[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 24 (Thursday, March 7, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H768-H769]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PROVIDING AMOUNTS FOR FURTHER EXPENSES OF PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON 
            INTELLIGENCE IN SECOND SESSION OF 107TH CONGRESS

  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on 
House Administration be discharged from further consideration of the 
resolution (H. Res. 359) providing amounts for further expenses of the 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in the second session of the 
One Hundred Seventh Congress, and ask for its immediate consideration 
in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I take this 
time to ask the distinguished chairman of the Committee on House 
Administration for an explanation of his unanimous consent request.
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. HOYER. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 359 is a supplemental funding 
resolution for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
  Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues know, each Congress passes a committee 
funding resolution to authorize committee spending. My colleague and I, 
the gentleman from Maryland, passed a very good and effective committee 
funding resolution that keeps the House in proper movement.
  This process normally occurs at the beginning of each Congress. The 
committee funding process for the 107th Congress was completed in March 
of 2001 with the overwhelming passage and overwhelming bipartisan 
agreement of House Resolution 84, a bipartisan initiative which not 
only provided committees with the necessary resources to carry out 
their important work, but which also set new standards for allocating 
funds between majority and minority staffs.
  I want to again thank the gentleman from Maryland and all the members 
of the committees, both sides of the aisle, ranking members and Chairs 
of the committees, for their tremendous and great cooperation.
  Those funds more than adequately provided for committees to do the 
necessary work which they are charged to do in the 107th Congress. 
Unfortunately, because of the tragic and devastating attacks of 
September 11, we find it necessary to come to the House floor to seek 
additional spending authority for the House Permanent Select Committee 
on Intelligence.
  The increased spending authority would be used to fund a joint 
bicameral inquiry with our counterparts from the other body into the 
activities of the intelligence community before, during, and since the 
September 11 terrorist attacks. Among the purposes of this joint effort 
is ascertaining why the intelligence community did not learn of the 
conspiracy to launch the September 11 attacks in advance and to 
identify what, if anything, might be done to better position the 
intelligence community to warn of and prevent future terrorist attacks 
and other threats in the 21st century.
  The investigation will principally focus on the U.S. intelligence 
agencies and their activities, as well as the interaction between 
intelligence agencies and nonintelligence entities associated with our 
national security. Based on their findings, the committee may seek to 
enact changes in order to remedy any systemic deficiencies revealed by 
the joint inquiry.
  The decision to conduct a bicameral bipartisan review by the two 
intelligence committees is supported by both the gentleman from Florida 
(Mr. Goss), chairman, and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), 
the ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence, along with the chairman and ranking member of the Senate 
Select Committee on Intelligence.
  Review of the activities of the intelligence community through this 
joint effort is necessary for several reasons. To begin with, the two 
intelligence committees, House and Senate, are best suited by 
experience and practice to protect classified information. Since a 
significant portion of the investigation must include review and access 
to highly sensitive classified materials in order to fully understand 
intelligence actions, review by both committees is appropriate and 
needed.
  Secondly, due to the fact that our Nation will be involved for some 
time in the war against terrorism, a bicameral review will allow the 
most effective use of time and manpower for those agencies that are 
still involved in protecting, investigating, and compiling information 
for our continued campaign against terror.
  Third, by offering to approach the investigation in this manner, the 
committees have secured White House assurances that access to critical 
information necessary to do a thorough job will absolutely be provided.

  And, finally, the unprecedented nature of the terrorist attacks 
demands an unprecedented response. An inquiry by the elected 
representatives of the people will ensure that we give the American 
people the explanation they deserve regarding the events of that 
infamous day.
  The inquiry will consist of joint hearings, both open and closed, and 
will be conducted once the initial data gathering and interviews are 
completed. The inquiry is expected to last through the 107th Congress 
and could quite possibly extend into the next Congress, though this 
resolution only authorizes funds for this Congress.
  Should the work continue into the 108th Congress, the House rules 
regarding interim committee funding will be

[[Page H769]]

used to continue funding the committee, the inquiry, and all other 
committees as usual.
  So, Mr. Speaker, we come to the floor today with a resolution to 
authorize $1.6 million in additional spending authority for the House 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Although the committee 
already received an increase in its funding for efforts regarding 
terrorism, that effort is looking more broadly into terrorism and our 
Nation's preparedness rather than focusing in, in a comprehensive way, 
on the specific day of September 11. As I stated earlier, the resources 
made available to the committee which were allocated in the beginning 
of the committee funding process for the 107th could not have possibly 
taken into account what happened to this country on September 11. That 
is why it is necessary for us to augment both the funding levels and 
staff levels for the committee so that they may conduct a proper 
inquiry.
  The amount being requested is approximately one-half of the total 
amount needed to hire staff and cover related administrative expenses, 
such as office supplies, travel, and computer systems. The other body, 
in separate action, has already allocated funds to its committees for 
the same purposes.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I ask for support of this resolution. We all 
know if we fail to learn from the mistakes of the past we are doomed to 
repeat them. I hope this inquiry will help us to learn from our 
mistakes so we can avoid a recurrence of these horrific events.
  In closing, I would also note that this House was ahead of its time. 
Because last year, when we did the funding resolution, we gave the 
proper increases to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 
before we ever could have dreamed what would have happened here in the 
United States. This, again, I think, is ahead of its time so that we 
can look back into what happened to help us in the future, not only to 
protect the United States but to, frankly, protect the world.
  I thank the distinguished gentleman from Maryland for not only his 
cooperation but for yielding to me.
  Mr. HOYER. Further reserving my right to object, Mr. Speaker, I yield 
to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the distinguished 
ranking member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and 
the minority whip.
  (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to revise and extend her 
remarks.)
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for his 
leadership and that of the distinguished chairman for facilitating this 
request and bringing it to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation.
  Next Monday is the six-month anniversary of the terrorist attacks in 
New York City, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon. With the war against 
the al Qaeda network, and terrorism generally, well underway, it is 
important that the process of determining why the September 11 attacks 
were not prevented receive appropriate attention in Congress.
  The performance of the intelligence agencies is an essential part of 
the September 11 story, and it is the responsibility of the House and 
Senate intelligence committees to thoroughly assess that performance. 
It is the judgment of the committees that a joint inquiry is the best 
way to get at the facts and recommend changes as supported by the 
facts. The committees intend that the inquiry will ascertain why the 
agencies did not learn of the attacks in advance and identify what, if 
anything, might be done to better position the agencies to warn of, or 
prevent, future terrorist actions against the United States.
  The joint inquiry will be a considerable challenge and will require 
additional resources, primarily for staff. The measure now under 
consideration provides these resources, and I urge its adoption so that 
we may proceed as quickly as possible on this important task. 
Additional resources and staff positions have been provided by the 
Senate. It should be made clear that, although we intend for this 
inquiry to be comprehensive as far as the intelligence agencies are 
concerned, it will not be exhaustive of all of the issues surrounding 
the September 11 attacks. Other committees may want to examine matters 
within their jurisdiction and, at some point, it may be appropriate to 
consider the creation of an entity outside of Congress to take an 
across the board look at all of the components of the September 11 
disaster. Our purpose in undertaking this joint inquiry, and in seeking 
funds to do it properly, is not to foreclose any other review, but to 
ensure that the intelligence committees properly discharge the 
oversight responsibility given to them by the House and Senate.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, under my reservation of objection, I 
certainly join the chairman of the Committee on House Administration in 
strong support of this funding resolution, which I think is 
appropriate, and I congratulate both the chairman and the ranking 
member, as well as the other body for the process that they have 
adopted to proceed on this matter, which I think will be efficient and 
effective.
  Mr. Goss. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strongest possible 
support for the passage of this resolution, which will provide urgently 
needed funds to support an unprecedented bipartisan and bicameral 
inquiry. This joint congressional inquiry, involving the Members and 
staff of both the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and 
the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has several critical 
tasks: first, to review the events and the actions of our Government 
leading up to the terrorist attacks of last September; second, to 
ascertain accountability within our Government for the management of 
counterterrorist and homeland security functions, focusing specifically 
on our intelligence mechanisms; and third, to ensure that our 
Government is properly informed and prepared with accurate and timely 
intelligence to stop current and future terrorist attacks against our 
Nation and our people.
  This joint inquiry is being handled on an urgent basis by the 
leadership of both parties in both Houses and with the full cooperation 
of the relevant agencies of the executive branch. This inquiry is 
critically important to enhancing our Nation's security against the 
threat posed by global terrorism and to strengthening public confidence 
that our intelligence and law enforcement agencies are fully prepared 
to defuse the terrorist threats that now confront our Nation.
  I want to thank the Ranking Member for her participation and her 
counsel in structuring the joint inquiry with the other body. I also 
want to express my sincere appreciation to Chairman Ney and Mr. Hoyer 
of the House Administration Committee for their close cooperation and 
advice in moving the joint inquiry forward on an expedited basis.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 359

       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. FURTHER EXPENSES OF THE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE 
                   ON INTELLIGENCE.

       For further expenses of the Permanent Select Committee on 
     Intelligence, there shall be paid out of the applicable 
     accounts of the House of Representatives not more than 
     $1,600,000.

     SEC. 2. LIMITATION.

       Amounts shall be available under this resolution for 
     expenses incurred during the period beginning at noon on 
     January 3, 2002, and ending immediately before noon on 
     January 3, 2003.

     SEC. 3. VOUCHERS.

       Payments under this resolution shall be made on vouchers 
     authorized by the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, 
     signed by the chairman of such committee, and approved in the 
     manner directed by the Committee on House Administration.

     SEC. 4. REGULATIONS.

       Amounts made available under this resolution shall be 
     expended in accordance with regulations prescribed by the 
     Committee on House Administration.

     SEC. 5. ADJUSTMENT AUTHORITY.

       The Committee on House Administration shall have authority 
     to make adjustments in amounts under section 1, if necessary 
     to comply with an order of the President issued under section 
     254 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act 
     of 1985 or to conform to any reduction in appropriations for 
     the purposes of such section 1.

  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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