CONVERSATIONS WITH MESSRS, WOODRUFF, SLATINSHEK AND CHAIRMAN MAHON RE INTELLIGENCE BUDGET

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73B00296R000100040007-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 20, 2006
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: December 2, 1971
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Release 2006/09/25 : CIA-RDP73B00296R000100040007-0
SECRET)
2 December 1971
SUBJECT: Conversations with Messrs. Woodruff, Slatinshek
and Chairman Mahon re Intelligence Budget
1. Today, Colonel White and I met separately with Bill Woodruff,
Counsel, Senate Appropriations Committee, Frank Slatinshek, Assistant
Chief Counsel, House Armed Services Committee, and Chairman George
Mahon, House Appropriations Committee on the above subject. On each
occasion Colonel White explained that the Director had been urged by
Chairmen Stennis and Ellender, Senate Armed Services and Senate
Appropriations Committees, to move quickly to get the intelligence
budgets transferred to accounts not involving the authorization process.
He said there was some lack of clarity as to the extent to which these
instructions covered the entire community budget, but obviously this
could not be done at once, and the immediate problem was to get all
of the CIA budget out of the authorization process for FY 1973.
2. Mr. Woodruff commented that the Agency would be better
off if its entire budget was made public as a single line item. He argued
if this was done the five present members of the Appropriations Subcom-
mittee could protect us, but otherwise we might have to rely on a committee
of some twenty members with the resulting problems of maintaining tight
security. Colonel White replied that some day we might have to make our
budget public but we wanted to put this off, as long as, possible fearing that
once the total was revealed, efforts would be made to break it down into
components. Woodruff also argued that if Congress wished to they could
extend the authorization requirement to cover any appropriations they
wished simply by amending P. L. 412, and this was a likely possibility if
Congress became particularly concerned about how much was being spent
on intelligence. Woodruff said he had discussed the matter with Ralph
Preston, Staff Assistant, House Appropriations Committee, and he indicated
that he would try to cooperate in obtaining our objectives.
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3. When the matter was presented to Mr. Slatinshek, he expressed
some misgivings, conceding that he was speaking as the devil's advocate.
He argued that our proposal would accomplish only a temporary solution
to the problem at best. He also questioned whether Chairman Nedzi, of
the new Intelligence Subcommittee, might not feel that, by avoiding the
authorization process, we were cutting out some of his present authority.
Colonel White emphasized that we would of course be more than glad to
discuss our budget with Nedzi's Subcommittee at any time, regardless
of whether their authorization was required.
4. When we met Chairman Mahon, he was quite rushed and our
conversation with him was extremely brief. His initial reaction was over
which accounts,not requiring authorization, could cover the Agency budget.
He also remarked that he was not sure where our proposal would lead but
he would be glad to work with us. Meanwhile, he asked us to see Ralph
Preston (presently out of town) when he returns Monday morning.
OHN M. MAURY
gislative Counsel
Distribution:
Original - Subject
1 - Sen. Appro. Com.
I - H. Armed Services
f1)- H. Appro. Com.
- Chrano
1 - NIPE
1 - OG C
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