21/95)  O...................  H.R. 830............  Paperwork Reduction Act..  A: voice vote (2/22/
                                                                                              95)               
H. Res. 92 (2/21/95)  MC..................  H.R. 889............  Defense Supplemental.....  A: 282-144 (2/22/  
                                                                                              95)               
H. Res. 93 (2/22/95)  MO..................  H.R. 450............  Regulatory Transition Act  A: 252-175 (2/23/  
                                                                                              95)               
H. Res. 96 (2/24/95)  MO..................  H.R. 1022...........  Risk Assessment..........  A: 253-165 (2/27/  
                                                                                              95)               
H. Res. 100 (2/27/    O...................  H.R. 926............  Regulatory Reform and      A: voice vote (2/28/
 95).                                                              Relief Act.                95)               
H. Res. 101 (2/28/    MO..................  H.R. 925............  Private Property           A: 271-151 (3/2/95)
 95).                                                              Protection Act.                              
H. Res. 103 (3/3/95)  MO..................  H.R. 1058...........  Securities Litigation      ...................
                                                                   Reform.                                      
H. Res. 104 (3/3/95)  MO..................  H.R. 988............  Attorney Accountability    A: voice vote (3/6/
                                                                   Act.                       95)               
H. Res. 105 (3/6/95)  MO..................  ....................  .........................  A: 257-155 (3/7/95)
H. Res. 108 (3/7/95)  Debate..............  H.R. 956............  Product Liability Reform.  A: voice vote (3/8/
                                                                                              95)               
H. Res. 109 (3/8/95)  MC..................  ....................  .........................  PQ: 234-191 A: 247-
                                                                                              181 (3/9/95)      
H. Res. 115 (3/14/    MO..................  H.R. 1159...........  Making Emergency Supp.     A: 242-190 (3/15/  
 95).                                                              Approps..                  95)               
H. Res. 116 (3/15/    MC..................  H.J. Res. 73........  Term Limits Const. Amdt..  A: voice vote (3/28/
 95).                                                                                         95)               
H. Res. 117 (3/16/    Debate..............  H.R. 4..............  Personal Responsibility    A: voice vote (3/21/
 95).                                                              Act of 1995.               95)               
H. Res. 119 (3/21/    MC..................  ....................  .........................  A: 217-211 (3/22/  
 95).                                                                                         95)               
H. Res. 125 (4/3/95)  O...................  H.R. 1271...........  Family Privacy Protection  A: 423-1 (4/4/95)  
                                                                   Act.                                         
H. Res. 126 (4/3/95)  O...................  H.R. 660............  Older Persons Housing Act  A: voice vote (4/6/
                                                                                              95)               
H. Res. 128 (4/4/95)  MC..................  H.R. 1215...........  Contract With America Tax  A: 228-204 (4/5/95)
                                                                   Relief Act of 1995.                          
H. Res. 130 (4/5/95)  MC..................  H.R. 483............  Medicare Select Expansion   A: 253-172 (4/6/  
                                                                                              95)               
H. Res. 136 (5/1/95)  O...................  H.R. 655............  Hydrogen Future Act of     A: voice vote (5/2/
                                                                   1995.                      95)               
H. Res. 139 (5/3/95)  O...................  H.R. 1361...........  Coast Guard Auth. FY 1996  A: voice vote (5/9/
                                                                                              95)               
H. Res. 140 (5/9/95)  O...................  H.R. 961............  Clean Water Amendments...  A: 414-4 (5/10/95) 
H. Res. 144 (5/11/    O...................  H.R. 535............  Fish Hatchery--Arkansas..  A: voice vote (5/15/
 95).                                                                                         95)               
H. Res. 145 (5/11/    O...................  H.R. 584............  Fish Hatchery--Iowa......  A: voice vote (5/15/
 95).                                                                                         95)               
H. Res. 146 (5/11/    O...................  H.R. 614............  Fish Hatchery--Minnesota.  A: voice vote (5/15/
 95).                                                                                         95)               
H. Res. 149 (5/16/    MC..................  H. Con. Res. 67.....  Budget Resolution FY 1996  PQ: 252-170 A: 255-
 95).                                                                                         168 (5/17/95)     
H. Res. 155 (5/22/    MO..................  H.R. 1561...........  American Overseas          A: 233-176 (5/23/  
 95).                                                              Interests Act.             95)               
H. Res. 164 (6/8/95)  MC..................  H.R. 1530...........  Nat. Defense Auth. FY      PQ: 225-191 A: 233-
                                                                   1996.                      183 (6/13/95)     
H. Res. 167 (6/15/    O...................  H.R. 1817...........  MilCon Appropriations FY   PQ: 223-180 A: 245-
 95).                                                              1996.                      155 (6/16/95)     
H. Res. 169 (6/19/    MC..................  H.R. 1854...........  Leg. Branch Approps. FY    PQ: 232-196 A: 236-
 95).                                                              1996.                      191 (6/20/95)     
H. Res. 170 (6/20/    O...................  H.R. 1868...........  For. Ops. Approps. FY      PQ: 221-178 A: 217-
 95).                                                              1996.                      175 (6/22/95)     
H. Res. 171 (6/22/    O...................  H.R. 1905...........  Energy & Water Approps.    A: voice vote (7/12/
 95).                                                              FY 1996.                   95)               
H. Res. 173 (6/27/    C...................  H.J. Res. 79........  Flag Constitutional        PQ: 258-170 A: 271-
 95).                                                              Amendment.                 152 (6/28/95)     
H. Res. 176 (6/28/    MC..................  H.R. 1944...........  Emer. Supp. Approps......  PQ: 236-194 A: 234-
 95).                                                                                         192 (6/29/95)     
H. Res. 185 (7/11/    O...................  H.R. 1977...........  Interior Approps. FY 1996  PQ: 235-193 D: 192-
 95).                                                                                         238 (7/12/95)     
H. Res. 187 (7/12/    O...................  H.R. 1977...........  Interior Approps. FY 1996  PQ: 230-194 A: 229-
 95).                                                              #2.                        195 (7/13/95)     
H. Res. 188 (7/12/    O...................  H.R. 1976...........  Agriculture Approps. FY    PQ: 242-185 A:     
 95).                                                              1996.                      voice vote (7/18/ 
                                                                                              95)               

[[Page H 8780]]
                                                                                                                
H. Res. 190 (7/17/    O...................  H.R. 2020...........  Treasury/Postal Approps.   PQ: 232-192 A:     
 95).                                                              FY 1996.                   voice vote (7/18/ 
                                                                                              95)               
H. Res. 193 (7/19/    C...................  H.J. Res. 96........  Disapproval of MFN to      A: voice vote (7/20/
 95).                                                              China.                     95)               
H. Res. 194 (7/19/    O...................  H.R. 2002...........  Transportation Approps.    PQ: 217-202 (7/21/ 
 95).                                                              FY 1996.                   95)               
H. Res. 197 (7/21/    O...................  H.R. 70.............  Exports of Alaskan Crude   A: voice vote (7/24/
 95).                                                              Oil.                       95)               
H. Res. 198 (7/21/    O...................  H.R. 2076...........  Commerce, State Approps.   A: voice vote (7/25/
 95).                                                              FY 1996.                   95)               
H. Res. 201 (7/25/    O...................  H.R. 2099...........  VA/HUD Approps. FY 1996..  A: 230-189 (7/25/  
 95).                                                                                         95)               
H. Res. 204 (7/28/    MC..................  S. 21...............  Terminating U.S. Arms      A: voice vote (8/1/
 95).                                                              Embargo on Bosnia.         95)               
H. Res. 205 (7/28/    O...................  H.R. 2126...........  Defense Approps. FY 1996.  A: 409-1 (7/31/95) 
 95).                                                                                                           
H. Res. 207 (8/1/95)  MC..................  H.R. 1555...........  Communications Act of      A: 255-156 (8/2/95)
                                                                   1995.                                        
H. Res. 208 (8/1/95)  O...................  H.R. 2127...........  Labor, HHS Approps. FY     A: 323-104 (8/2/95)
                                                                   1996.                                        
H. Res. 215 (9/7/95)  O...................  H.R. 1594...........  Economically Targeted      A: voice vote (9/12/
                                                                   Investments.               95)               
H. Res. 216 (9/7/95)  MO..................  H.R. 1655...........  Intelligence               ...................
                                                                   Authorization FY 1996.                       
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Codes: O-open rule; MO-modified open rule; MC-modified closed rule; C-closed rule; A-adoption vote; D-defeated; 
  PQ-previous question vote. Source: Notices of Action Taken, Committee on Rules, 104th Congress.               


  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BEILENSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to commend our friend the 
gentleman from Florida for his good work on the Permanent Select 
Committee on Intelligence and on intelligence legislation, and to point 
out to our colleagues that we should feel fortunate in having him on 
the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence because of his wide 
experience in the intelligence community before he became a Member of 
the Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, we support this modified open rule for the consideration 
of the Intelligence Authorization Act for fiscal year 1996. Our only 
concern about the rule is the preprinting requirement which the 
gentleman from Florida [Mr. Goss] just recently outlined, which we are 
not convinced is necessary in this instance.
  The chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on intelligence, the 
distinguished and most able gentleman from Texas [Mr. Combest], 
testified that having the opportunity to review amendments, some of 
which might involve sensitive matters, would be helpful to the 
committee in avoiding the disclosure of classified information.
  I hasten to add that those of us who were in the majority in recent 
past years are aware of the fact that we granted the same type of 
request for the consideration of the last year's intelligence 
authorization bill, although not for any earlier ones. Nonetheless, 
evidently none of the anticipated amendments this year are sensitive, 
and in fact the two that were filed do not deal with any classified or 
sensitive matter.
  Since the intelligence authorization bill is not particularly 
controversial this year, we argued in the Committee on Rules that, 
especially given the fact that objections of other committees to 
several provisions in the bill had been resolved before our committee 
met, the preprinting requirement was not needed this year. Nonetheless, 
it is in there and it is certainly okay and we can certainly live with 
it.
  We felt that while perhaps easing the work of the Permanent Select 
Committee on Intelligence, it could end up being a hindrance to other 
Members, shutting them out of the debate when they discovered, too 
late, that amendments they would like to offer were not permitted.
  The gentleman from Florida [Mr. Goss] has explained several waivers 
the rule provides. There was no objection to those waivers from the 
minority on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and we do 
not oppose them. They are perfectly reasonable waivers.
                              {time}  2000

  Mr. Speaker, we are also concerned about several provisions of the 
bill itself, which obviously will be debated and voted on tomorrow.
  The minority on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 
outlined its views on them in Minority and Additional Views, which we 
commend to our colleagues for their attention.
  Those views point out the controversy about the way the committee 
handles certain National Reconnaissance Office, NRO, activities. 
Because of their classified status, those problems cannot be discussed 
in detail, but Members should be aware that the chairman described 
those changes as the only major departure in the bill from the 
administration's request for the National Foreign Intelligence Program.
  The minority on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 
expressed the hope that the reservations about the NRO will be 
addressed in the conference on this legislation with the Senate.
  We are also concerned about the limit the committee placed on 
spending for the prospect of carrying out the President's Executive 
order of April 17 of this year that prescribes a uniform system for 
classifying and declassifying national security information.
  The President has properly recognized the need to ensure that 
Americans know more about the activities of their Government when it is 
possible to make that information public. As the minority wrote, and I 
quote them, ``* * * we believe that a carefully prescribed system for 
declassifying those documents which remain classified for no other 
reason than inertia is long overdue.''
  The debate in the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence over the 
cost of compliance with the Executive order will not, we hope, delay 
the implementation of that Executive order.
  Lastly, the committee agreed to continuation of the Environmental 
Task Force, which has been successful in making environmental 
information derived from intelligence more accessible to the general 
public and to the scientific community.
  We are, however, concerned about the level of funding for the task 
force; the $5 million in the bill is disappointing. We would have 
preferred something closer to the $17.6 million requested by the 
President.
  The work of the task force, which was established in 1993, has been 
very impressive. I commend to my colleagues the information in the 
Minority Views that describe some of the outstanding accomplishments 
associated with it.
  This initiative is another way to bring the information that is 
collected by intelligence assets, and that is proper to share, to 
policymakers and to scientists. It promises to help us better 
understand the consequences of long-term environmental change, and to 
help us better manage crisis situations involving natural and 
ecological disasters.
  There is no doubt that the information will benefit science and the 
environment for the well-being of all of our citizens, and we hope that 
the committee will be able to provide the task force with more funding 
in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, this is an important bill that recognizes the 
significant challenges that the U.S. intelligence community continues 
to face in adapting to the new post-cold-war world.
  We have a new Director of Central Intelligence who, we hope, will be 
able to reinforce the intelligence community's proficiencies and 
continue the reexamination of the overall roles of the intelligence 
agencies. Obviously, the intelligence community has been struggling in 
the past few years and needs to define its mission carefully, and 
properly size itself for the future.
  The Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has recommended a 
modest increase in the intelligence budget, which some Members will 
welcome and others decry. Obviously, there are different perspectives 
on what the level of spending should be; especially now, with the cuts 
in domestic spending, we will hear strong arguments that this is not 
the time for increases in the intelligence budget.
  But, we all want to ensure that the United States maintains the 
ability to 
 
[[Page H 8781]]

provide timely and reliable intelligence to its policymakers and 
military commanders, and we commend the new chairman of the Permanent 
Select Committee on Intelligence, the gentleman from Texas [Mr. 
Combest], and the ranking member, the gentleman from Washington [Mr. 
Dicks], for their cooperation and excellent work in developing this 
year's intelligence budget.
  Despite the demise of the Soviet Union, the world remains an 
unpredictable and dangerous place; we have
 only to pick up our morning newspapers or listen to a newscast to be 
aware of that. There is a need for effective intelligence, especially 
in light of the worldwide reduction of U.S. military spending and 
personnel.

  The intelligence community should continue to be encouraged to review 
their operations, discarding those that are no longer necessary and 
strengthening those that remain important. We except that we shall hear 
arguments over whether the intelligence community had been adequately 
realigned to deal with new international realities. The appropriate 
missions of an intelligence agency will always be a controversial and 
most appropriate subject in a nation founded on democratic principles.
  The debate on these issues will continue, and we appreciate the 
majority's recognition of the importance of the discussions of those 
controversial issues by providing for this modified open rule.
  In closing, I again congratulate the gentleman from Texas [Mr. 
Combest], the chairman of the committee, and the gentleman from 
Washington [Mr. Dicks], ranking minority member, for bringing this bill 
to the floor today and their excellent work in general in leading this 
important committee.
  Mr. Speaker, to repeat, we support this rule. We urge its adoption, 
so that we may proceed first thing tomorrow with consideration of the 
intelligence authorization bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for his 
personally kind remarks and I assure him he has won my admiration, and 
the admiration of all colleagues, for his steady hand at the helm of 
oversight and intelligence for so many years.
  And it is my honor to yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Texas [Mr. Combest], the distinguished chairman of the 
Permament Select Committee on Intelligence.
  Mr. COMBEST. Mr. Speaker, I rise to thank the gentleman from Florida 
[Mr. Goss], my friend and very able colleague on the Permanent Select 
Committee on Intelligence, and the gentleman from California [Mr. 
Beilenson], the continuing very able and former member and chairman of 
the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, for their support of 
the rule.
  Mr. Speaker, we think it is a good rule. We think it is one which 
will give us the opportunity to have full and open debate, and yet 
protect any classified material problems that we might have in open 
debate on the floor of the House. I would certainly commend it to my 
colleagues and urge its passage and thank the committee very much for 
its assistance in crafting a rule that was so strongly supported by the 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
  Mr. BEILENSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time and I move 
the previous question on the resolution.
  The previous question was ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid upon the table.

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