Collins Introduces Intelligence Legislation
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2004 — Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) yesterday announced a plan that she said would radically reform the nation’s intelligence capabilities by creating a national intelligence director with the authority to oversee the country’s numerous intelligence organizations, including the FBI and the CIA.
Collins chairs the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, which is responsible for translating the 9-11 commission’s ideas into legislation. “The 9-11 commission provided us with a great blueprint,” she said.
She said that even in a rural state like Maine, with a long border and numerous other security challenges, security is critical.
“If you read the 9-11 commission report, you find that the very second paragraph talks about two of the terrorists starting their journey of death and destruction in Portland, Maine,” said Collins. “And that reminds us that even smaller states are at risk in the war against terrorism.”
She unveiled the plan with its co-author. Democrat Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, in a morning press conference at the Capitol.
“The work that the national intelligence director would be doing would have a definite impact on Maine because we are a border state with a large coastline,” she said.
Collins said that the legislation would be finalized in time to be debated by the committee next week. Members of Congress plan to adjourn in about a month for an election break.
The legislation would centralize intelligence activities under the direction of a national intelligence director with authority over most of the government’s intelligence gathering operations.
“I absolutely believe that we need to finish this year,” said Collins. Congress may have to complete work on the legislation if Congress returns after the elections, she said.
A national intelligence director, an idea that is supported by the White House as well as Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, would have broad budgetary authority.
Without budgetary authority, the new position would be “just another layer of bureaucracy,” Lieberman said. “Our purpose in producing this legislation is literally to upend the status quo in the American intelligence community,” he said.
The Sept. 11 commission recommended such a position because they said the nation’s fifteen intelligence agencies did not communicate among themselves to prevent the terrorist attacks in New York City and at the Pentagon. Collins spokeswoman Jen Burita said that they are receiving a significant response on the issue from constituents in the state. “The message that we are receiving from Mainers is ‘act quickly on intelligence reform legislation.’ ”
Both Lieberman and Collins said their legislation was a bipartisan effort. They have been working with the White House, and have consulted with numerous administration officials, as well as families of Sept. 11 victims, they said.
House leaders said they hope to act on intelligence reform before Congress adjourns in October.
After the press conference, Collins told a group of reporters that she had been in close contact with those in the House of Representatives of both parties, as well as the Speaker, and was optimistic about the bill’s chance of success in that body.
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