SENATOR EUGENE MCCARTHY'S RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH A SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP71B00364R000600170071-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 1, 2005
• Sequence Number: 71
• Publication Date: May 13, 1966
• Content Type: MFR

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13 May 1966
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Senator Eugene McCarthy's Resolution to Establish
a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
1. There follow random points and a statement of our information
to date on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee action on Thursday,
12 May 1966, on Senator McCarthy's most recent resolution.
2. At a Foreign Relations Committee meeting on Thursday
(at which a quorum was not present), Senator McCarthy offered a substitute
resolution in favor of his original resolution, S. Con Res. 210, which
called for a study by the Foreign Relations Committee of the CIA. The
substitute resolution would establish a select committee of nine members
of the three Committees
(to be appointed by the Chairmen/): three from the Armed Services Com-
mittee, three from the Appropriations Committee and three from tho
Foreign Relations Committee.
3. The Committee discussed the substitute resolution and acted
on two motions. A number of votes were made by proxy. Senator Hicken-
looper offered a motion to table the resolution. This was defeated by a vote
of 11 to 6. Senator Lausche then offered a motion to refer the substitute
resolution to the Senate Committee on Rules. This motion was defeated
by a vote of 12 to 6. The Committee adjourned without taking formal action
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on the resolution but is scheduled to consider the matter further at a
session on Tuesday, 17 May 1966.
4. If the Foreign Relations Committee acts favorably on this
resolution, it must then be referred to the Senate Rules Committee for it
requires expenditures from the Senate contingency fund in addition to
establishing a new committee. The funds would obviously be required for
salaries of committee staff and other committee expenses.
5. One of the most important aspects of the substitute resolution
is the manner by which the members of this committee would be designated.
Obviously designation by the President of the Senate permits much broader
flexibility in the choice of membership than does designation by the chairmen
of the committees represented. For example, persons designated by the
.the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee (Senator Fulbright).
to this committee would undoubtedly be quite different from those designated
by the President of the Senate.
6. The term "select" as used in this resolution undoubtedly results
from the fact that the membership would be designated in a manner ether
than by the leadership of the respective parties.
7. To the best of our knowledge (and we have also consulted informally
with the Armed Services Committee staff) while the jurisdiction over the
CIA by the Senate Armed Services Committee is unquestioned as far as that
Committee is concerned, there is no formal action by the Senate which con-
f erred jurisdiction over CIA matters on the Armed Services Committee. It's
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jurisdiction has been one of historical development and precedent by
individual rulings, by the Parliamentarian on individual issues.
8. In connection with the above, it is interesting that Senator
McCarthy chose to offer his substitute resolution in Committee rathe-
than to introduce the resolution in the normal manner. By having the
Foreign Relations Committee consider this resolution as a Committees
resolution, McCarthy has sidestepped the parliamentary issue of Cormittee
jurisdiction over consideration of the resolution itself. (This is a pos_nt
which might well be attacked either in the Rules Committee or on the
floor of the Senate should the bill be favorably reported.) In other words
should the members of the Armed Services and Appropriations Committees
elect to raise the issue, it could well be argued on a point of order that
the resolution should be referred to the Armed Services Committee before
it can be considered by the Senate.
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