New Intelligence Reform Bill May Pit U.S. Congress Against White House

[Nambe]

WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (AFP)

The powerful chairman of the US Senate intelligence committee promised Monday to introduce this week a new intelligence reorganization bill likely to set Congress on a collision course with the White House, which favors an intelligence "czar" with vaguely defined powers.

Republican Pat Roberts said the draft, which is expected to be submitted to the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday, provides for a national intelligence director that will be empowered to "really lead" all 15 agencies making up the US intelligence community as suggested by a national commission that investigated the September 11 attacks.

"Those authorities include the ability to hire and fire as well as the ability to exercise control over the budgets of those agencies," Roberts said.

His Democratic counterpart, Jay Rockefeller, said the senators were prepared, if necessary, "to break some china around here" to make the proposed reforms a reality.

As outlined, the proposal runs counter to a vision espoused by the White House, which has so far resisted a commitment to reform that would shrink the powers wielded by the defense secretary and director of the Central Intelligence Agency. ..

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[napi21]

1. Oh God, I hope so!

It's about time the Pubs in the congress who still have some sanity left fight the neocons who are trying to take over. I've listened to all the 9/11 Commission hearings, and to the hearings over the last 2 weeks. There really are some Pubs who are trying to do the right thing. It's also quite obvious who the very partisan idiots are. I sure hope the good guys on both sides win!

[RebelYell]

2. That's the way it's supposed to be!

When they're fighting amongst themselves, they have less times to pass laws to further oppress us.

[Tellurian]

3. The whole thing stinks...a Bloody Charade!..nt

[jpgray]

4. Bush will just do another 'stealth' flip flop

No way. Well maybe. Okay, if you can get the votes. Yes. Great! And I supported it all along.

[ozymandius]

5. I think we've had enough czars.

What, do you imagine, could be accomplished if the existing departmental leaders actually did their jobs? What will another layer of beaurocracy give us that the present system of responsible governmental entities does not?

To me, the appointment of another "czar" resonates more like another tactic to bury current embarrassing revelations about our intelligence community (9/11, Iraq, etc). Our Congressional representation knows that certain intelligence establishment individuals did not perform their job duties. Was that not the whole rationale behind the formation of the Department of Homeland Security? Worse yet, a new cabinet level department that was intended to facilitate intelligence gathering, law enforcement and interdiction among the FBI, CIA and NSA does not seem to be enough.

This leads me to believe that our Congress has not the political will to call responsible individuals on the carpet for absolute failure to fulfill their obligations. Somehow - the formation of a new intelligence agency with a nebulously defined leadership will make everything okay. These ideas are being promoted by smart people in the highest levels of government. This, to me, is an embarrassment.