[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16188-16198]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2004

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 295 and rule 
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House 
on the State of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 2417.
  The Chair designates the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson) as 
Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, and requests the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Ose) to assume the chair temporarily.

                              {time}  1635


                     In the Committee of the Whole

  Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the 
Whole House on the State of the Union for the consideration of 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, with Mr. Ose (Chairman pro tempore) in the chair.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The CHAIRMAN pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is 
considered as having been read the first time.
  Under the rule, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) and the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss).
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I am very pleased to bring the Intelligence Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2004 to the floor today. As always, this authorization is 
the culmination of both an intensive review of the intelligence budget 
request and the rigorous oversight of the Intelligence Community that 
the committee conducts on an ongoing basis. And I mean ongoing basis. 
That involves Members and staff here in Washington and elsewhere around 
the globe.
  In putting together this legislation and schedule of authorizations, 
the committee must first answer the question, what is the state of 
America's Intelligence Community? Overall there have been some 
significant improvements since the low point we hit in the last decade, 
and I am pleased about that. I applaud the President for making needed 
investments in intelligence capabilities and his appreciation for 
intelligence as a vital element of the national security of our Nation.
  I am pleased to say that our intelligence authorization comes very 
close to the number that the President has asked for. In dollar terms, 
we have basically come in at exactly the level of the President's 
request. Within that framework and building on the progress made to 
date, the committee has been able to accomplish quite a bit. Among 
other things, the bill before us provides full support for the 
Intelligence Community's efforts in the war on terrorism, job one. It 
postures the United States for the future with a unified overhead 
imagery intelligence architecture.
  I just can put it this way. We have been well served by technology 
for a number of years. Technology gets old, just like the rest of us, 
and gets fragile. We need to be in a position to keep a robust 
architecture of the best technology available and this bill goes a long 
way to doing that.
  This bill also makes needed investments in analysis and analytic 
tools. Anybody who has followed the progress of the 9/11 joint review 
done with our colleagues in the Senate and our committees have come to 
the conclusion that a big part of the problem lies in the coordination 
and making the whole analytical piece work better. We have focused 
rather extensively on that this year. It is not a new subject for us.
  We also address counterintelligence concerns stemming from such 
celebrated cases tragically as the Hanssen case and the Montes 
espionage cases. These cases did do us damage and there are others that 
can as well. Counterintelligence becomes even more important because we 
understand counterintelligence may stop people from doing damaging 
things to Americans here at home.
  In addition, the bill continues the committee's push for improved and 
aggressive human intelligence tools and capabilities. Human 
intelligence, spying, espionage, getting enemies' plans and intentions 
is the core business of intelligence.
  On the homeland front, homeland security is very much part of our 
mission in the sense that we must authorize the establishment of some 
connection between our foreign intelligence and our domestic 
authorities who are dealing with the problems on the homeland. So we 
authorize the establishment of a pilot program to enable State and 
local authorities to gather terrorist threat related information and 
push it upward to the Federal level.
  The Intelligence Community must be forward leaning on this. As we 
have discovered consistently through our oversight and through the 
joint inquiry into the events of September 11, the United States does 
not have the luxury to be complacent about its national security 
requirements. Risk aversion, inattention to detail, lack of investment 
in capabilities, these are not options that the American people are 
willing to accept and certainly the committee is not willing to accept.
  Mr. Chairman, I am also pleased that H.R. 2417 continues the 
nonpartisan

[[Page 16189]]

tradition of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of 
reaching consensus. This is entirely appropriate because partisanship 
has no place in a debate over America's security. None at all. This 
measure was reported out of the committee by a unanimous vote of 16-0. 
And I daresay, we did not start with a piece of paper that we all 
agreed on. We got to 16-0 by dealing with some things that we did not 
necessarily all agree on but we did it in a responsible and, I would 
say, adult way, understanding that the flag we work for is the flag of 
this country, not the flag for any other agenda.
  I urge the House to support H.R. 2417. I will look forward to making 
comments on individual amendments as they come along.
  Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
and rise in support of H.R. 2417.
  First, I want to thank the chairman of our committee for the way he 
runs the committee. His approach is constructive, collaborative and 
cooperative and shows a real willingness to work with every member of 
the committee. I have had the privilege of serving on the Permanent 
Select Committee on Intelligence for 6 years. Chairman Goss has 
gracefully and competently chaired the committee since 1997 and my 
predecessors as ranking member during my service include the late and 
great Julian Dixon and our able leader the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Pelosi). The membership of our committee is truly talented, 
diverse and hardworking, and deeply committed to fulfilling its 
oversight duties and responsibilities to the House. By the way, Mr. 
Chairman, so is our staff. Committee members and staff worked closely 
together to craft a bill that provides new and better capabilities to 
fight the war on terrorism as well as address a range of global 
challenges. As we have just heard from our chairman, it is a good bill 
and it received the unanimous vote of our committee.
  An excellent summary of the public portions of our bill has been 
presented by the chairman, so I will not repeat it. The committee made 
thorough but sensible decisions to focus resources on the highest 
priority intelligence collections programs and placed limitations on 
certain new programs until they are defined in more detail. The bill 
also supports the strategic vision of the committee for strengthening 
the Intelligence Community. It provides additional support for all-
source analysis and encourages virtual reorganization for better 
information sharing and collaboration across the agencies.
  Mr. Chairman, whatever the details of this intelligence authorization 
bill, we all know that it was developed at a time of heightened concern 
about the nature and quality of the intelligence that led to the 
decision to go to war in Iraq. I know that there are questions on both 
sides of the aisle about this intelligence, questions which our 
committee is already asking. While an independent commission or other 
mechanism might be needed at some later date, the members of our 
committee have now initiated an investigation and I would like to spend 
a few minutes discussing our effort.
  As our colleagues know, I voted to authorize the use of military 
force against Iraq because I believed the intelligence case was 
compelling. The Intelligence Community judged that Iraq possessed 
weapons of mass destruction and the danger, in the President's words, 
was grave and gathering. The aftermath of the war has revealed just how 
brutal Saddam Hussein's regime was. The discovery of mass graves in 
Iraq and the gut-wrenching grief of families victimized by the regime 
speak for themselves.
  To date, however, coalition forces have only uncovered two suspected 
Iraqi mobile biological warfare agent production plants. Coalition 
forces have yet to uncover chemical or biological weapons or further 
evidence of Iraqi links to terrorism. Where are Iraq's chemical and 
biological weapons? Why can't our forces find them? For our committee, 
these questions have loomed over the preparation of this authorization 
bill. It has been anything but business as usual.
  On May 22, Chairman Goss and I sent a letter to the Director of 
Central Intelligence, George Tenet, expressing the committee's interest 
in learning in detail how the intelligence picture regarding Iraq's WMD 
and ties to terrorism was developed. The chairman and I have also met 
twice with the Director on this subject. In response to our request, 
the Intelligence Community has provided 19 volumes of information on 
Iraq's WMD programs and ties to terrorism. On June 12, the chairman and 
I announced the bipartisan and unanimous commitment of our committee to 
a serious, focused, comprehensive review of the quality and objectivity 
of prewar intelligence. We announced that we would hold hearings, 
closed and open--open means public--to question senior administration 
and intelligence officials about the prewar intelligence on Iraq's WMD 
and its links to terrorism.

                              {time}  1645

  I think it is very important that the committee hold public hearings, 
and I have the gentleman from Florida's (Chairman Goss) personal 
commitment that we will. I hope our first hearing will occur in July. 
Our committee also decided to produce a written, unclassified report as 
promptly as possible, and in addition we agreed to give all House 
Members access to the materials provided by the intelligence community 
in response to the committee's request, under appropriate security 
conditions and House rules.
  Last week our committee held two hearings in connection with our 
investigation, one examining the October, 2002, National Intelligence 
Estimate on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs and the other 
on the current search for Iraq's weapons. While we are still at an 
early stage in this investigation, I want to comment on what we have 
reviewed so far.
  First, past possession of WMD. We know that Iraq had chemical and 
biological weapons in the past. In the 1980s the Iraqi military used 
chemical weapons against Iran and the Kurds. In the 1990s Iraq admitted 
to U.N. weapons inspectors that it had produced over 8,400 liters of 
anthrax and 3.9 tons of the chemical warfare agent VX. Drawing on both 
direct and circumstantial evidence collected over many years, the 
intelligence community also concluded that Iraq had people, planning 
documents, and equipment to support WMD production.
  Number two, hiding WMD. The agents that comprise weapons of mass 
destruction are exceedingly easy to hide, a point neither the 
administration nor the intelligence community made adequately clear 
before the war in Iraq. Five hundred metric tons of bulk chemical 
agents would fill a backyard swimming pool. Biological agents can be 
hidden in small vials in private residences. But it is not so easy to 
hide delivery vehicles like unmanned aerial drones, missiles, or 
munitions. That none of these other harder-to-hide items has been found 
is cause for real concern.
  Number three, overstating the case. When discussing Iraq's WMD, 
administration officials rarely included the caveats and qualifiers 
attached to the intelligence community's judgments. Secretary of State 
Powell, for example, told the U.N. Security Council that ``we know that 
Saddam Hussein is determined to keep his weapons of mass destruction . 
. . '' On the eve of war, President Bush said, ``Intelligence gathered 
by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime 
continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever 
devised.'' And on a March 30 Sunday news show, Defense Secretary 
Rumsfeld said that he knew where the WMD were located. Bogus 
information on Iraq's alleged nuclear connection to Niger was even 
included in the President's State of the Union Address. For many 
Americans, the administration's certainty gave the impression that 
there was even stronger intelligence about Iraq's possession of and 
intention to use WMD.
  Number four, circumstantial evidence. The committee is now 
investigating whether the intelligence case

[[Page 16190]]

on Iraq's WMD was based on circumstantial evidence rather than hard 
facts and whether the intelligence community made clear to the policy-
makers and Congress that most of its analytic judgments were based on 
things like aerial photographs and Iraqi defector interviews, not hard 
facts. This is an issue that we have to explore.
  And, finally, number five, weak ties to al Qaeda. Iraq did have ties 
to terrorist groups, but the investigation suggests that the 
intelligence linking al Qaeda to Iraq, a prominent theme in the 
administration's statements prior to the war, contradictary contrary to 
what was claimed by the administration. Much remains to be investigated 
in this area.
  Mr. Chairman, the highest priority of our committee, and I think of 
our Nation, remains finding and dismantling Iraq's WMD. It is 
counterintuitive to think that Iraq destroyed its weapons and did not 
report this to the United Nations. It is conceivable that Saddam 
destroyed them on the eve of or even after the start of the war once he 
recognized the futility of using them and the political advantage of 
keeping the United States from finding them; but the more likely 
scenario is that he buried or dispersed his weapons of mass destruction 
and that some may now be in the hands of terrorist groups outside of 
Iraq or counterinsurgents in Iraq who continue to harm and kill U.S. 
and British troops.
  But even if Iraq's chemical and biological weapons are found 
tomorrow, and I hope they are, these issues warrant scrutiny by the 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. It is already clear that 
there were flaws in U.S. intelligence. Iraq's WMD was not located where 
the intelligence community thought it might be. Chemical weapons were 
not used in the war despite the intelligence community's judgment that 
their use was likely. I urge this administration not to contemplate 
military action, especially preemptive action, in Iran, North Korea or 
Syria until these issues are cleared up. Certainly this Member would 
not support such action until these matters are cleared up.
  As the committee moves forward with its investigation, we need also 
be mindful of the burden the intelligence agencies are carrying, not 
only in Iraq but also in the war on terrorism in other areas of the 
world. Our Nation is best served by an effective intelligence 
community, not one hobbled by risk aversion and finger-pointing. The 
committee's review must be based on facts, which I and others intend to 
follow unflinchingly wherever they may lead.
  Our Nation needs a robust intelligence budget, which this 
authorization bill supports. At the same time, the committee's 
immediate priority is to resolve the questions regarding Iraq's weapons 
of mass destruction and ties to terrorist groups. If the answers 
dictate changes in the future intelligence budgets or policy, I am 
committed to bringing those recommendations forward. Meanwhile, this 
authorization bill deserves our strong support.
  Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased that we are going to have a 
lot of Member participation in the general debate today.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. 
Gibbons), the chairman of the Human Intelligence, Analysis and 
Counterintelligence Subcommittee.
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the intelligence 
authorization bill, and I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) 
for yielding me this time.
  This bill addresses vital intelligence needs, and may I say there is 
no greater need nor more important need, in my view, than the need for 
more and better human intelligence, also known as HUMINT. For America's 
intelligence community, fighting terrorism, as the chairman has said, 
is job one and rightly so. In order to learn the plans and intentions 
of America's terrorist enemies, which we must do to defend against 
another terrorist attack, we must improve the quality and quantity of 
intelligence from human sources. Technology certainly can help, but it 
has limited application. For instance, the overhead collection systems 
of the Cold War era continue to be a wonderful resource. However, they 
are not much good for tracking individual terrorists, and they 
certainly cannot get inside the heads of those individuals who are 
plotting to kill Americans. For that we must have HUMINT. HUMINT is the 
force multiplier.
  As good as the information is that the National Security Agency 
collects, it is that much more powerful when HUMINT officers down on 
the ground locate individuals who can tell them just what those 
electronic signals mean while talking to them in their native language. 
This authorization bill recognizes this fact, and I am very proud of 
the significant bipartisan support given to our HUMINT capabilities by 
the community.
  As I have said previously, throughout much of the 1990s there was a 
debate about whether America really needed to spend so much money on 
defense; and as for intelligence, some people even said there was no 
longer any need for the CIA. Mr. Chairman, that debate is long over. 
The task before us now is to continue to provide the necessary 
resources for HUMINT programs so that our policymakers can have a 
better, more detailed understanding of what the intelligence analysis 
means.
  Unfortunately, the HUMINT programs of the CIA, America's premier 
HUMINT agency, were nearly starved to death during the mid-1990s; and 
with the help from the House Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence, the Congress, and now a supportive administration, those 
programs are being resuscitated and brought back to new life. But 
despite this renewed commitment, the CIA still has to surge to cover 
the world's hot spots. This needs to change, and this bill helps us get 
there.
  The men and women of the CIA wherever they are found are doing a 
wonderful job; but they need encouragement, they need support from 
Congress, and they need the support of the American people. Our 
committee has again this year, under the leadership of the chairman and 
with the support of the ranking member, made the commitment to provide 
the resources to properly support these fine people to add to their 
numbers, to improve their foreign language skills, and to get them 
overseas where they are needed and needed badly. The support for the 
effort of these people must be sustained and a vote on H.R. 2417 is a 
perfect expression of that support. I urge my colleagues to support 
this bill.
  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Reyes), a very valuable member of our committee.
  Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman, ranking member, for 
yielding me this time.
  I want to thank the chairman for his leadership, along with our 
ranking member, in presenting a bill that I think addresses many of the 
concerns that many Members of Congress have expressed to a number of us 
on the committee.
  H.R. 2417 expresses, among other things, the committee's deep and 
longstanding concern about the lack of progress made by the 
intelligence community in diversifying its workforce, especially in the 
senior ranks and the core mission areas. In fiscal year 2002, the 
intelligence community had a smaller proportion of women and minorities 
than the Federal Government workforce and the civilian workforce at 
large. Women and minorities continue to be especially underrepresented 
in senior grades GS-13 through 15 and in Senior Intelligence and 
Executive Services positions.
  This bill requires that the Director of Central Intelligence submit a 
report outlining the current diversity action plan including short- and 
long-term goals. This report should also include the DCI's plan for 
implementing diversity initiatives across the intelligence community 
and plans for measuring the progress made by the individual agencies in 
the intelligence community. The bill limits the use of a portion of the 
money authorized to be appropriated to the Community Management Account 
until such time as the

[[Page 16191]]

Director of Central Intelligence reports to this committee on his plan 
for implementing an effective and a meaningful diversity plan.
  Diversity in the workforce is a corporate imperative. It is critical 
to defeating global threats and simply makes good business sense. 
Therefore, the committee will look to the Director of Central 
Intelligence and each intelligence community agency director to ensure 
that more is done to diversify the intelligence workforce. The DCI and 
agency heads are also urged to take diversity into account when 
selecting officers to fill the many senior management vacancies in the 
agencies across the intelligence community. It makes good business 
sense. Therefore, I strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2417.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), who is the chairman of the 
Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee who has done an 
extraordinary job on a very difficult subject.
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 2417, the 
Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004.

                              {time}  1700

  I want to pay my respects and admiration to both the chairman and the 
ranking member who I think are extraordinary public servants and do a 
great job for our committee.
  As chair of the HPSCI's Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland 
Security, I am continuously impressed by the men and women of the 
Intelligence Community. Over the past year, we have witnessed 
significant success in the war on terrorism, to include the capture of 
a number of significant terrorist operatives around the world. The men 
and women of the Intelligence Community have worked tirelessly to 
deter, disrupt, and destroy terrorist capabilities wherever they 
threaten our interests, and they have performed remarkably in support 
of our successful military action in Iraq. Their ability to carry out 
their mission is due, at least in part, to the support provided by the 
Select Committee on Intelligence.
  Under the leadership of the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Goss) 
and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman), this House has 
consistently supported providing more resources and better tools to the 
Intelligence Community. This support has only now begun to reverse the 
underinvestment suffered by the Intelligence Community in the last 
decade.
  As we continue to face threats to U.S. interests at home and abroad, 
we must remain vigilant. We must ensure that the Intelligence Community 
has the personnel, the skill, the languages, and the resources 
necessary to work against such threats. The Intelligence Community must 
be prepared to confront the asymmetrical threat to the future.
  Mr. Chairman, to this end, H.R. 2417 provides authorization funding 
for the counterterrorism activities of the Intelligence Community. It 
provides money and other resources to deepen all-source analytical 
capabilities. This is most important when confronting the terrorist 
target. It is through our analytical efforts that all the dots that get 
collected ultimately get connected.
  This bill also provides funding for the Terrorist Threat Integration 
Center proposed by the President of the United States in his State of 
the Union address. The TTIC is a primary example of how well the 
Intelligence Community is marshalling its resources, encouraging 
efficiencies, and disseminating timely intelligence across government 
in defense of the American homeland.
  The President deserves a great deal of credit for his vision. The 
Intelligence Community deserves credit for putting that vision into 
action.
  H.R. 2417 also authorizes additional funding to specifically improve 
the sharing of terrorist threat-related information across all levels 
of government, Federal, State and local, and it is through the 
aggressive collection, analysis, and dissemination of threat 
information that the agencies and organizations of the Federal, State, 
and local governments, as well as the private sector, can best protect 
the homeland, prosecute the war on terrorism, and work together to keep 
America safe.
  The counterterrorism elements of the Intelligence Community are at 
the forefront of this effort, and this bill is an investment in that 
effort, and I urge support of H.R. 2417.
  I want to say a word about two other issues. Some of us have been 
briefed on the House floor by Secretary Rumsfeld. He stood in the well 
of this House and briefed many Members. On one occasion, when asked the 
question, how do we know when we have won the war, he said three 
things: regime change, which we have accomplished; a new regime, which 
is now being put in place; and finding the weapons of mass destruction. 
I have great faith that with two of those goals accomplished, the third 
goal will be accomplished. I have great faith, after a number of 
briefings from folks in the Intelligence Community, that the weapons of 
mass destruction will be found. And I think all Members should have 
that kind of reassurance from the Select Committee on Intelligence, 
based on reports that we have received, based on information we have 
been given by the Secretary of Defense that that will take place.
  If I could say one other thing. I want to say this, Mr. Chairman: I 
think our committee probably has stepped over the bounds a little bit 
by saying to every Member of the House they can have all of this 
information. I think sharing this information is going to turn out to 
be a mistake. This is the greatest talking body in the whole world. 
People love to talk. Very few listen. And I am afraid that when 435 
Members have access to the information we do, a select committee, an 
important committee, I am afraid of what is going to happen, 
particularly after what the New York Times had to say about a very 
important meeting that we had in the Select Committee on Intelligence, 
which is now out in the public. Nobody knows how it got out there, but 
I guarantee my colleagues, if we give 435 access, we got big problems.
  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Chairman, I would say to the gentleman, I have great 
faith that the WMD will be found too, and in the seriousness and 
responsibleness of the Members of the House.
  Mr. Chairman, it is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Iowa (Mr. Boswell), who is ranking member of the Subcommittee on 
Human Intelligence, Analysis and Counterintelligence.
  Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me 
this time, and I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) for his 
hard work. He is truly a leader, and he treats us with fairness, and he 
has the best interests of our Nation in his heart, as well as the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman). I appreciate that very much.
  I would associate myself with some of the remarks that the previous 
speaker just made concerning having some faith. We are two-thirds of 
the way there, and I think we have reason to believe we will get there.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 2417. As the ranking member 
of the Subcommittee on Human Intelligence, Analysis and 
Counterintelligence, working with the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. 
Gibbons), who I appreciate very much his hard work and efforts, we have 
observed firsthand the dedication and the professionalism of the men 
and women on the frontline collecting intelligence around the globe. 
Through their sacrifices and their heroic efforts, they have helped 
make our Nation more secure and have contributed greatly to our 
military success in Iraq and Afghanistan. I am pleased that this bill 
provides the tools essential to intelligence collectors to meet 
operational goals; in particular, those related to military operations, 
combating terrorism, and countering the proliferation of weapons of 
mass destruction.
  My colleagues will also appreciate that in H.R. 2417, it also 
requires the Director of Central Intelligence to report back to the 
committee on lessons learned from the war in Iraq. Careful analysis of 
the strengths and weaknesses of our technical systems and

[[Page 16192]]

processes will allow both the executive branch and Congress to make 
better resource allocation decisions in the future.
  H.R. 2417 also stresses the need for improved strategic and all-
source intelligence analysis, both key to U.S. policymaker 
understanding of the capabilities and the intentions of rogue nations 
and individuals posing threats to U.S. interests. The bill further 
authorizes additional billets for analysts, as we all know we have to 
have people to do jobs, and additional funds for information technology 
upgrades to help analysts more efficiently do their job.
  Mr. Chairman, this is a good bill. I trust my colleagues will support 
it.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins), who is a new and 
valued member of our committee, and we welcome him.
  Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Chairman, I too rise in strong support of H.R. 2417, 
the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004. It is a good 
bill with bipartisan support and, hopefully, it will be adopted, and I 
feel sure it will.
  Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on our Nation, the 
Select Committee on Intelligence has noted the urgent need for better 
information-sharing between and among our various Intelligence 
Community's agencies, and Federal, State, and even local law 
enforcement are enjoying better shared intelligence. Since joining the 
committee earlier this year, I have observed the chairman, ranking 
member, and committee members, how they have advocated the 
implementation of new policies and technologies which are designed to 
facilitate the timely sharing of important information among our 
intelligence agencies and our local law enforcement.
  Technical shortfalls in communications and collaboration systems, 
however, have undermined efforts to fully share information across the 
Intelligence Community. This bill makes an effort to correct those 
issues. These technical limitations can be overcome with proper 
management and capital investments. This bill provides significant 
funding to assist the Intelligence Community's leadership in developing 
and sharing useful information, management tools, capabilities, and 
operating systems throughout the Intelligence Community.
  As important as technological solutions to information-sharing are 
the needs for updated policies to direct the flow of information. The 
community's leadership has not been sufficiently clear about its 
information-sharing policies with its various component agencies. As a 
result, information becomes irrelevant due to outdated directives or 
conflicting opinions about what information can or cannot be shared, 
and with whom. One of the key lessons learned by the committee's 9/11 
inquiry last year was that a failure to communicate sensitive data on 
an urgent basis among intelligence law enforcement agencies can cost 
our Nation dearly.
  The committee has taken steps to improve this situation with this 
important bill. It is a good piece of legislation, a strong piece of 
legislation. I encourage its passage and support it fully.
  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Minnesota (Mr. Peterson), a valued member of our committee.
  Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for 
yielding me this time.
  Today I rise in support of H.R. 2417, the Intelligence Authorization 
Bill for Fiscal Year 2004. I want to commend the gentleman from Florida 
(Chairman Goss) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman), our 
ranking member, for their leadership and the professional, bipartisan 
manner in which they conduct the business of the Committee on 
Intelligence.
  H.R. 2417 includes authorizations for the CIA, as well as Foreign 
Intelligence and Counterintelligence Programs within the Departments of 
Defense, Justice, State, Treasury, Energy and the FBI. The bill 
addresses critical threats to our national security, but it also calls 
attention to particular areas of concern. Among those concerns is the 
connection between drug trafficking and terrorist activities.
  The committee is concerned about the level of personnel and funding 
resources dedicated to combat transnational crimes such as drug 
trafficking, arms smuggling, and money laundering. As seen in both 
Colombia and Afghanistan, the activities of terrorist organizations are 
closely linked to the drug trade. These illicit activities feed upon 
and sustain each other. To defeat terrorist organizations, the 
Intelligence Community must understand the transnational organized 
crime that supports them. Therefore, the committee calls upon the 
administration to reinvigorate the strategy in this area.
  In addition, the bill extends the authority granted last year to 
allow foreign intelligence funds dedicated for Colombia to be used in a 
unified campaign against drug trafficking and activities by groups 
designated as terrorist organizations.
  Finally, the bill establishes an Assistant Secretary of Intelligence 
and Enforcement within the Department of Treasury to enhance the 
identification and targeting of illicit financial transactions. This 
office will also seek to improve the coordination and dissemination of 
intelligence products concerning drug trafficking, international crime, 
and terrorist activities.
  Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this measure.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Chairman, I am very happy to yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), the distinguished vice chairman 
of the committee.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for yielding me this 
time. I rise in strong support of the legislation.
  This Member would like to commend the exemplary bipartisan efforts of 
the chairman and the distinguished ranking member, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Harman). Often when people in Washington talk about the 
need for bipartisanship, what they really mean is that the other side 
should agree with them. In the case of the Committee on Intelligence, 
however, there has been true bipartisanship and genuine cooperation 
towards the goal of serving the Nation's interest. Although this 
bipartisanship is a tradition on the Committee on Intelligence, it is 
commendably reinforced by the leadership style and the efforts of the 
gentleman from Florida (Chairman Goss) and the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Harman).
  Under the chairman's leadership, and in this bill, the legislative 
branch will be moving rapidly to address a number of long-standing 
concerns in our collection and analysis of intelligence. This Member 
would mention just a few.
  First, it should be recognized that in the aftermath of the terrorist 
attack of September 11, President Bush declared war on terrorist 
financing. There is, however, no single office in the Federal 
government that is responsible for ensuring that all elements of law 
enforcement and intelligence share terrorist information in a timely 
fashion. As a result, our counterterrorist financing efforts to date 
have not been as effective as they could be. The committee concluded 
that the Department of the Treasury needs to be more effective in 
implementing its counterterrorist financing mission from an 
intelligence sharing perspective. By elevating the intelligence 
function within the Treasury Department, this bill ensures that the 
coordination and information sharing between the Treasury and the rest 
of the Intelligence Community can be more effective.
  This Member recognizes that the assistance and the cooperation of the 
chairman of the Committee on Financial Services, the distinguished 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), will be required to achieve this 
important policy change. The Select Committee on Intelligence will 
continue to work with him and his committee, on which this Member also 
serves, to ensure that we get this correct.
  Mr. Chairman, secondly, it should be noted that Americans have become 
painfully aware of the threats to the homeland and the risk that 
terrorist cells and their support networks may be operating in the 
United States. Several suspected cells already have been

[[Page 16193]]

cracked. Indeed, an individual has just been convicted last week of 
conducting surveillance operations for possible al Qaeda attacks. The 
presence of this new and very real threat has compelled the FBI to 
transform the way it conducts investigations.

                              {time}  1715

  No longer does the FBI solely pursue investigations in order to build 
criminal cases. Now they are also actively at work to disrupt and 
destroy terrorist cells before they launch attacks. This is nothing 
less than revolutionary in the way that the FBI does its business. It 
is a very necessary transformation that the Permanent Select Committee 
on Intelligence is following closely through careful oversight. We in 
the legislative branch are attempting to ensure that the information 
flow between the FBI and the intelligence community is done 
effectively, but also within the confines of the law.
  The committee intends to continue aggressive oversight. I want to 
assure our colleagues of this evolving relationship between this 
intelligence and law enforcement.
  Third, and finally, this Member would remind his colleagues of the 
enormity of the challenge now faced by the intelligence community. The 
war on terrorism has required an unprecedented commitment requiring 
timely, actionable intelligence on a truly global scale.
  In addition, our intelligence services are devoting significant 
resources to the effort in Iraq, not only to identify and to apprehend 
the remaining elements of Saddam Hussein's regime but also to locate 
Saddam's weapons of mass destruction. More on that subject later.
  Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.
  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Cramer), the distinguished ranking member of our 
subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence, TNT, who became a 
grandfather for the second time yesterday.
  Mr. CRAMER. Mr. Chairman, on behalf of my new granddaughter, Patricia 
Lanier, I would say it is my pleasure today to speak about a very 
important piece of legislation that our colleagues in this House will 
pass judgment on.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 2417, the fiscal year 2004 
intelligence authorization act. I am a fairly new member of this House 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. It is a unique opportunity 
for Members of the House to serve on this select committee.
  I came on to the committee at the time that the joint 9-11 hearings 
were taking place. And as I look around the room today and I observe my 
colleagues that participated in those joint sessions with the Senate, I 
want my other colleagues that are not on this committee to know how 
impressed I was with the leadership of this committee and our 
participation with the Senate as well.
  I also want to take this opportunity to thank the staff who have been 
most kind and generous on both sides of the aisle to participate with 
us as we have gone through these very tough issues.
  This is a good bill. It is a complicated bill. It is hard for some 
Members to understand. For example, traditionally, the executive 
branch, the Congress, the industry, we focus on expanding the 
capability of sensors. Sensors are used to take pictures, to intercept 
communications or to measure some special signature whether they are 
from satellites, whether they are from aircraft, or whether they are 
from ships. But the government has underinvested in abilities to task 
the collection systems properly and to exploit and disseminate the 
collection data once received.
  For a number of years this subcommittee that I am on on this 
committee has worked to improve and rectify that imbalance. This year's 
bill accomplishes that and expands the concept as well. In years past, 
the committee has stressed the need for more investment and better 
management at the National Imagery and Mapping Agency and the National 
Security Agency to improve processing, exploitation and dissemination 
capabilities for imagery and signals intelligence. The committee 
sustained these initiatives in the current bill.
  We also lay a foundation for applying information technology to solve 
problems revealed by the congressional investigation into the September 
11 tragedy as well.
  This is an important bill. I urge its support. I also want to point 
out that the missile in space intelligence command in my district is 
adequately covered by funding under this important piece of 
legislation.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Boehlert), the distinguished chairman of the House Committee 
on Science.
  Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the 
intelligence authorization bill, and I want to start by commending the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) and the ranking member, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman), for their leadership, their 
bipartisanship and their commitment. We are all in this together. And 
while I am at it, I want to compliment the most professional staff that 
I have seen of any committees in the Congress in my years in this 
institution.
  As a member of the committee, I know well the threats facing our 
country. They are many. They are varied and they are serious. The job 
of intelligence is challenging and never ending. All of us, not just in 
the Congress but across the country, have become painfully aware that 
while many countries of the world are working with us to promote peace 
and stability, there are those who are committed to undermining our 
efforts. The Nation has been exposed to this ugly reality. The memory 
of September 11 will forevermore be seared on our souls.
  Our collective awareness has increased as has our understanding of 
the absolute need for a very capable intelligence community. This bill 
accelerates investment in enhanced capabilities and people to move the 
intelligence community from being postured from the threats of the past 
to being positioned to address the increasingly asymmetric threats 
facing us in the future.
  It will not happen overnight, but the changes needed must and will 
come about at a rapid pace. Rebuilding the infrastructure and retooling 
for the future is under way even as we debate this issue. Every area of 
intelligence operations needs support and attention. But I want to 
focus on what I believe is the most critical need we face, and that is 
in the area of human intelligence.
  Mr. Chairman, the sad fact is that we, of necessity, need to reverse 
course from the years of decline in investments in the people that make 
up our cadre of human intelligence officials. This does not mean we 
should not continue to invest in important technical systems, but we 
must not become solely dependent on them. Satellites in the heavens and 
all the sophisticated and complex technologies here on Earth must be 
complemented by our eyes and ears around the globe. There must be a 
proper balance between people and machines.
  We are proud of our intelligence professionals because of the 
outstanding work they perform day in and day out, so often putting 
their lives at risk. What they do and how they do it is not easy. And 
they have earned our gratitude for their dedication and 
professionalism.
  One of the basic tools that these professionals need in order to do 
their job is the ability to speak foreign languages. Quite frankly, and 
this is sad to say, this is a deficient area. I am not at all happy, 
and I will confess it up front, about the response we have received 
from the intelligence community leadership on this issue, despite our 
continuing efforts to improve language skills. We set a clear priority 
to ensure that we have people with native language capabilities 
regardless of where we might find ourselves. Yet year after year we 
have provided an increase in the amount of funds requested for language 
training, and year after year something happens that is not our intent.
  The response to our concerns has been unsatisfactory. Year after year

[[Page 16194]]

the intelligence community finds ways to avoid implementing these 
initiatives which are essential to its success.
  Mr. Chairman, this year we insist that the community leadership 
resolve to fix the language inadequacy. No more finessing, no more 
fudging. Just do it or else.
  Our country's intelligence community is still recovering from years 
of decline. There are fundamental shortcomings that must be addressed, 
and we will fail in this challenge if we do not adequately restore the 
resources to a sufficient level to get the job done.
  While this budget represents a significant increase over the past 
years, we support it with the full knowledge and understanding there is 
a great deal more work to be done. Language being only one of the 
issues, but this is an issue that we have to pay attention to. It does 
not do us any good to have some sophisticated satellite costing a 
jillion dollars up in the heavens taking pictures of Afghanistan, if in 
the caves there are all these people bent on doing us harm and there is 
nobody in there who can understand them, communicate with them, or 
provide us with necessary intelligence. And that is what we intend to 
correct, and I am proud to say the committee stands strong behind this 
commitment and we will follow through on it.
  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 15 seconds. The 15 seconds 
is to tell the prior speaker, our wonderful colleague, that I totally 
agree with him. As the representative from the district in America that 
probably makes most of our intelligence satellites and has fabulous 
technology, that is great; but we need more investment in human 
intelligence. And he is right.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Eshoo), a classmate and good friend, one of the rookies 
on our committee, but already the ranking member on the Subcommittee on 
Intelligence, Policy, and National Security.
  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chairman, I thank our distinguished ranking member, 
the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman), and the chairman of our 
committee for their joint leadership and the standards that they set 
for us every day.
  I respect and have high regard for the men and women of the 
intelligence community, and I really consider it a high privilege to 
have been appointed to serve on the Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence in the House. As a new member, I have valued meeting and 
learning from the many talented and patriotic individuals in our 
intelligence community; and I believe it is important for the foreign 
policy and the national security of the United States that our 
intelligence community be given the tools and the support they need and 
that their efforts be focused on important priorities. That is why we 
are on the floor today in support of this authorization act for fiscal 
year 2004.
  I do have some concerns today that I would like to voice. I serve as 
the ranking member of the Subcommittee of the Intelligence Policy and 
National Security, as the ranking member just said. The role of the 
subcommittee is to examine how intelligence supports national security 
policy, ensuring that intelligence is focused on the right priorities 
and is as reliable as it can be and that it is used appropriately by 
senior policymakers in furthering U.S. foreign policy. Issues such as 
potentially politicized intelligence, potential exaggeration of 
intelligence and imprecise characterizations of intelligence are of 
significant concern to me in my role on this committee. So I am very 
concerned about the role intelligence played in the foreign policy 
debates about going to war in Iraq.
  The answers must await a thorough accounting, and we cannot 
predetermine what those outcomes are. But I am concerned that the 
administration and the American people and the Members of this House 
relied too heavily on their interpretation of the threat facing this 
country, a threat that was described as imminent, as grave and growing 
without sufficient transparency into the intelligence picture 
underpinning the argument for war.
  I think we are learning that a foreign policy based on preemption 
puts far too much pressure on the intelligence community to deliver 
certainty when it simply cannot. So the intelligence community must be 
given all that they need to protect our magnificent Nation.
  Every administration deserves the best intelligence that they 
possibly can get. But we must assure the credibility of this for the 
American people and for the world community.
  Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this 
authorization act. It is important for our country and the protection 
of our people.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Cunningham), the distinguished gentleman who is a very 
valued member of our committees and has helped us on a number of 
fronts.
  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Chairman, I would like to first thank not only 
the chairman, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss), but the ranking 
member, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman).
  Our committee is a bipartisan committee. The defense committee that I 
sit on is also, with the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) and 
the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks) and people like that; and it 
is really a pleasure to work on.

                              {time}  1730

  When there is a pressure put on the ranking member to force political 
gain on weapons of mass destruction, it is a sign of true leadership 
and bipartisanship to not do that and to work with the chairman to come 
about and perform a bill like this, and we should all be proud of that, 
the Members, and I want to personally thank the gentlewoman from 
California.
  The weapons of mass destruction, we cannot say too much about them, 
but the chairman and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman) also 
made something in order that has not been done before, and that is for 
every single Member to be able to look at the information. I am 
convinced that if anyone on this floor looks at that information, they 
only have one conclusion. There are weapons of mass destruction still 
there. If we take a vial this big, the size of an eye dropper and have 
two seeds in it and in 2 days a person can whip up a batch to kill 
every man, woman and child in New York City and then try and find that 
with deceit, a system that was designed to hide it on deceit or destroy 
it if people get close, and the one thing I can say is we were told 
there would be absolutely no way possible for Hans Blix and the U.N. to 
find such things, especially with Saddam Hussein still there trying to 
hide it. So that was a bogus issue.
  I would also tell them that the committee does not just deal with 
terrorism, the war on drugs, local crime and the one thing that I could 
say before we ever did a pre-9/11 look was that we did not fund the 
folks enough. We need to change some laws.
  The Phoenix report, we knew there were terrorists in Arizona, but our 
intelligence agencies were afraid to act because they would be sued 
because it would be racial profiling, and these guys put out papers 
supporting Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, and we could not touch them 
under the first amendment and that is wrong. There is the same type of 
people there in Arizona today. One guy was so stupid he went to 
navigator school. He failed that. Do my colleagues know what he is in 
today? Airport security, and we cannot touch him.
  So I think we need to go further and change some of our laws to 
protect American citizens, and I know there is a fine line in 
protecting rights and the other, but by golly, I know where I stand and 
I know where the committee stands, and I am proud of them.
  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for his comments. We 
are all proud to serve on this committee. It is now my pleasure to 
yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ruppersberger), the 
rookie on the committee and a rookie in Congress, but he is no rookie 
to these issues.
  Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Chairman, I too want to acknowledge the 
leadership of the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss), the chairman, and 
the

[[Page 16195]]

gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman), the ranking member. I have 
been in local politics for 18 years, and we have tremendous leadership 
on this committee, and I think all members of this committee put the 
Nation first.
  I rise in support of H.R. 2417. The bill reflects the committee's 
support for the Intelligence Community and the men and women who serve 
in the intelligence agencies. Often unrecognized, these individuals 
have made great sacrifices to secure our homeland and to support the 
war in Iraq, the global war on terrorism and other important national 
priorities. I am proud to represent many of the men and women who work 
for the National Security Agency, NSA, in Fort Meade, Maryland, my 
Second Congressional District.
  This bill addresses concerns for the health and well-being of NSA 
employees by providing additional funds to ensure a cleaner, healthier 
and better maintained workforce. It provides tort liability protection 
to NSA security officers so that they have legal protections similar to 
those provided other law enforcement officers.
  The bill gives NSA the authority to provide living quarters to the 
bright and talented students participating in NASA's summer and 
cooperative educational programs.
  It also encourages NASA to continue its acquisition reform 
initiatives and bring its processes in line with standard commercial 
and government practices. It increases funds available for the 
recapitalization and modernization of NASA's technical systems which 
will allow the Nation's Signals Intelligence Systems to keep pace with 
changing technology.
  H.R. 2417 emphasizes the need for the Federal Government to improve 
information sharing with State and local governments. As the Baltimore 
County Executive, I was the county executive during 9/11, this is very 
important, and where appropriate, private companies.
  To make this possible, the bill allows the Director of Central 
Intelligence to establish pilot projects to train State and local 
officials to increase the flow of information between them and Federal 
agencies. Advisory councils on privacy and civil liberties and State 
and local issues will help ensure the protection of individual rights, 
and the needs of State and local governments need to be properly 
addressed.
  I am also pleased that this bill provides additional funding to the 
Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center to enhance the analysis of 
health risks to our deployed forces.
  Together, the enhancements provided for in H.R. 2417 will contribute 
to our Nation's efforts to prevent terrorism and to curb the 
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction around the globe. I urge 
my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), also a valuable member of our 
committee.
  Mr. BURR. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2417.
  After terrorists struck on September 11, 2001, our government has 
been engaged in an aggressive prosecution of the global war on 
terrorism, a war that will be fought for years to come, I fear. Our 
efforts I have no doubt will be successful. To ensure success, however, 
we must prepare for the long road ahead of us. That is exactly what 
this bill does.
  The men and women of Intelligence and Law Enforcement Communities 
have been instrumental in the numerous successes thus far. I thank them 
for their sacrifices, for their dedication. We are indebted to them for 
their tireless service.
  In my view, the key to success in this war on terrorism is 
communication. We have to improve our communication across the Federal 
Government. We must improve and make seamless the flow of information 
within our Intelligence Community. It is essential to have good 
communication with our liaison partners, and better communication 
between Federal, State and local authorities and with the private 
sector must be ensured.
  Without doubt, intelligence and law enforcement officers are our 
front line defenders in our daily battle against this evil. State and 
local authorities also stand at the forefront of this war. Success in 
safeguarding the homeland lies firmly in the ability to communicate 
effectively and share sensitive, timely and actionable information 
among Federal, State and local officials.
  Mr. Chairman, H.R. 2417 is an important bill because it also 
specifically authorizes greater training and support to local and State 
authorities as it relates to preventing the possible use of weapons of 
mass destruction in the United States.
  Additionally, H.R. 2417 authorizes funding to ensure greater 
participation of city, county and State law enforcement officials in 
joint terrorism task forces that are spread across this country.
  Mr. Chairman, only with better communication and sharing necessary, 
relevant and actionable information with State and local authorities, 
can we best wage the best effort on the war on terrorism in our 
homeland.
  I urge its passage.
  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Chairman, we have no further speakers except for me 
and I have some brief closing remarks. So I would yield if there are 
speakers over there and perhaps speak just before our chairman closes 
this debate.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to advise the Chair to advise 
the gentlewoman that we have no further speakers except myself to make 
a few household and closing remarks.
  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  This debate has been friendly, collaborative, supportive, not just of 
each other but our staffs. It is clear that committee members are 
putting the country first in our service on the committee. I believe 
that our authorization bill is putting the country first in terms of 
the priorities it chooses, and I believe further, Mr. Chairman, that 
our investigation of the quality of intelligence supporting the war in 
Iraq is also putting the country first.
  Our investigation has a long way to go but it is serious, 
collaborative, and bipartisan. We will do as much as possible in 
public, and we will report to the public on our findings.
  Should we hit the wall and fail in our endeavor, then it may be time 
for a commission or an alternative committee or set of committees of 
Congress to take over. But meanwhile, I want to commend the Members of 
this committee who serve with great distinction, and I urge the passage 
of this authorization bill, H.R. 2417.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have?
  The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Florida has 2 minutes remaining.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the remaining time.
  I would like to also announce that the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Hoekstra), who is the chairman of our Subcommittee on Technical and 
Tactical Intelligence, and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Everett) and 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Gallegly) are other members of the 
committee who will probably join us later on and we are equally proud 
of them.
  We obviously have an extraordinarily high level of group of members, 
as my colleagues have seen, on both sides of the aisle who take this 
business quite seriously, and we are very pleased about that.
  I would like to include for the Record the administration policy and 
exchange of correspondence with the chairmen of the appropriate 
committees. That would be the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), and the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Hunter).

                   Statement of Administration Policy


         H.R. 2417--Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 2004

       (This statement has been coordinated by OMB with the 
     concerned agencies.)
       The Administration appreciates the support of the Permanent 
     Select Committee on Intelligence for the work and efforts of 
     the Intelligence Community (IC), as well as the Committee's 
     inclusion in its bill of a significant number of requested 
     provisions. The

[[Page 16196]]

     Administration would support H.R. 2417 if the concerns 
     outlined below are addressed.
       The Administration has not had the opportunity to review 
     the classified schedule of authorizations, and reserves 
     comment on those authorizations. The Administration would 
     strenously object if certain high priority transformational 
     development programs affecting the IC's future collection and 
     research and development strategies, are not authorized as 
     requested.
       The Administration appreciates the Committee's support for 
     our initiatives to improve our nation's intelligence 
     capabilities, and believes that section 336, regarding 
     improved information sharing among federal, State, and local 
     government officials, addresses significant and important 
     issues. However, the Administration has concerns with this 
     and other sections of the bill (such as section 321) which 
     seek to direct specific roles and responsibilities to be 
     carried out by particular components of the Executive Branch. 
     They could impinge on the President's constitutional 
     authority to determine how Executive Branch agencies should 
     be organized to carry out national defense and anti-terrorism 
     activities.
       Section 505, concerning the measurement and signatures 
     intelligence (MASINT) research program, would provide the 
     Defense Department the authority to review CIA and other 
     intelligence agencies' MASINT programs. The Administration 
     would oppose this expanded authority for DoD, as we believe 
     the existing authorities and responsibilities are properly 
     vested.
       The Administration looks forward to working with the 
     Congress on these and a number of other policy and technical 
     concerns as H.R. 2417 moves through the legislative process.
                                  ____

         House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, 
           Rayburn House Office Building,
                                    Washington, DC, June 17, 2003.
     Hon. Porter Goss,
     Chairman, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, House 
         of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Goss: In recognition of the desire to 
     expedite floor consideration of H.R. 2417, the intelligence 
     authorization bill for fiscal year 2004, the Committee on the 
     Judiciary hereby waives consideration of the bill with the 
     understanding that you will continue to work with me on 
     sections within the Committee on the Judiciary's jurisdiction 
     and that for any of those sections on which we cannot reach a 
     mutually agreeable resolution, you will remove them before 
     enactment. I further understand that you will support the 
     Committee on the Judiciary's request for conferees on these 
     sections.
       The sections in the bill as reported that contain matters 
     within the Committee on the Judiciary's Rule X jurisdiction 
     are:

       104(e) (relating to funding for the Department of Justice's 
     National Drug Intelligence Center);
       321 (relating to procedures for using classified 
     information);
       332 (relating to the use of explosives by certain qualified 
     aliens if they are in the United States to cooperate with the 
     CIA or the United States military);
       333 (relating to the naturalization of certain persons);
       334 (relating to the types of financial institutions from 
     which law enforcement can obtain financial records for 
     criminal investigation purposes);
       335 (relating to certain aspects of the mandatory source 
     rules for Federal Prison Industries as they relate to 
     procurements by the Central Intelligence Agency);
       336 (relating to pilot projects to encourage the sharing of 
     intelligence information between state and local officials 
     and representatives of critical infrastructure industries on 
     the one hand and federal officials on the other)
       401 (relating to giving certain employees of the Central 
     Intelligence Agency the protections of the Federal Tort 
     Claims Act when they take certain actions to prevent crime)
       504 (relating to giving certain employees of the National 
     Security Agency the protections of the Federal Tort Claims 
     Act when they take certain actions to prevent crime)

       (These section numbers refer to the bill as reported.) 
     Based on this understanding, I will not request a sequential 
     referral based on their inclusion in the bill as reported.
       The Committee on the Judiciary takes this action with the 
     understanding that the Committee's jurisdiction over these 
     provisions is in no way diminished or altered. I would 
     appreciate your including this letter in your Committee's 
     report on H.R. 2417 and the Congressional Record during 
     consideration of the legislation on the House floor.
           Sincerely,
                                      F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

         House of Representatives, Permanent Select Committee on 
           Intelligence,
                                    Washington, DC, June 16, 2003.
     Hon. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Sensenbrenner: Thank you for your letter 
     regarding H.R. 2417, the intelligence authorization bill for 
     fiscal year 2004. As you noted, several provisions of the 
     bill as reported fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the 
     Committee on the Judiciary. I will continue to work with you 
     on these sections. For any of these sections on which we 
     cannot reach a mutually agreeable resolution, I will remove 
     them before enactment. Further I will support the Committee 
     on the Judiciary's request for conferees on these sections.
       The sections of the bill as reported that contain matters 
     within the Committee on the Judiciary's Rule X jurisdiction 
     are:

       104(e) (relating to funding for the Department of Justice's 
     National Drug Intelligence Center);
       321 (relating to procedures for using classified 
     information);
       332 (relating to the use of explosives by certain qualified 
     aliens if they are in the United States to cooperate with the 
     CIA or the United States military);
       333 (relating to the naturalization of certain persons);
       334 (relating to the types of financial institutions from 
     which law enforcement can obtain financial records for 
     criminal investigation purposes);
       335 (relating to certain aspects of the mandatory source 
     rules for Federal Prison Industries as they relate to 
     procurements by the Central Intelligence Agency);
       336 (relating to pilot projects to encourage the sharing of 
     intelligence information between state and local officials 
     and representatives of critical infrastructure industries on 
     the one hand and federal officials on the other);
       401 (relating to giving certain employees of the Central 
     Intelligence Agency the protections of the Federal Tort 
     Claims Act when they take certain actions to prevent crime);
       504 (relating to giving certain employees of the National 
     Security Agency the protections of the Federal Tort Claims 
     Act when they take certain actions to prevent crime).

       (These section numbers refer to the bill as reported.) I 
     appreciate you willingness to forgo consideration of the bill 
     and not request a sequential referral based on this 
     understanding.
       I acknowledge that by agreeing to waive its consideration 
     of the bill, the Committee on the Judiciary does not waive 
     its jurisdiction over the bill or any of the matters under 
     your jurisdiction. I will include a copy of your letter and 
     this response in our Committee's report on H.R. 2417 and the 
     Congressional Record during consideration of the legislation 
     on the House floor.
       Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Porter J. Goss,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

         House of Representatives, Committee on Financial 
           Services, Rayburn House Office Building,
                                    Washington, DC, June 17, 2003.
     Hon. Porter J. Goss,
     Chairman, Select Committee on Intelligence, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Goss: On June 12, 2003, the Select Committee 
     on Intelligence ordered reported H.R. 2417, The Intelligence 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004. As you are aware, the 
     bill as reported contained several provisions which fall 
     within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Financial 
     Services pursuant to the Committee's jurisdiction under Rule 
     X of the Rules of the House of Representatives.
       As you know, we continue to have strong concerns about some 
     of these provisions, particularly those relating to the 
     creation of a Bureau of Enforcement and Intelligence within 
     the Department of the Treasury. However, because of your 
     commitment to support my position regarding all of these 
     provisions as the bill moves through the process and the need 
     to move this legislation expeditiously, I will waive 
     consideration of the bill by the Financial Services 
     Committee. By agreeing to waive its consideration of the 
     bill, the Financial Services Committee does not waive its 
     jurisdiction over H.R. 2417. In addition, the Committee on 
     Financial Services reserves its authority to seek conferees 
     on any provisions of the bill that are within the Financial 
     Services Committee's jurisdiction during any House-Senate 
     conference that may be convened on this legislation. I ask 
     your commitment to support any request by the Committee on 
     Financial Services for conferees on H.R. 2417 or related 
     legislation.
       Finally, I request that you include a copy of this letter 
     and your response in the Select Committee's report on the 
     bill, and that they be printed in the Congressional Record 
     during the consideration of this legislation on the floor.
       I appreciate your commitment to address my concerns as the 
     process moves forward and willingness to work constructively 
     toward common goals.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Michael G. Oxley,
                                                         Chairman.

[[Page 16197]]

     
                                  ____
         House of Representatives, Permanent Select Committee on 
           Intelligence,
                                    Washington, DC, June 17, 2003.
     Hon. Michael G. Oxley,
     Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, Rayburn House 
         Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Oxley: On June 12, 2003, the Select Committee 
     on Intelligence ordered reported H.R. 2417, the 
     ``Intelligence Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2004.'' The 
     bill as reported contained several provisions which fall 
     within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Financial 
     Services, pursuant to the Committee's jurisdiction under Rule 
     X of the Rules of the House of Representatives.
       I am quite aware of, and sensitive to the specific concerns 
     you raise about the inclusion of section 105 in H.R. 2417 
     concerning the establishment of a Bureau of Intelligence and 
     Enforcement within the Department of the Treasury. Once 
     again, I want to convey my personal commitment to work with 
     you to resolve this issue to our common satisfaction and 
     support your position in a conference with the Senate on the 
     Intelligence Authorization bill.
       I very much appreciate your willingness to waive 
     consideration of H.R. 2417 by the Financial Services 
     Committee. I acknowledge that, by agreeing to waive its 
     consideration of the bill, the Financial Services Committee 
     does not waive its jurisdiction over H.R. 2417. I further 
     recognize that the Committee on Financial Services reserves 
     its authority to seek conferees on any provisions of the bill 
     that are within the Financial Services Committee's 
     jurisdiction during any House-Senate conference that may be 
     convened on this legislation. I will support a request by the 
     Committee on Financial Services for conferees on H.R. 2417 or 
     related legislation.
       Finally, I am pleased to accommodate your request to 
     include a copy of your letter and my response in the Select 
     Committee's report on the bill, and that they be printed in 
     the Congressional Record during the consideration of this 
     legislation on the floor.
       I appreciate your commitment to work together so as to 
     achieve an appropriate and mutually satisfactory resolution 
     of this important national security matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Porter J. Goss,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                      Committee on Armed Services,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                    Washington, DC, June 19, 2003.
     Hon. Porter J. Goss,
     Chairman, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Goss: I am writing to you concerning the 
     jurisdictional interest of the Committee on Armed Services in 
     matters being considered in H.R. 2417, the Intelligence 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004.
       I recognize the importance of H.R. 2417 and the need for 
     this legislation to move expeditiously. Therefore, while the 
     committee is entitled to a jurisdictional claim on this 
     legislation, I do not intend to request a sequential 
     referral.
       The Committee on Armed Services asks that you support our 
     request to be conferees on the provisions over which we have 
     jurisdiction during any House-Senate conference. 
     Additionally, I request that you include this letter as part 
     of your committee's report on H.R. 2417.
       Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Duncan Hunter,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

         House of Representatives, Permanent Select Committee on 
           Intelligence,
                                    Washington, DC, June 18, 2003.
     Hon. Duncan Hunter,
     Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, Rayburn House Office 
         Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Hunter: Thank you for your letter regarding 
     H.R. 2417, the intelligence authorization bill for fiscal 
     year 2004. As you noted, elements of the bill as reported 
     fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Armed 
     Services. I will continue to work with you on these sections. 
     I will support the Committee on Armed Services' request for 
     conferees on these sections.
       I appreciate your willingness to forgo consideration of the 
     bill and not request a sequential referral based on this 
     understanding.
       I acknowledge that by agreeing to waive its consideration 
     of the bill, the Committee on Armed Services does not waive 
     its jurisdiction over the bill or any of the matters under 
     your jurisdiction. I will include a copy of your letter and 
     this response in our Committee's report on H.R. 2417 and the 
     Congressional Record during consideration of the legislation 
     on the House floor.
       Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Porter J. Goss,
                                                         Chairman.

  Finally, Mr. Chairman, I want to thank our staff. We have a perfect 
balance, I believe, between professional management staff and expertise 
on the various facets of the Intelligence Community which is what we 
need to do our job properly in terms of providing oversight on the one 
hand, to make sure the Intelligence Community plays in bounds and to 
make sure they have the necessary wherewithal, the advocacy piece that 
is our other side, the other hat we wear.
  I am very much convinced that intelligence is the best investment. We 
are involved globally. There is no question the United States of 
America is no secret any place around the world, and in order for us to 
do the best we can in terms of our security, we have to have good 
information. It is a good investment.
  Nobody would pretend that we are fully sufficient in all that we 
have. We can always do better, and I think we will probably be talking 
about sufficiency and insufficiency as we go along in our review.
  Nobody would say that we are inherent. There is no document I know 
that is written that is inherent with the possible exception of the 
Bible, and some would say the New York Times, but I think they 
forfeited their right to that recently, nor is there anyone infallible. 
We are all human beings. What I can say to the American people is that 
I am satisfied that the men and women of the Intelligence Community of 
our Nation, and there are thousands of them, are doing their best for 
our national security, and I think we need to be behind them, and 
supporting this bill would be a good way to do that.
  Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 2417, a 
bill to reauthorize appropriations for FY 2004 for the intelligence and 
intelligence-related activities of the U.S. Government.
  It has been my honor to serve this Nation with the Central 
Intelligence Agency for 10 years, five of which were spent as an 
operations officer in Southeast Asia. For over 30 years I served on 
active and reserve duty as a Military Intelligence Officer and have 
also had the unique privilege of serving as Staff Director for the 
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence under Chairmen Barry Goldwater 
and Daniel Patrick Moynihan. All this service took place at a time when 
our Nation was seeking to win the Cold War.
  The collapse of the Soviet Union changed our world for the better, 
but did not eliminate the need for accurate and timely intelligence. We 
now face a new uncertainty and risk. Rather than focusing on one or two 
superpowers, we have to defend against numerous lethal covert terrorist 
groups.
  H.R. 2417 responds to these changing threats by boosting the role of 
human intelligence or HUMINT gathered from human sources around the 
world; increases our ability to analyze material from a broad spectrum 
of sources; increases our capability to conduct counterterrorism; and 
authorizes protections and benefits for our intelligence officers at 
home and abroad.
  Mr. Chairman, it is incumbent on this body to improve the 
intelligence capabilities of the Nation, to better serve as the ``eyes 
and ears'' of America in a difficult and dangerous world. This bill 
responds to this urgent requirement, and I support it completely.

H.R. 2417--Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 2004, Updated June 24, 
                                  2003


                            floor situation

       The House is scheduled to consider H.R. 2417, pursuant to a 
     rule, on Wednesday, June 25, 2003. On Tuesday, June 24, 2003, 
     the Rules Committee granted, by voice vote, a modified open 
     rule providing one hour of general debate equally divided and 
     controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the 
     Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The rule provides 
     that the bill shall be considered for amendment under the 
     five-minute rule. The rule provides that it shall be in order 
     to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment 
     under the five-minute rule the amendment in the nature of a 
     substitute now printed in the bill, which shall be considered 
     as read. The rule waives all points of order against 
     consideration of the bill, and against the committee 
     amendment in the nature of a substitute. The rule provides 
     that no amendment to the committee amendment in the nature of 
     a substitute shall be in order except those printed in the 
     Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution, and all 
     points of order against said amendments are waived. The rule 
     provides that each amendment may be offered only in the order 
     printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member 
     designated in the report, shall be considered as read, and 
     shall not be subject to a demand

[[Page 16198]]

     for division of the question in the House or in the Committee 
     of the Whole. Finally, the rule provides one motion to 
     recommit with or without instructions.


                                summary

       H.R. 2417 authorizes appropriations for FY 2004 for (a) the 
     intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the U.S. 
     Government, (b) the Community Management Account, and (c) the 
     Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System. 
     The authorization level is classified. The funding levels and 
     personnel ceilings for most programs are outlined in a 
     classified annex to the committee report, which Members only 
     may review in the offices of the Permanent Select Committee 
     on Intelligence in H-405 in the Capitol.


                               highlights

       H.R. 2417 will:
       Provide full support for the Intelligence Community's 
     efforts in the war on terrorism;
       Focus attention on the need to enhance Human Intelligence 
     capabilities and tools;
       Authorize additional resources to improve analytical depth 
     in all areas of intelligence, and increase our analytical 
     capacity to process, exploit, and disseminate all of the 
     intelligence that is collected;
       Posture the Intelligence Community to develop a framework 
     for a unified overhead imagery architecture;
       Include provisions that are intended to improve the 
     government's ability to identify any spies that might be 
     working against the United States and to provide the 
     government additional leverage as it moves to prosecute such 
     traitors, such as Hanssen, Ames, and Montes;
       Establish a Bureau of Intelligence and Enforcement within 
     the Department of the Treasury, to be headed by an Assistant 
     Secretary for Intelligence and Enforcement, that will enhance 
     the government's ability to gather and process information 
     about the financial support of terrorism and other illegal 
     activity;
       Require the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) to 
     report on lessons learned as a result of military operations 
     in Iraq;
       Improve information sharing among Federal, State, and local 
     government officials; including increased training for state 
     and local officials on how the intelligence community can 
     support their counterterrorism efforts;
       Require the Intelligence Community's senior leadership to 
     comprehensively examine (and report to Congress on) policy 
     and technical issues related to digital information sharing, 
     electronic collaboration, and ``horizontal integration'' 
     across the Intelligence Community;
       Extend the authority for the use of funds designated for 
     intelligence and intelligence-related purposes for assistance 
     to the Government of Colombia for counter-drug activities to 
     be used also to fund counterterrorism activities in Colombia 
     for each of FYs 2004 through 2005;
       Provide limited immunity from tort liability to those 
     Special Police Officers of the Central Intelligence Agency 
     and the National Security Agency;
       Authorize the personnel ceilings on September 30, 2004 for 
     the intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the 
     U.S. Government and permit the Director of Central 
     Intelligence to authorize personnel ceilings in Fiscal Year 
     2003 for any intelligence element up to two percent above the 
     authorized levels, with the approval of the Director of the 
     Office of Management and Budget; and
       Authorize $226.4 million for the Central Intelligence 
     Agency Retirement and Disability Fund (CIARDS) in order to 
     fully fund the accruing cost of retirement benefits for 
     individuals in the Civil Service Retirement System, CIARDS, 
     and other Federal retirement systems.


                               background

       Agencies' activities affected by the Intelligence 
     Authorization Act of 2003, include fourteen agencies of the 
     U.S. government, such as: Central Intelligence Agency; 
     National Security Agency; Defense Intelligence Agency; 
     National Imagery and Mapping Agency; National Reconnaissance 
     Organization; FBI (Counterterrorism and Counterintelligence); 
     DOE; Homeland Security; and U.S. Coast Guard.


                          Legislative History

       H.R. 2417 was introduced by Chairman Goss on June 11, 2003. 
     It was reported from the Select Intelligence Committee by a 
     vote of 16-0 on June 12, 2003 (H. Rpt. 108-163).


                             Cost Estimate

       CBO estimates that the unclassified portions of this 
     measure will cost $320 million over the 2004-2008 period, 
     assuming appropriation of the specified and estimated 
     amounts. CBO also estimates the bill will affect direct 
     spending and receipts by an insignificant amount.
       H.R. 2417 contains intergovernmental and private-sector 
     mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 
     (UMRA), but CBO estimates that the costs of complying with 
     these mandates will not exceed the thresholds established by 
     that act ($59 million for intergovernmental mandates and $117 
     million for private-sector mandates in 2003, adjusted 
     annually for inflation).


         Amendments Made in Order Under the Rule (6 amendments)

       Rep. Cox will offer an amendment (#10) on Wednesday, June 
     25, 2003. The amendment strikes Section 336 (Improvement of 
     Information Sharing Among Federal, State, and Local 
     Government Officials) of the bill. Contact: 6-8417.
       Rep. Farr will offer an amendment (#9) on Wednesday, June 
     25, 2003. The amendment seeks to improve the foreign language 
     training of the intelligence community by providing: (1) 
     training in the application of standardized foreign language 
     skill assessment mechanisms; (2) development of curriculum 
     for advanced proficiency intelligence community foreign 
     language speakers and interpreters; (3) non-degree training 
     for translators and interpreters; (4) training intelligence 
     community foreign language teachers in the use of technology 
     geared for teaching advanced ``critical languages;'' (5) 
     intensive on-site foreign language training. Contact: 5-2861.
       Rep. Harman will offer an amendment (#2) on Wednesday, June 
     25, 2003. It amends section (g)(1) of Section 343 of the bill 
     by requiring the Director of Central Intelligence to report 
     on whether further consolidation or elimination of watch list 
     databases in Federal departments and agencies would 
     contribute to the efficacy and effectiveness of the Terrorist 
     Identification Classification System in identifying known or 
     suspected terrorists. If passed, it would also require the 
     Director of Central Intelligence to report on steps required 
     to consolidate or eliminate such watch lists. Contact: 5-
     8220.
       Rep. Hastings (FL) will offer an amendment (#1) on 
     Wednesday, June 25, 2003. The amendment directs the Director 
     of Central Intelligence to establish a pilot project to 
     improve recruitment of ethnic and cultural minorities and 
     women to meet the diversity of skills, language, and 
     expertise required by the current mission. Contact: 5-1313.
       Rep. Kucinich will offer an amendment (#8) on Wednesday, 
     June 25, 2003. The amendment directs the Inspector General of 
     the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct an audit of all 
     telephone and electronic communications between the CIA and 
     the Office of the Vice President that relate to weapons of 
     mass destruction obtained or developed by Iraq preceding 
     Operation Iraqi Freedom. Not later than one year after the 
     date of enactment, the Inspector General shall submit a 
     report to Congress on the audit conducted. Contact: 5-5871.
       Rep. Lee will offer an amendment (#7) on Wednesday, June 
     25, 2003. The amendment requires the Comptroller General of 
     the United States to conduct a study to determine the extent 
     of intelligence sharing by the Department of Defense and 
     intelligence community with United Nations inspectors 
     searching for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq prior to 
     Operation Iraqi Freedom. Contact: 5-2661.

  Ms. McCARTHY of Missouri. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to commend the 
collaborative efforts of my colleagues who serve on the Permanent 
Select Committee in crafting the FY2004 Intelligence Authorization, 
H.R. 2417.
  This measure encourages information sharing among agencies, which is 
critical to our Nation's ability to respond to threats to our homeland 
security.
  There are still important intelligence questions unresolved from our 
war in Iraq--questions that will, and should, face greater scrutiny in 
the coming months. This Intelligence Authorization provides added 
resources that will be used in securing the answers to those questions 
and we should support it.
  Mr Chairman, in closing, I want to commend the committee for giving 
us a bill that strengthens the Intelligence Community and provides new 
and better capabilities to fight the war on terrorism, and I urge my 
colleagues to support this measure.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The CHAIRMAN. All time having expired, the debate is concluded.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.
  The motion was agreed to.
  Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. 
Hefley) having assumed the chair, Mr. Isakson, Chairman of the 
Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, reported that 
that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2417) to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2004 for intelligence and 
intellience-related activities of the United States Government, the 
Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency 
Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes, had come to 
no resolution thereon.

                          ____________________