[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 26, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E453]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING JOANNE O'ROURKE ISHAM, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL 
                  AFFAIRS, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

                                 ______


                           HON. LARRY COMBEST

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 26, 1996

  Mr. COMBEST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call special attention to 
the dedicated work of Ms. Joanne Isham as Director of Congressional 
Affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency. Ms. Isham served in this 
demanding job for 2 years, taking over the office in a period of 
controversy following the reprimand of several CIA employees for their 
handling of the Aldrich Ames spy case. She recognized that the CIA's 
relations with the Congress were badly damaged by the spy case and set 
about immediately to improve them.
  Mr. Speaker, I witnessed a dramatic shift in the Agency's posture 
with the Congress following Ms. Isham's appointment. She initiated a 
series of reforms to ensure that the Intelligence Committees were kept 
fully and completely informed of significant developments at the 
Central Intelligence Agency. She accomplished this turnaround not with 
a heavy hand, but with fair and even-tempered management. Ms. Isham 
kept me fully apprised of significant developments in the intelligence 
community. She earned the committee's respect in a most difficult 
undertaking.
  Ms. Isham has now been promoted to be Associate Deputy Director for 
the CIA's Directorate for Science and Technology. This is a new 
position that will enable her to capitalize on her strong relations 
with the Congress and many years of experience in the CIA to bring a 
strategic and more corporate management team to the CIA's Directorate 
for Science and Technology. We will miss her at Congressional Affairs, 
but look forward to working with her in this new capacity.
  Finally, I want to note that, in recognition of her work, she was 
awarded the Contract With America's Distinguished Intelligence Medal by 
Director John Deutch on March 18, 1995, in recognition for her 
outstanding leadership and management of the Office of Congressional 
Affairs. I want to thank her for her service to her country and her 
unstinting bipartisan work on behalf of the intelligence community.

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