[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 169 (Thursday, November 20, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H11661-H11663]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    WAIVING POINTS OF ORDER AGAINST CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2417, 
          INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2004

  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call 
up House Resolution 451 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 451

       Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be 
     in order to consider the conference report to accompany the 
     bill (H.R. 2417) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
     2004 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. All points of 
     order against the conference report and against its 
     consideration are waived. The conference report shall be 
     considered as read.

  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 gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), 
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 on this matter.
  Mr. Speaker, the Committee on Rules has granted the customary rule 
for consideration of conference reports to H.R. 2417, the Intelligence 
Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2004. This is standard procedure. The 
rule is fair and without controversy as far as I know, and it does 
allow ample time for consideration of conference matters that have come 
up.
  Mr. Speaker, as in past years, we thought it best to allow Members 
ample opportunity to review the bill and debate the issues they feel 
are important to our Nation's security. This was certainly exhibited 
earlier this summer when we passed, with overwhelming bipartisan 
support, the Intelligence Authorization Act in the House. Our 
classified annex and staff have been made available to any Member of 
Congress interested in reviewing the underlying bill and the reports 
thereto.
  Today we are at the culmination of this process. The conference 
report on H.R. 2417 is critical, it is must-do legislation.
  The bill authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 2004 intelligence 
and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, 
the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency 
Retirement Account and Disability system.
  In the past 2 years, our country has made very strong steps to 
improve our Nation's intelligence-gathering capabilities, as well as 
the analysis of the results of those intelligence-gathering 
capabilities. With that said, the attacks this morning in Istanbul are 
yet again a painful reminder that every day, we must not let down our 
guard. Rather, it emphasizes work that remains to be accomplished. We 
need to strengthen our intelligence capabilities and align them to deal 
with the threats that we face today.
  This legislation convincingly moves us in the right direction by 
enhancing the depth and the capacity of all facets of our intelligence 
community. The bill provides for improved intelligence analysis and 
coordination. It continues the effort to increase our human 
intelligence resources, an area vital to the

[[Page H11662]]

security of our Nation during the war on terrorism, as we have seen 
discussed virtually every day.
  In addition, H.R. 2417 augments the information shared between 
Federal, State, and local governments and encourages strong cooperation 
in the pursuit of joint counterterrorism activities to keep our 
homeland safe.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill makes possible the important work performed by 
dedicated intelligence professionals, people who are out and about 
right now taking very high risks to get us vital information so the 
right decisions can be made to nip terrorism in the bud before it 
strikes us again. It is the product of a bipartisan agreement that we 
deal with today and, as I stated previously, another prudent step in 
the right direction for developing our capabilities in the intelligence 
community.
  For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this 
rule that will provide them with a fair forum for debate on this 
matter.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, first, let me thank my good friend, the gentleman from 
Sanibel, Florida (Mr. Goss) for yielding me this time. It is a pleasure 
to serve with the gentleman on both the Committee on Rules and the 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and, as I said last night, 
not in a self-serving way, I do not know of any two committees which 
work harder or more diligently than the two on which the gentleman and 
I serve. It turns out that we are the only two Members on both of those 
committees, and what I said last night is we must be gluttons for 
punishment.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule, providing for the 
consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 2417, the 
Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004. This bill 
authorizes classified amounts in fiscal year 2004 for 14 United States 
intelligence agencies and intelligence-related activities of the United 
States Government, including the Central Intelligence Agency and the 
National Security Agency, as well as foreign intelligence activities of 
the Defense Department, FBI, State Department, Homeland Security 
Department, and other agencies.
  Members who wish to do so, and I urge Members to do this if they have 
concerns, can go to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 
office to examine the classified schedule of authorizations for the 
programs and activities of the intelligence and intelligence-related 
activities of the national intelligence program. As I said, this 
includes authorizations for the CIA, as well as the foreign 
intelligence and counterintelligence programs within, among others, the 
Department of Defense, NSA, Department of State, Treasury and Energy, 
and the FBI. Also included in the classified documents are the 
authorizations for the tactical intelligence and related activities and 
joint military intelligence program of the Department of Defense.
  The measure covers specific and general intelligence operations 
including all of our operations that we put forward in any manner. 
Today, more than ever, we must make the creation of a strong and 
flexible intelligence apparatus one of the highest priorities of this 
body. The terrorist attacks of September 11, combined with the 
continuing threat of further attacks, underscore the importance of this 
legislation. I am pleased that it has been brought to the floor in a 
truly bipartisan manner. Thanks to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Harman), the ranking member, and the gentleman from Florida (Chairman 
Goss) and all of the members of the Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence and the specific subcommittees, a good job has been done 
on behalf of this country.
  Let me say though, Mr. Speaker, that just because this is brought 
here in a bipartisan manner does not mean that it is a perfect bill; 
far from it. There are several areas that many of us would have liked 
to have seen improved. One of them that we have an exacting concern 
about is the expansion of the executive authorities under section 374, 
the amendment of the National Financial Services Act. We feel that that 
bears further scrutiny and certainly, without judicial review in that 
section, could pose problems at some point in our future. It is 
something that many of us will continue to review.
  We also felt very strongly, and I thank my colleague, the gentleman 
from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) who will speak specifically to it, that we 
should emphasize the area of language ability in a more dramatic 
fashion.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill provides authorizations and appropriations for 
some of the most important national security programs in this great 
country. Any hesitation by this body in passing it would be a 
disservice to the American people. I urge my colleagues to support this 
rule and the underlying conference report.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes 
to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt), my good friend.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentleman from Florida 
for yielding me this time, and I thank him for his good work not only 
on the Committee on Rules, but also on the Permanent Select Committee 
on Intelligence.
  As he said, I would welcome the opportunity later to speak about the 
need to have better training in critical languages here in the United 
States, but at the moment, I would like to talk about something that is 
relevant to the rule and to the Committee on Rules.
  Here in Congress we have a responsibility, not only to appropriate 
funds, to authorize those funds, but also to oversee their expenditure. 
It is a sacred responsibility to deal with other people's money. It is 
a difficult job.
  Now, in the areas of transportation and the Department of the 
Interior and other areas, we are assisted by millions of engaged 
citizens who keep an eye out for waste or misguided programs or 
programs that are less than well-thought-out. We do not, in classified 
programs, have that advantage, so it falls to us and our staff. We have 
an excellent staff that keeps tabs on the multifarious programs of the 
intelligence community. We are blessed with a chairman who has an 
agreeable personality and demeanor and wields his gavel with 
equanimity, and an excellent ranking member who keeps us on track. But 
we have a difficult job under the best of circumstances to oversee the 
intelligence programs.
  It is made almost impossible when large fractions of the intelligence 
budget come through special appropriations, not through the normal 
course, not through the normal authorization and appropriation process, 
when in emergency allocations, money is put in without any previous 
oversight.
  So as I speak in favor of the authorization bill that we are 
considering today and hope that we approve the rule so that we can get 
to the debate and approval of this authorization bill, I would ask the 
Committee on Rules to use its considerable influence in the future to 
see that we do not appropriate large sums of money for intelligence and 
other operations without going through the customary and necessary 
authorization process. We have done that over and over again in recent 
years, and it is a disservice to the intelligence community and a 
disservice to the American people. So again, I ask the Committee on 
Rules to use its considerable influence to see that we not fall into 
that problem.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. GIBBONS), the distinguished 
chairman of our Subcommittee on Human Intelligence, Analysis and 
Counterintelligence.
  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding me this 
time.
  I want to rise in strong support of the rule for the authorization of 
the intelligence bill, H.R. 2417. I want to take just a moment to 
explain the issue of compensation reform which I think is important and 
critical to the future of the intelligence community.
  Over the years we have had a system of pay for the men and women who 
are doing the hard work of gathering intelligence for the people of 
this country.

                              {time}  1045

  And yet we have not been able to find a way to adequately compensate 
them.

[[Page H11663]]

These are individuals who are dedicated to this mission. They are not 
there because they want more money. They are there because they like 
what they do. They feel it is important for the future of this country 
and for the security of the American people. We have opportunities now 
to make sure that when we pay these individuals, we pay them correctly, 
we pay them adequately for their services. It is important that 
Congress continue this oversight.
  We have an important part of this bill that addresses the issue of 
compensation reform. I am hoping that all our colleagues will rise and 
support this bill because of the important aspect of compensation 
reform for the men and women who are doing the valiant job of 
representing this country in faraway places in the dark of night, doing 
things that most other people would not do. These are true heroes in 
the American legend. We should all stand up and thank them for the work 
they have done. And I thank the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Goss) 
for the opportunity to speak out on this rule and hope that everyone 
will support the rule.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes 
to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes), my good friend.
  Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Hastings) for yielding, and I also want to commend our chairmen and 
ranking members for the great job that they do under what, I think, are 
very difficult circumstances. And I would also associate myself with 
the comments of my colleague, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons), 
about giving good compensation for great work that is being done around 
the world for our national security by the intelligence community 
employees.
  Having said that, I also want to state that I rise in strong support 
of this rule for H.R. 2417, but I also want to note that there are many 
of us that have concerns about issues that are vitally important to our 
national security, the lack of diversity in the intelligence community, 
and certainly the lack of a good solid plan to diversify and understand 
and recruit people that know and understand and speak different 
languages and come from different cultures. Those are critical and 
important in light of the attacks of September 11.
  I would urge everyone to support this rule, but at the same time I 
also think it is vitally important that we continue to focus. And as my 
colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt), made mention, it 
is difficult in this environment because we operate in a closed 
oversight manner and we do not have the benefit of outside input and 
scrutiny. So it is critical.
  And I know that our chairman, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss), 
and the ranking member are committed to continue to work in these two 
critical areas, diversity and language proficiency. So with that, Mr. 
Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to associate myself with the remarks of 
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt), his remarks about a concern 
about disenfranchising authorizing committees by the use of 
supplemental appropriations and other such matters as has sometimes 
happened. I do believe that the authorizing committees provide a 
critical contribution, a valuable contribution to the legislation of 
this institution. And I think it is unfortunate that sometimes in the 
press of business that we sometimes bypass that wisdom and that 
contribution because of urgency or other matters, which are 
understandable, but which should be an aberration rather than the 
practice.
  And I can assure the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) and others 
who are interested that I am going to be spending some time and, 
hopefully, get a point or two across on the Committee on Rules that our 
view is that regular order is a whole lot better than supplemental 
appropriations.
  The second thing I wanted to point out, very briefly, I am well aware 
this is not a perfect bill. The gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Harman) and I and the members of the committee have worked very hard. 
We have excellent staff. This is not a perfect bill. It is a very, very 
good bill. It deserves the attention of the Members on the floor today. 
Certainly the rule is appropriate to bring it forward.
  I think I can promise on behalf of the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Harman) and all the Members that the minute this authorization 
bill passes we start on the next authorization bill. And there is 
plenty to be done.
  There are a number of things we will hear about in the debate later 
today. These are things that we already have taken aboard, and we will 
be pushing hard on. So I am convinced that from the legislative 
perspective we are doing the job that the people of this country have 
asked us to take on in the oversight, and I am very proud to be part of 
that effort.
  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 resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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