Creation of new appropriations subcommittee ignites Senate turf battle

Senate Intelligence Committee ranking member Christopher (Kit) Bond, R-Mo., introduced legislation Thursday to consolidate oversight of spending for national intelligence agencies, a move intended to satisfy an unfulfilled recommendation of the 9/11 commission but one that could cause a fierce turf battle.

The bill, which Bond introduced on the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, would create a new subcommittee on the Senate Appropriations Committee that would have budget authority for the National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, CIA, director of national intelligence and all other agencies that fall under the national intelligence program.

"As we reflect on the horrible tragedy of the September 11th attacks we should all ask ourselves whether we can do more to keep our nation safe by improving congressional oversight of our intelligence," Bond said.

The commission recommended the Senate and House consolidate oversight and budget authority for the intelligence community onto a single committee.

That recommendation has proved too difficult to implement, even though Democrats pledged to fulfill all of the commission's recommendations when they took control of Congress.

Under Bond's bill, the Senate Intelligence Committee would continue to exercise oversight of the intelligence community, while the new intelligence appropriations subcommittee would approve budgets and spending requests.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman John (Jay) Rockefeller, D-W.V., signed on as a co-sponsor of the bill, his spokeswoman said.

But the bill would take budget authority away from the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

The new subcommittee, however, would not have budget authority over tactical military intelligence operations.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd, D-W.V., also opposes the creation of the new subcommittee, his spokeswoman said. Byrd and Appropriations Committee ranking member Thad Cochran, R-Miss., sent a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in April opposing formation of an intelligence appropriations subcommittee, the spokeswoman added.

But Bond said the bill would be the least disruptive way to consolidate intelligence oversight because it does not require a reorganization of the Appropriations Committee.

An aide to Bond pointed to a letter that 14 senators sent to Reid and McConnell in March supporting tenets incorporated into the bill.

"We believe constituting this subcommittee ... will provide the closest approximation to the 9/11 Commission recommendation for consolidation and consistency of oversight, while at the same time imposing the least alteration to Senate organization and tradition," the senators wrote to Reid and McConnell.

The House has also struggled with consolidating oversight of intelligence. Instead of creating a single committee with budget and oversight authority, the House created a select intelligence oversight panel on the House Appropriations Committee.

The panel does not have direct control over intelligence budgets, but can make recommendations on spending to other subcommittees.

The House Intelligence Committee is still the primary panel with oversight responsibility.