[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 93 (Thursday, July 8, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1319]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 23, 2004

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4548) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2005 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.

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise to express my gratitude 
to the men and women of the Intelligence Community for their service to 
our country. Indeed, hey are our nation's greatest intelligence asset.
  I also rise to express my continued concern over the Intelligence 
Community's ability to attract and retain a quality workforce that 
reflects the ethnic and cultural diversity of the United States. Doing 
so is required to ensure the Intelligence Community is properly 
postured to meet the formidable global challenges of the future.
  Data collected by the Intelligence Community demonstrates that the 
proportion of women and minorities in the Intelligence Community 
continues to be significantly lower than their representation in the 
general Federal government and private sector workforce. While some 
improvements have been made by individual agencies in select areas, one 
fact remains--Women and minorities remain underrepresented in core 
mission areas, management and senior ranks of the Intelligence 
Community. This is unlikely to change given the respective 
representation of women and minorities in student and career 
development programs, and feeder pools. Meaningful steps, including 
investment in untraditional initiatives, will be required to reverse 
this trend.
  I commend outgoing Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet for 
taking the first in a series of needed steps--the convening of a panel 
of distinguished individuals with extensive Federal government and 
private sector experience. I look forward to reviewing the panel's 
findings and recommendations, and to working with the new Director of 
Central Intelligence and individual agency directors to ensure 
implementation of constructive programs to improve the Intelligence 
Community's ability to attract and retain a diverse, highly-skilled 
workforce.

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