[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 20680]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   CONGRESSIONAL INTELLIGENCE REFORM

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, through the Chair to the distinguished 
majority leader, I ordinarily don't speak for other Senators, but I 
think I can speak for Senator McConnell. We appreciate very much the 
majority leader and Senator Daschle's deliberateness in moving forward 
on reform, not only of the intelligence community but also 
congressional reform. It would be easy to put that aside, but I think 
it is important that we move forward as the 9/11 Commission 
recommended. They have said quite clearly, you can't do one without the 
other.
  What we have done, working with the other 20 members of the task 
force, is come up with what political scientists say are some 
significant changes in the history of this body. I don't know if that 
is true or not, but there are some significant changes which would 
create a new Homeland Security authorizing committee that would not 
necessitate the Secretary, as he has this year, appearing 164 times 
before different committees and subcommittees. Eighty-eight different 
subcommittees and committees have jurisdiction over him. That is not 
good. The new Homeland Security committee will take jurisdiction from 
10 different committees.
  We also are creating, from the pattern given to us by the 9/11 
Commission, a very strong Intelligence Committee. And in the 
appropriations process, we have a subcommittee there. I spoke last 
night to Lee Hamilton, one of the cochairs. We have kept them advised 
as to everything we have done, and they are on board. They think what 
we are doing is totally in keeping with their recommendations. We 
haven't followed everything they wanted, but we have kept them advised 
along the way. We have a very good product.
  Again, Senator McConnell and I extend both to the majority leader and 
Senator Daschle our thanks for keeping your eyes on the prize and 
having us go forward, as difficult as it has been.

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