LETTER TO HARRY M. GOLDWATER FROM W.E. COLBY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP10-00750R000101090001-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 18, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 27, 1983
• Content Type: LETTER

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/18: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101090001-9
C X4, 7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/18: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101090001-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/18: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101090001-9
STAT
April 27, 1983
The Hcnorable Barry M. Goldwater
Chairman
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
You will recall the most effective support and sym-
pathy you provided last year in connection with the passage of
the Central Intelligence Agency Spouses Retirement Equity Act
of 1982 (P.L. 97-269). Your efforts and those of Senator
Inouye were nothing short of spectacular in bringing about this
highly appropriate recognition of the contribution made by
spouses to the intelligence services of our country.
The 1982 Act vested annuities in spouses divorced
After November 15, 1982, provided the marriage continued for
at least 10 years of agency service and involved at least 5
years of overseas service. The November 15, 1982 date was
set to avoid retroactive interference with existing retire-
ment and survivor payments and to avoid conflict with existing
divorce decrees and property settlement. However, unfortunately,
the Act provided no relief for spouses divorced on November 14,
1982 and earlier, nor for divorced spouses of CIARDS partici-
pants who retired before the effective date of the Act. When
he introduced the CIA Spouses Retirement Equity Act in the
Senate, Senator Inouye stated that, "I feel that at some future
date we should consider providing additional benefits to this
group (those excluded) in recognition of their important ser-
vice."
Several of these affected spouses have authorized me
to approach the Committees along the lines suggested by Senator
Inouye. It is our understanding that your Committee has already
acted on this year's appropriations, so the attached letter was
written to The Honorable Edward P. Boland, Chairman of the House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. You will note in it
the justification for a modest appropriation to provide payment
for the excluded spouses, under the same eligibility rules as
affect those covere?7 under the Act. If the House Committee can
includes this appropriation in their bill, it would be an
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/18: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101090001-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/18: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101090001-9
The Honorable Barry M. Goldwater
April 27, 1983
Page 2
appropriate subject of conference between your Committee and the
House Committee and might thereby be included in this year's
appropriations.
The attached letter to Chairman Boland contains the
full justification of the inclusion of these spouses in the
benefits from the Act. A contact exists with a number of them
in the Washington area which demonstrates that they are both
highly deserving and highly needy of this kind of protection.
With the great sympathy you. showed this cause in developing
the 1982 legislation, we are hopeful that you will find it
possible to give similar support to the spouses excluded from
that legislation. This approach would not involve interfer-
ence with existing retirement benefits of current spouses nor
adversely change any past divorce decrees or other arrangements
made at the time of the dissolution of the marriage. The
modest amount required would seem highly appropriate as a
supplemental cost to bring about this equity in the situation
and initiate a steadily declining program of recognition of
the services of these spouses.
May I once again express our appreciation of your
great support for the passage of the 1982 Act. It literally
could not have been done without your interest and help. We
presume from that expression of sympathy to hope that you
will find it possible to move in the direction of this proposal
at this time.
Sincerely,
W.E. Colby
WEC:pdk
Enclosure
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/18: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101090001-9