VIEWS OF THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE ON THE MANSFIELD BILL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP01-01773R000300110052-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 27, 2007
• Sequence Number: 52
• Publication Date: February 6, 1958
• Content Type: MEMO

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oCc
6 February 1958
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT : Views of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
on the Mansfield Diu
1. In view of your appearance before the : en,ate Foreign
kelations Committee, the following may serve to refresh your memory
concerning the views of that Committee on the Mansfield Bill. Of the
eight Democrats, seven--Green, rulbright, Humphrey, Mansfield,
Morse and Kenrnedy_-were all co-sponsors of the bill and voted for it.
The other two Democrats--bparkmau and Long--were both absent on
official business and so recorded. On the Republican side of the
Committee, only one of the seven voted for the Mansfield bill and that
was Langer of North Dakota.
2. Of the Democrats, only Mar se spoke on the floor of
the Senate in favor of the s s14 Dill. Mona spoke more often
than any other Senator in favor of the bill, with the exception of Mike
Mansfield himself. Langer spoke three times In favor of the bill, while
Knowland and llickenlooper--on the Republican side--spoke against it.
The gist of the remarks of these five Senators are enclosed.
cc: DDCI
OGC/Lc
1$$ [pan Kiri;lauit
Lys S. Kirkpatrick
Inspector Coral
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Mansfield had the floor appxoximtely 33 ties in the course of the
two day debate. He kept stress g that Congress and the Azi rican people
were being kept in igoorence of wbat CIA did. He eug a ated that "SS's
position of responsibility to none but the National Security Co ncil should
be clued. He wed how many resets for oetings of the CIA subco *uittees
had been mMe on each side. Be tstedly stated that be thought there VVA
a serious goes: tion about the arrogation of authority by the Executive Branch
of the Gove:'3tamr-t. Mansfield cited several inetancea vliich he tend
violations of the intent of Congrees bythe Administration in hezdlin appro-
priatiooic . 1e said he thought the President had set tea his Board
of Con-
euItents two days before the Yield Bill was to be considered by the
Rules Cor. ittee as a r th of hcsding off the Bill. Be pointed out that
the President's Board was responsible to the Executive alone and lacked
the legal authority of a Corgressic l inquiry. lie stated that CIA vas the
only for Agency over which Con{ ss exercises no direct v4d fozml control.
Mansfield said t four subcommittees have no staff to rely on. He
pointed out that the aside nt's Board. will be part tiiie only and will take
only periodic checks, while he believed there was need for a continual
check on "this Agency which seems to be a ding eoutinually." He cited
the Hoover Con. isssion statement about the rsbortsge of inforn .lion on the
Soviet Union and the teed for internal administrative iirovez nts in CIA.
, .ansfielt stated that Congress c ou.l.d not rely on a eubco7 t.ttee but,
on a joint c omittee with regular sta .ding. He said the staff would be
subject to the highest security regulations, and although the bill provided
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5t ? the C4tt'm cu
Merit
InUefted be vouM 'tab paw
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I's t1w tUtIcral aunty X11 Private Vad atated Ott
.' nth Vag to XWWr Of
gent.
$ mid t1at
bill $ 6aM ttbe r' Ctrit jO=ed a jo~j
StOW that C in its
the Mme,
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L+ _ex spoke three times during the debate. He a rauy spoke in
agreement of state nts, P 'tieularly those by 8snator Wree, az4 laid
greatest esraghaeis can what tae a Leged to be Bracy for 8e< z*ay's sssakb.
He a o emphasized that the Foreign Relations Coauittee died not hear f
rom
CIA and were not advised by the other Col ittees of w1 at they were told by
CIA. He said he also worried about CIA's influence on foreign policy.
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Morse bad the flog i tsly sixteen ti ms during to debate.
He raised the stun of the relations betvium the proposed Comittee
and the President t s Board. He felt that the Ca ittee would Maintain a
chock on foreign policy as far as was etgapd in foreign policy. He
implied that he had letters fxoa pale saying that CIA abroad was ariticiaa-
ing Unite States foreign policy. He said he abhorre&., Goverment by searecy
a id that a miatelA by CIA in, some tinderbox area of the vorld may cause a
loss of millions of lives. He would want the Joint Committee to keep the
Foreign Relations Cox tittee; as well as the Site as a wbole, informed.
Morse stated that he felt the present CIA relationship to Armed Services
and Appropriations was voluntary and be meted it mezdatory. Be said the
Con es had not been insisting on exercising its powers to check the Zxecu-
tive Branch of the Government in many fields, inclualing foreign poliey.
Norse insisted that CIAaas influence in foreign policy was probably
mat in affecting Executive decisions end that one of the reasons be favored
the Ca i ttee was to find out in fact, not theory, a etly bow much of a
policy ,tng rode CIA does have.
Morse said the analogy between the a and the )3X was vrong
4zowa
an there were
aclr _ t 1:: " ia+e ia' Y believed the waft' in which
`the Pworican spy system worked should be known to all ors of the
tore igx Relations a Armed Services Co dtte*e . Morse said he thought the
United Stares was t secure when there was full public disclosure to
elected representatives. Be said as a man r of the P'oreigi Relations
Committee he b never received i a r titn. fr the Arm, services Oub.
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cwjmi' t ia and that there c1x* 14 bave been fir jodi'O "Ports. #a i$. t
'PA02AUOM COttee ObM have JaforMtian fVM CZA On Vbat is
&p1 On in t vow ,d end wed "a r gyStaqN a it is very r4 *ay
?madledj c be P. Iaaor ca of r."
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Hickenl22 -Zr
took the floor about four times to speak against the 3iU.
Rio rem x) vet rirr
p ily as a r of the .Taint Committee on Atomic
Zne rgy and he said he thought the" to no parallel betwen $X!1 aIA the A 89p
and enunrera-ted the various points of diff'e xce, particularly the legislation
re uixed by the AEC, the fact that it Was eng in business, end the
fact that the ABC operated dcuroe-stical y while C1A vas pri warily ov :rseais .
He staid that CI should be given certain broad pays and authority subject
to the major st ervision of the Executive Branch of the Govemnent.
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Itho"w1and spoke about five tiriao in opposition to the bin, repeating
s the reservations voiced by, Ssitonsta. i by contributing the fast
that the President had. g ve reservations boo a of the of ct of the Bin
on t1G cooperative arrwNP=ntg VLt11 tt* inte1ligtn r "rv i c e of otbar
countries.
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