LETTER TO HONORABLE RICHARD BOLLING FROM WILLIAM J. CASEY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83M00914R001900170036-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 21, 2007
• Sequence Number: 36
• Publication Date: October 7, 1981
• Content Type: LETTER

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The Director of Central Intelligence
Washington.D.C2050S
Honorable Richard Bolling, Chairman
Committee on Rules
House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
similar in its approach.
This is in response to your request for my views on
H.R. 2 and H.R. 58, the "Sunset Act of 1981" and the
"Sunset Review Act'of 1981" respectively. Since the
proposed legislation affects my responsibilities as Director
of Central Intelligence and as the manager of the National
Foreign Intelligende Program, I am responding in my capacity
as head of the Intelligence Community.
Both bills would require reauthorizations of budget.
authority for government programs at least every ten years
and would establish as part of the rules of the House of
Representatives and Senate a procedure for periodic
congressional review. H.R. 58 provides for the study and
evaluation of programs with a view to determining whether
continuation of such programs is justified or to what
extent they should be modifed or terminated. H.R. 2 is
The National Foreign Intelligence Program (NFIP) is
one of the few programs in government that is now subject
to the requirements which would be applied generally under
the terms of. the proposed legislation. The Intelligence
Community cooperates fully in the oversight process carried
out by -the : House--Permanent Select Committee on Intelliger_ce
and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. During
the annual authorization and appropriations processes,
moreover, NFIP intelligence programs are carefully
.scrutinized by the Intelligence, Armed Services, and
Appropriations Committees. By virtue of the oversight work
of the Intelligence Committees and the annual authorization
and appropriations review, all NFIP programs are already-in
compliance with the spirit of-the sunset concept.
Additionally, I must emphasize that NFIP programs are
of necessity classified, extremely sensitive, and intimately
concerned with intelligence sources and methods. It is
clearly the established policy of both the Executive Branch
and the Congress to limit the proliferation of sensitive
information concerning intelligence activities, programs,
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and budget. While both Bills attempt to take cognizance
of intelligence equities, H.R.`2 in section 502 and H.R. 58
in paragraphs 9(c)(1) and (2), neither provides the kind and
.degree of,protection dictated by the nature of the foreign-
intelligence activities involved. As drafted, H.R. 2 and
H.R. 58 raise the possibility of. unnecessary proliferation
of information with regard to the most sensitive activities
conducted by the Intelligence Community.
Given the sensitivities involved and the effective
legislative oversight mechanisms already in place, it is
.my opinion that the Intelligence Community's National
Foreign Intelligence Programs should be exempt from.the
provisions of the proposed Sunset Act.
The Office of Management and Budget has advised that
there is no objection to the submission of this report
from the standpoint of the Administration's program.
Sincerely,
7sf Waliam J. Casey
William J. Casey
Aooroved For Release 2007/02/21 : C12\-R?P83M00914R001900170036-9