[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 106 (Thursday, September 9, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8977-S8978]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REFORM OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I very briefly want to speak to a meeting 
that the leadership, not just elected leadership but leadership and 
interested parties, both Democrats and Republicans, had yesterday with 
the President of the United States, with the Senate and House 
represented. It was a very good meeting.
  The focus of that meeting was to discuss the President's views, his 
plans to reform the intelligence community. The focus of this body for 
a long time, but very specifically since the 9/11 Commission report 
recommendations were made, has been on the safety and security of the 
American people as it is reflected in the 9/11 Commission report and 
our study of that report.

[[Page S8978]]

  Between the House and the Senate, over 20 different hearings were 
held during August. I thank our colleagues for working very hard in 
collecting information and assessing people's ideas and thoughts from 
experts from around the world--from around the country and around the 
world--on the recommendations that were made by the 9/11 Commission.
  Our meeting yesterday was another step at the committee level and on 
the floor of the Senate, as we are on the Homeland Security bill and as 
we address other bills, and in meetings such as at the White House. 
There is a real bipartisan commitment to making progress, not a knee-
jerk reaction but progress on intelligence reform.
  The President discussed with us his plan to complete the 
reorganization of the executive branch, consistent with those 
recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. He asked for our support. He 
says he does expect legislation, recognizing that once we leave in 
October, we will have November and January when we are not in session, 
and it is important for this reorganization to take place.
  I think there was clear support for what the President presented 
yesterday, a general consensus that we need to continue to move 
forward.
  As I outlined on Tuesday, and as the Democratic leader and I outlined 
prior to the recess, immediately after the 9/11 Commission report, we 
have two arms in this body addressing the recommendations. First, in no 
particular order, but to look outside this body, what is going on in 
the executive branch, and that has been delegated to the appropriate 
committee of jurisdiction, the Governmental Affairs Committee, under 
the very able leadership of Senator Collins and Senator Lieberman. They 
worked through August diligently collecting information on this 
assignment.
  There are many committees of jurisdiction, and those committees have 
participated with the Governmental Affairs Committee. They will likely 
mark up specific legislation the week of September 20, and then that 
bill will be brought to the floor the following week.
  The only reason I am that specific about days is to share with our 
colleagues the sense of urgency and the sense that we do not have that 
many legislative days.
  What is in that bill specifically and how far it goes is really up to 
that committee, taking the very best from all of the committees and all 
of our colleagues in the Senate, as well as the advice of outside 
experts. That is one arm.
  The other arm addresses the internal reform that really applies to 
two very important of the 41 recommendations by the 9/11 Commission, 
and that the Democratic leader and I have delegated to a task force 
that has been appointed to collect information and to discuss that 
information and to advise us how best to proceed.
  Our majority and minority whips, Senator McConnell and Senator Reid, 
are representing the chairs of that task force; that is, to look at the 
best way the Senate should be organized in this newly transformed 
world, internal organization, committees, new committees, changing 
jurisdiction. It is a tough issue because in each case it involves a 
change where somebody has to give up something or, in their mind, they 
are giving up something.
  The good thing about it is it is going to be bipartisan, working 
together. We are talking about the safety and security of the American 
people, and when people say this sort of task cannot be done in a 
highly charged political environment with Presidential races and races 
in this body, when it comes down to the safety and security of the 
American people and the appropriate oversight of the intelligence upon 
which that safety and security is protected, partisanship gets put 
aside.
  We are on a very tight schedule. There is a lot to be discussed, a 
lot to be debated. I am confident that with the focus and with the 
bipartisan effort we will get this done.
  Quickly, and it has been covered a little bit in the press today, the 
President's plan calls for a number of substantial changes. First and 
foremost is the appointment of the national intelligence director--
people are now getting comfortable with this--the ``NID,'' which is the 
national intelligence director.
  As the President described, the post would be as follows: The new 
director would be appointed by and report to the President, to be 
confirmed by the Senate. He or she will act as the principal adviser to 
the President. He or she would not be located in the Executive Office 
of the President or serve as a member of the President's Cabinet.
  The real news, if one looks at the headlines and the interpretation 
of what the President says, is this full budget authority by the 
national intelligence director. That director would be responsible for 
developing objectives and guidance for the intelligence community to 
ensure the timely and effective collection, analysis, processing, and 
dissemination of national intelligence for the country; of determining 
and establishing requirements and priorities for intelligence 
collection; of establishing intelligence analysis and production 
priorities for the intelligence community, and directing the national 
counterterrorism center.
  The NID would have full budget authority over the national foreign 
intelligence program appropriation and would have the necessary 
authority to carry out reforms we agree are so crucial to our Nation's 
security.
  There are a lot more details and these details will be coming forward 
over the next several days, but this short description gives a general 
outline of the direction the President has requested that we move.

  The purpose of creating this new post is to improve how we collect 
data, analyze data, and how we act upon intelligence data across 
agencies in order to strengthen America's defenses and stop terrorism 
before it ever hits. This will make us safer abroad and I believe it 
will clearly make us safer and more secure at home.
  I commend the President for his decisive leadership in this regard. 
He is committed to protecting the American people. As the President 
pointed out yesterday, many of the reforms suggested by the 9/11 
Commission report had been and were being addressed by the 
administration. Mention was made yesterday that the administration had 
addressed 36 of the Commission's 41 recommendations.
  I look forward to working with leaders on both sides of the aisle and 
with both Chambers of Congress. It is going to take a lot of 
coordination working in the House, the Senate, and the administration. 
We do not have very much time. We have 22 legislative days remaining in 
this body, but I know there is bipartisan agreement on the security of 
the United States and that agreement means we cannot wait and push this 
off until sometime in the future.
  How much is addressed and what the specifics are has not yet been 
determined, and that is what is being worked on at the committee level 
and at the task force level right now. Protecting our fellow Americans 
from attack is the Government's highest duty. From the Oval Office to 
the Capitol steps, we are working hard to move America forward and to 
win this war on terror. That will very much be the focus of the Senate 
for the next 22 days, the security and safety of the American people.

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