[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 2 (Thursday, January 9, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE RATIO CHANGE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I announce to my colleagues that one of the 
resolutions just adopted relates to necessary committee ratio changes 
for the 105th Congress. I note this allows for an increase of one seat 
on the Intelligence Committee from both sides of the aisle. The 
Democratic leader and I are allowing for this increase in the size of 
the Intelligence Committee for this Congress only due to the great 
interest in serving on this important committee from Members on both 
sides of the aisle and also because of the seriousness of some of the 
matters they will be considering and wanting to make sure that we are 
complying with the statute.
  One of the things we have been trying to do as we started this year 
is to take a look at what the rules are and what the statutes require 
and try to comply with that. The statute is clear about wanting to have 
at least two from the Armed Services Committee, two from the Judiciary 
Committee, and two from Foreign Relations. I think it is particularly 
important that we have Members from the Armed Services Committee on 
Intelligence because so much of what they do has an Armed Services 
Committee relationship. In fact, the hearings on the funding for that 
committee, I believe, always have to report to the Armed Services 
Committee.
  This change in the numbers will be only for this Congress, and then 
we will work in the next Congress back toward the statutory number of 
8-7. We may want to come down maybe two steps, 9-8, but we should try 
to be in compliance with the statutes on the numbers as well as the 
committee jurisdiction and representation on that committee.
  Again, I state that following this Congress it would be our intention 
to reduce the size, but we will do that only in working with the 
Democratic leader. This is the only committee, also, that only has a 
one-seat difference, and the statute requires that. All the others have 
two.
  I wonder if the Democratic leader would like to comment on that?
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, the majority leader and I have had a 
number of conversations about this particular issue, and I have 
discussed the matter in great detail with the ranking member of the 
Intelligence Committee. He shares the view, given the agenda and given 
the legal need to ensure the representation as is required by law, that 
only on a one-time interim basis an additional Armed Services Committee 
member needs to be placed on the committee.
  As the majority leader has indicated, this is one time and one time 
only. This is an interim assignment. We intend to work with him to 
bring the committee size down to its legal, permanent size in the 
ensuing Congresses. So I urge people to recognize the intention here, 
and that is to accommodate the chair and the ranking member of the 
Intelligence Committee and to accommodate their agenda.
  I am certainly in agreement with this approach and appreciate the 
opportunity to work through this particular matter as we have.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I want to thank the Democratic leader for 
the attention he has joined me in giving to the Intelligence Committee. 
It is a very important committee, and I am not sure we have always 
given it the consideration that it should have, but we have done it 
this time. I am very pleased with what the result has been.

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