JOINT WATCHDOG COMMITTEE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP01-01773R000300030004-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 25
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Sequence Number: 4
• Content Type: MISCELLANEOUS

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 ground rules -Po- I * - 11
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Maury Memo for the Record, 10 June 1969, Subj: Ground Rules for Briefing
Indiv. embers of Cong on Sensitive Matters
Russell has consulted w/ Sens Mansfield and Dirksen. As a result of this
conference, it was agreed that "henceforth any of our briefings of Indiv.
senators on sensitive and controversial matters such as Sov. strategic
weapons should first be cleared personally w/ senator "ussell."
OLC Journal, 10 June 1969
"it was our procedure to ask any senator requesting a briefing of this
nature Con sensiti ee matterE7to im first take the matter up w/ Senator
Russell."
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SECRET
2 Nov 1955 -- Cong. Celler said he planned to introduce
a bill similar to Mansfields. He stated that such a jt.
comm would "in no way hamper or interfere w/ the vital
and necessary work" of CIA which "has carte blanche
authority to act as it sees fit." He stated that this
situation not comsistent w/ our democratic principles and that
Cong "should know how the funds it has appropriated to this
Agency are being expended if for no other reason than to
evaluate the worth of the taxpayers' investment in this
Agency." He said his proposal "should be no reflection
or intimation that there is anything wrong or at fault
w/ that Agency. I merely believe that the Cong should
have access to all the facts consistent w/ nat. security
if it is to legislate wisely."
[chk Cong Rec for this]
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29 Dec 1955 -- lunch w/ Albert Westphal, staff member
of House ForAffComm. He feels that a it. comm. on
intell might be useful, and that congressmen who have
introduced resolutions for the creation of it comms,
such as Judd and Zablocke, are motivated in large
part by desire to protect CIA in somewhst the same
manner that Jt Comm on At E has been able to protect
the Executive Branch on sensitive matters in that field.
Westphal says Judd and Zablocki are good firends of CIA
and would undoubtedly rise to its defense on the Floor
if the occasion demanded.
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SECRET
16 July 1953 -- [in midst of McCarthy's threats to investi-
gate CIA, and one week after McCarthy subcomm had subpoenaed
WLP) Kirkpartick has informed us that serious considera-
tion being given to appointment of a 6-man ad hoc jt. con-
gressional comm to examine CIA activities. V.P. Nixon
favors this stepp, but there is gen. agreement that there
should not be apermanent comm. appointed
t w r~~ c~ L F:. C / O f 4a~~
22 July 1953 -- Schroeder of staff of Senate Immigration
Subcomm, advised us to take careful steps to bottle up
Mansfield's bill, as he felt that such a comm would cer-
tainly result in serious security leaks. He pted out that
while the bill had been introduced by a Demo, McCarthy
and others would tend to push it covertly from the Repub.
side in order to tie CIA down.
24 July -- in the House, Kelly and Zablocki have introduced
bills to creat a jt comm on intell matters. These resolu-
tions somwshat broader than the ones previously introduced
in that they call for continued review of CIA p Vc k
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16 Sept 1953 -- lunched w/ Bryce Harlow, formerly chief
clerk of House ArmSerComm and now on W.H. legislative staff.
He expressed very strong opposition to a jt. cong. comm.
on intell. as an invasion of the constitutional powers of
the Pres and as violating the concept of the separation of
powers. (He also feels Jt Comm on Atomic E is unconstitu-
tional.) He worries that if such a comm. existed, we would
have to lay before it all our operational plans prior to
undertaking. It is his opinion that testimony on CIA should
be held to a minimum and that the Pres should, if necessary,
issue a directive to that effect.
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SECRET
7 Jan 1953
The DCI has reported to the Inspector Gen. our draft of
proposed legislation for a jt. congressional comm on intell.
(meaning unclear)
Pforz. believed no use could be served by such a comm which
would outweigh its detriments. Refers to the possiblity
of hostile congressmen getting on the comm and the impos-
sibility of disestablishing it. Thinks that subcomms of
the ArmSer Comm could easily be established to handle intell
matters.
Mr. Hedden concurs w/ this and will recommend such to DCI
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H. Con. Res. 168--July 23, 1953--submitted by Mrs. Kelly
of NY--referred to Rules Comm
--to establish a Jt. Comm on Intell matters, composed of
9 senators and nine representatives
S. Con. Res. 69--Mar 10, 1954--submittted by Mansfield,
with 20 other co-sponsors--feferred to Rules Comm
--to estab. a Jt. Comm on Central Intell, coposed of 5
members of each House
H. Con. Res. 167 and 169, July 21 and 23, 1953, submitted
respectively by Patterson and Zablocki, both referred to
Rules Comm--both called by estab. of Jt Comm on Intell.
H. Con. Res. 217--March 22, 1954--submitted by Mr. Brownson--
referred to Rules--called by estab. of Jt. Comm on Central
Intell.
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jt. comm. on Intell.
H. Con. Res. 186, April 21, 1948--offered by Mr. flevitt
calling for the establishment of a Jt. Comm on Intell,
consisting of 9 members of each House
referred to Rules Comm--I don't know what happened next.
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ournalc
Apr 21, 1948--in wake of Bogota inquiry. Rep. Edward J.
Devitt submits H. Con. Res. 186 (Establishing a it. Comm on
Intell) which was referred to Rules Comm
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UNCLASSIFIED
28 Yrs
Concern demonstrated from the lst moment the CIA proposed that
it might not be controllable. As early as 1948, members of
Congress were calling for a jt. cong. committee to serve as
watchdog.
p. 61
STAT
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in response to a request by SEnate Rules Comm in 1954,
DCI wrote an unclassified letter of 30 April 1954 to
Mr. Bookwalter, Chief Clerk of Rules, re CIA opinion
on proposed jt. comms. of intell
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21 Jan 1955 -- I am told by chief clerk of House ArmSErComm
that chairman Vinson is unalterably opposed to a jt
comm on Central Intell, that Vinson has so informed
Speaker Rayburn, that the Speaker is also opposed and does
not propose to let the bill come out of the Rules Comm
this same note also mentions that the CIA subcomm of the
House ArmServ Comm will meet Soon
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VNJLL Ass
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6t- cr,~. "V.
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1961 calls for watchdog committee Warner, St in Intell (1966)
fa11e W,., 4 P't? '`?'"
in 1961, House Rules Committee conducted hearings to determine
whether a jt. committee resolution whould be sent to the House
floor.
Members of the CIA subcommittee of House Armed Serv Comm, in-
luding chairman Kilday, testified vs. resolution, arguing that
cong. supervision of CIA fully adequate and noting that Agency
had made 46 appearances before various cong. comm. during past
2 yrs. Agency officers, he added, always responded fully and
candidly to their questioners (congressional)
Rules Committee let the resolutuon die.
p. 33
Nov 1960, NSC reviews its position on this issue and decided that
its 1956 decision, to oppose creation of a jt. comm., still valid.
p. 33
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jt. watchdog comm. Warner, St in Intell (1966)
not all suggestions for a it. watchdog comm are hostile or imply
that Agency cannot be trusted to run its own affairs.
Some in Cong gee such a committee as an aid to the Agency in cong.
and public relations. It could defend the Agency vs. unwarranted
attacks and stave off bothersome Qs from the unwitting
p. 39
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history
1961-- Eugene McCarthy attempts to revive idea of jt. [ I
think] oversight but fails to elicit much attention--this
in response to Bay of Pigs.
p. 55
STAT
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 DCI's respAookkR:t& l 'st-EZDD6&& 1C:c!:~lA-RDP01-017YI 00300030004-5
son, DCI-2, vol. IV
of the Nat Sec Act of 1947
Sec. 102 (d) (3 )A provides that the DCI should be resp. for
protecting intelligence sources and methods from unauthorized
disclosure.
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 probs w/ AVW(9Ad del se l@ iiQ k3
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SECRET , in Intell (1966)
re liaison relationships w/ for. intell. services: some liaison
services have been apprehensive abt. CIA's relationship w/ Cong
even under the system in effect thru 1966.
But Warner seems to indicate this has not been a major prob.
p. 38
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4 tell (1966)
SECRET
One of the more troubling reservations abt the establishment of
a jt. cong. comm. revolves around not the congressmen themselves,
but the staff of such a j t . comm.
The staff of the present subcommittees have heavy resp in areas
unrelated to intell, and can only devote a small portion of their
energies to intell. matters. The staff of a jt. comm, on the ohter
hand, even if it were only very small, could be expected to become
very knowledgeable abt CIA matters
This could create a security prob becuz staff members would not be
subj. to Agency security discipline.
Equally troubling, they would be in a position to ask embarrassing
Qs and probe more deply into untrasensitive matters
p. 38
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 1947-67 Approved For Release 2006/08/31: CIA-RDP1Q01sb m73R~7p p300030004-5
~n 1 book
bet 1947 and 1967, more than 200 resolutions introduced in
Senate alone calling for stricter tong. surveillance of the
intell. community. An even larger no. were introduced in
the House.
Altho easily beaten back, these demands nontheless indicate
widespread sense of uneasiness abt the relatinve autonomy
of the CIA, even among it s friends and those disposed
to leave the system of oversight as it was.
Mansfield-type proposals introduced in every Cong since
1956.
p. 172
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SECRET
AS OF 1966, CIA legis counsel freely admits that Jt Comm on Atomic
Energy has an excellent record re avoiding leaks of classified
info. It also maintains security procedures and physical. security
up to the standards prescribed by AEC.
p. 36
again writing in 1966,~Warner says there have been no unauthorized
disclosures from the 4 CIA subcommittees.
p. 38
in Craft of INtelligence (p. 241), Dulles writes of the 4 cong.
CIA subcommittees: "secrets can be kept and the needs of
our legislative bodies met. In fact, I do not know of a
single case of indiscretion that has resulted from telling
these committees the most intimate details of CIA activities."
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SECRET
USUALLY, those advocating a watchdog committee in Cong envision it
acting w/ respect to intelligence in much the same fashion the it.
Committee on Atomic Energy does for the atomic energy program.
p. 31
unfortunately for those advocating a jt. comm, their calls along
these lines imply that Aoxsx1 ss:s senior senators and representatives
not adequately fulfilling their resp. This only makes the o ld-
line more resistent to any change.
p. 36
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