[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8779-8780]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING FILING OF H.R. 1555, INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION 
  ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2000, AND AVAILABILITY TO MEMBERS OF CLASSIFIED 
              SCHEDULE AUTHORIZATIONS IN CLASSIFIED ANNEX

  (Mr. GOSS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

[[Page 8780]]


  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I wish to announce to all Members of the House 
that the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence ordered the bill, 
H.R. 1555, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000, 
reported favorably to the House. That report will be filed tomorrow, 
Friday, May 7, under the unanimous consent just agreed to.
  I would also like to announce that the classified schedule 
authorizations in the classified annex that accompanies H.R. 1555 will 
be available for review by Members at the offices of the Permanent 
Select Committee on Intelligence, which is room H-405 of the Capitol, 
beginning any time after the bill is filed.
  The committee office will be open during regular business hours for 
the convenience of any Member who wishes to review this material prior 
to its consideration by the House.
  I anticipate that H.R. 1555 will be considered on the floor probably 
next week, but no sooner than Thursday, I am advised, and possibly 
later than that.

                              {time}  1945

  I would recommend that Members wishing to review the Classified Annex 
contact the committee's Director of Security and Registry to arrange a 
time and date for that viewing. The number is on everybody's telephone 
chart. This will assure the availability of committee staff to assist 
Members who desire that assistance during their review of these 
classified materials. I urge Members to take some time to review these 
classified documents before the bill is brought to the floor, if they 
have an interest, in order to better understand the recommendations of 
the committee.
  The Classified Annex to the committee's report contains the Permanent 
Select Committee on Intelligence's recommendations on the intelligence 
budget for fiscal year 2000 and related classified information that 
cannot be disclosed publicly. There are procedures.
  It is important that Members keep in mind the requirements of Rule 24 
of the House, clause 13. That rule only permits access to classified 
information by those Members of the House who have signed the oath set 
out in Rule 24.
  I would advise Members wishing to review the Classified Annex and its 
Classified Schedule of Authorizations that they must bring with them a 
copy of the Rule 24 oath signed by them when they come to the committee 
office to review that material. If they do not have a copy of the oath 
or cannot get one and wish to review the Classified Annex, the 
committee staff can administer the oath and see to it that it is 
executed in proper form and sent to the Clerk's office. We are happy to 
provide that service.
  Additionally, the committee will require that Members execute an 
acknowledgment form indicating that they have been granted access to 
the Classified Annex and Classified Schedule of Authorizations and that 
they are familiar with both the Rules of the House and the committee 
with respect to the classified nature of information contained in the 
Classified Annex and the limitations on disclosure of that information.
  That is a standard operating procedure for our committee. Nothing 
unusual. And we urge all who are interested to come to the committee 
and take a look at the material.

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