MARK-UP SESSION OF THE SENATE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE ON CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78M02660R000300020048-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 25, 2005
• Sequence Number: 48
• Publication Date: February 20, 1976
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Release 2005/02/1-0 : CIA-RDP78M02660R000300020048-2
OLC 76-0441
20 February 1.976
SUBJECT: Mark-up Session of the Senate Government Operations Committee
on Congressional Oversight of the Intelligence Community
1. I attended the first mark-up session of the Senate Government
Operations Committee on the issue of congressional oversight of the
Intelligence Community. The meeting lasted from 10: 00 a.m. to 12: 30 p.m.;
and the following Senators attended:
Senator Abraham Ribicoff (D., Conn.) Senator Lee Metcalf (D. , Mont. )
Senator Lawton Chiles (D., Fla.) Senator Sam Nunn CD., Ga.)
Senator John Glenn (D., Ohio) Senator Charles Percy (R., 111.)
Senator Jacob Javits (R., N. Y.) Senator William Roth CR., Del.)
Senator Bill Brock (R., Tenn.) Senator Lowell Weicker (R., Conn.)
2. The starting point for the Committee's deliberations is the bill of
the Church Committee (S. 2893), converted into a resolution. The Committee
is going the resolution route at least in part to meet the Senate's March 1
deadline for reporting the bill to the Rules Committee. The Committee
considered an amendment by Senator Brock to establish a joint committee;
but as it appeared there was no sentiment whatsoever for a joint committee,
Senator Brock withdrew his amendment. The Committee agreed on an 11-
member "Committee on Intelligence Activities. " The membership is to be
appointed by the caucuses of each party and will have a firm 6-5 majority-
minority membership ratio. One of the purposes in going to an 11-member
committee. was so that other committees could have designated seats on the
Intelligence Activities Committee without these members dominating the
Committee. However, the Government Operations Committee later voted down
the notion of designated seats.
3. The Committee also took the following action:
a. Accepted an amendment by Senator Percy which would strike
the following language from the 17 February Committee Print (beginning
page 5, line 22): "For the purpose of this paragraph service of a
Senator as a member of the Committee on Intelligence Activities shall
not be taken into account." The purpose of this amendment was to cut
down on a Senator's committee load so that he would have more time
to spend on intelligence activities;
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(b) Agreed to an amendment by Senator Glenn which would
eliminate the language in section 5 of the resolution (page 5, line 7)
which disclaims interference in the jurisdiction of any other standing
committee. The purpose of this amendment was to give the proposed
committee exclusive jurisdiction of intelligence matters;
(c) Mindful that the Committee on Government Operations may
not be able to lay all needed procedures out in advance, the Committee
accepted in principle (language to be worked out) an amendment by
Senator Roth directing the Committee on Intelligence Activities to
recommend by July 1, 1977., needed changes in its procedures and
authorities. The Committee's study is to include an inquiry into how
the Senate Committee might work more closely with a House oversight
committee, including joint meetings and the feasibility of establishing
a joint committee.
4. Regarding the question of an annual authorization, Senator Nunn
asked whether this would lead to the disclosure of the intelligence budget,
and Senator Ribicoff stated nothing in the Committee resolution required the
Committee to go public with its annual authorization figure. As Senator
Ribicoff foresees the procedure, the Committee on Intelligence Activities
will determine an authorization level
On a related point, Senator Muskie announced
that he expected his Budget Committee to have access to all the budgetary
information which the Intelligence Activities Committee is to receive and no
one on the Committee objected.
5. The Committee concluded today's deliberations by discussing
section 7, which forbids a member or employee of the Committee from dis-
closing information regarding intelligence activities except to a closed
session of the Senate. Senators Roth and Huddleston spoke in favor of an
amendment which would establish firm procedures for disciplining a member
who discloses information without the Committee's authorization, while
Senator Javits was reluctant to see a Senator's prerogatives limited. The
Committee made no decisions on this question, but agreed to meet tomorrow
at 10:00 a.m. on sections 7, 10, and 11 of the Committee Pyint
Assistant Legislative ounse
Distribution:
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1 - SC/DCI
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1 - OLC Chrono
OLC: DFM: sm (20 Feb 76)
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