POLICY ISSUE CONCERNING DIRECTOR S APPEARANCES BEFORE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES TO DISCUSS SITUATION IN EUROPE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP01-01773R000300110031-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 27, 2007
• Sequence Number: 31
• Publication Date: April 11, 1957
• Content Type: MISC

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2. A"esrances Before Congressional Committees. An important
policy issue was raised recently when the Director was invited to appear
before the European Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Corn-
mittee, ostensibly for the purpose of briefing them an the situation is
Eastern Europe. The Director informed the Chairman of the Subcom-
mittee, Mrs. Edna Kelly, that such an appearance would establish a
Pr ace en , and that or that
reason sna er ___ ve to be re erred
to the National Security Council. The Director explained his relationship
with small select subcommittees of Appropriations and Armed Services
Committees, and indicated that he only appeared before other Congres-
CV sional committees under the most exceptional circumstances. The one
exception to the rule was a long standing agreement that the Director of
Central Intelligence would keep the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy
regularly briefed on nuclear developments within the USSR.
4L'f
it was pointed out that the Department of State, which has full access
to intelligence information, was the logical agency to brief the Foreign
Affairs and Foreign Relations Caanmittees, al.4gh21rector would
be willing to brief appropriate personally members of Congress on
matters in which d a special interest. This matter was referred
to the highest level, where the previous policy was confirmed. Mrs.
Kelly and Chairman Gordon of the House Foreign Affairs Committee were
so informed, and the Director did not appear.
3. Congressional Jurisdiction Over CIA. The House Government
Operations Committee has given to its International operations subcom-
mittee , chaired by Porter Hardy, jurisdiction" over CIA. The extent
to which this assignment will affect future Agency relationships with the
Congress is not clear, although it is conceded that the Go, vern ent
Operations Committees have an extremely broad charter and there is
cf
nothing to puce a errs from to nit an interest in GDA matters affecting
 Approved For Release 2007/02128 GIA-RDP01-01773R000300110031-6
administration or the espsaditare of foods. Cbairnma Hardy of the Sub-
eeaao~ was to lunch Dy flue Direct., on Tuesday, 2b Masrh,
aad the attached reme-raadvo 81 the meetfa( may be of some interest
L+ a L Ifirk k
Att*cbmea*
IG:LC :NSPau10 (11 Apr. 57 )
Orig. & 1 - Add.
1 - IG
2 - Legis. Counsel
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