Senate panel fends off challenges to intelligence overhaul

Legislation to institute the most sweeping overhaul of intelligence programs since the 1940s was unanimously approved Wednesday by the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, despite efforts by the White House to mold the legislation to its liking.

Although sources said the White House is working with more compliant House Republican leaders on the emerging legislation and largely ignored the Senate committee markup, Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Collins insisted that her panel is in regular contact with the White House.

"Believe it," Collins exclaimed, "they are contacting [our] members and making their views known."

Collins' remark was backed up by Governmental Affairs ranking member Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., who called the White House contacts "covert" but real.

Lieberman also recalled that President Bush previously had voiced support for the basic framework of the Collins-Lieberman bill, including the creation of a new national intelligence director and an integrated National Counterterrorism Center to consolidate and analyze vital information about domestic and international terrorist threats.

During the committee's two-day markup, Collins and Lieberman prevailed against efforts by Democratic and Republican members alike to dilute the president's influence and preserve the Defense Department's control over intelligence.

During the markup Wednesday afternoon, Armed Services ranking member Carl Levin, D-Mich., a senior member of the Governmental Affairs Committee, fought vigorously to preserve authorities and functions unique to the Pentagon's role as the primary consumer of national intelligence services.

Levin reacted strongly to aspects of the underlying bill that would shift budget and personnel authority over a handful of key defense intelligence agencies to the new national intelligence director while allowing the agencies to remain within the Pentagon. He proposed a dozen amendments to the bill, most of which were accepted only after being modified by second-degree amendments offered by Collins and Lieberman.

The committee also rejected an amendment from Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., to appoint the national intelligence director for a fixed term, rather than serving at the pleasure of the president.

Another amendment, offered by Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Richard Shelby, R-Ala., to give the director power to appoint the top officials of existing intelligence agencies, also was rejected -- a victory for the president and the Defense Department.

The president would retain the power to name the CIA director and the department would keep the power to nominate the heads of the National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Senate Republican leaders are expected to appoint conferees to the intelligence overhaul bill before adjourning Oct. 8.

Members would vote in special session following a House-Senate conference, and Senate Democrats are likely to demand assurances from the leadership that Senate negotiators will stand firm against House members expected to push for a less robust national intelligence director with limited budget and personnel authority over the Defense Department.

John Stanton contributed to this report.