COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP71B00364R000600160007-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 29, 2005
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: July 11, 1966
• Content Type: REPORT

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89,11' CONGRESS 1 SENATE
2d ~~'esszon
REPORT
N o. 1371
COMMIT'T'EE ON INTELLIGENCE OPERATION -S
.1c i.r 11, 1966.-Ordered to be printed
Mr. FULORIGIIT, from the Committee on Foreign Relations, subi ,.ittecl
the following
REPORT
f,1'1) accompany S. Res. 283]
The committee on Foreign Relations, having had under consider,
tion certain intelligence operations and activities of U.S. Governlnert
agencies and their impact on the foreign policy of the United State.,
submits an original resolution, Senate Resolution 283, authoJrizii,g
the creation of a Committee on Intelligence Operations and r?econ -
mends that it do pass.
1'1JrtPOSE OF RESOLUTION
The purpose of Senate Resolution 283 is to create a nine-memb?'r
Committee on Intelligence Operations whose duty it would be " o
keep itself fully and currently informed" of the intelligence activit i +s
of agencies of the U.S. Government "insofar as the activities of sw h
agencies relate to foreign intelligence or counterintelligence." n
effect, however, it would simply authorize the appointment of thr -e
members of the Committee on Foreign Relations to the existiur
Senate committee which deals with the activities of the Centl al
Intelligence Agency. '1'be resolution does not authorize the ernpl( v-
ment of any personnel, nor does it authorize the expenditure of a;r
money from the contingency fund of the Senate.
I'ituVISIONS OF RESOLUTION
Section 1 of the resolution would authorize the creation of a co,o-
mittee (effective at the beginning of the 90th Congress) consisting )f
nine Senators to be known as the Committee on Intelligence Opera
tions. The membership of the committee would be drawn equz,'Jl;.r
from the Committees on Appropriations, Armed Services, and Forei.''II
Relations. The chairman of each of these committees would apps nt
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three members to serve on the committee, but no more than two of
the Senators so appointed could be from the same political party.
The chairman of the Committee on Intelligence Operations would
be elected by its members.
Section 2 sets forth the duties of the committee. It states that the
committee is to keep itself-
fully and currently informed of the activities of the Central
Intelligence Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the
Bureau of Intelligence and Research of the Department of
State, and other agencies of the Government insofar as the
activities of such agencies relate to foreign intelligence or
counterintelligence.
The committee's duties are further spelled out to include, but are not
limited to-
review of intelligence and counterintelligence activities and
legislative oversight of the coordination of such activities
among the various agencies concerned.
Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the resolution set forth the customary provi-
sions relating to the procedures which the committee is to follow in
carrying out its duties. These deal with authority to sit, subpena
papers, take testimony, and the number of members which shall
constitute a quorum. The provisions conform to those currently
embodied in rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate and the
Reorganization Act of 1946.
Section 6 provides that the comrnittee-
shall take special care to safeguard information affecting the
national security.
It goes without saying, of course, that the committee will be expected
to conduct its affairs in the strictest of confidence and, in no circum-
stances, should any information be divulged which would affect the
security of the United States.
On January 24,1966, Senator Eugene J. McCarthy introduced Senate
Resolution 210, which provides that the Committee on Foreign
Relations is authorized-
to make a full and complete study with respect to the effects
of the operations and activities of the Central Intelligence
Agency upon the foreign relations of the United States.
The resolution was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
the same day, and it was discussed at some length in several sub-
sequent committee meetings. As a result of these discussions, it
was finally decided to seek agreement on an original resolution au-
thorizing the creation of a Committee on Intelligence Operations with
jurisdiction over the entire intelligence community. This resolution,
which is the subject of this report, was considered by the Committee
on Foreign Relations in executive session on May 5, 12, and 17, 1966.
On the latter date, by a vote of 14 to 5, it was ordered reported
favorably to the Senate.
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COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS
It should be emphasized that Senate Resolution 283 does not pr ,-
vide for an independent investigation of U.S. Government intelligen *
activities. On the contrary, its primary effect is to formalize exi_stir g
informal arrangements by which some members of the Committee ,,n
Armed Services and the Appropriations Committee have been pri y
to Central Intelligence Agency activities and to add to that gro rp
three members from the Committee on Foreign Relations. A secon I-
ary effect is to provide the Senate with an instrument to deal with t it
entire intelligence community-something which is not now done '1y
Congress at all.
There is no need to review here the publicized cases in which t
Central Intelligence Agency has been involved in recent years. it
has become apparent, however, that the Central Intelligence :lgen ~
has engaged in many types of activities which were not contem.plat c
when it was created. These activities, in some instances, have h a,
serious implications for U.S. foreign policy. And yet, under oxisti )g:
practice, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency has r,u.,
felt lie was authorized to give the Committee on Foreign Relatir
information which it has felt was important in the discharge of t,
duties in the field of foreign policy.
As a matter of principle, the Committee on Foreign Relati( it believes selected members should be in a position to receive inform L-
tion regarding Central Intelligence Agency activities which iufluei
our foreign relations with other countries and which could mean t he
difference between war and peace. It seems appropriate, thorefo ?e,
not only that the Senate's relationship to the Central Intelliger
Agency be formalized but that the Senate's Committee on Fore rc
Relations have equal representation with the Committees on Arne i
Services and Appropriations in connection with oversight of Cent al
Intelligence Agency operations.
Senate Resolution 283 is designed to accomplish this purpr ., .
It is the most moderate proposal on this subject which has b, "ii
submitted to the Congress in recent years and one which should i)c;
acceptable to the Senate. It is not intended to reflect in any t' --i,y
on any 1V[enibers or committees of the Senate or on the employees (I
the Central Intelligence Agency. Indeed, a formal committee of he
type proposed should protect the CIA from uninformed pul'i)c
criticism by providing a more formal arrangement for Senate 01, er--
sigh.t. As is pointed out above, however, the primary purpose of he
resolution is to perrrut three members of the Committee on Fort *u
Relations to participate in the deliberations of the existing inforn to
group and, hopefully, to contribute some worthwhile suggesti~rs
regarding the activities and operations of the intelligence corn nun
In the opinion of the 14 members of the Committee on Foreign R e -
tions who voted to report t his resolution, it is certainly not to rnich
to ask-indeed, it is in the national interest-that three member: or
that committee, which is charged with the responsibility for ?cdvi"mg
the Senate on foreign policy matters, have access to the same inforr -.
Lion that is givers to certain members of the Committees on Apt rr,--
priations and Arnned Services. Accordingly, it is recommended, t _rr.t
the Senate approve the pending resolution at an early date.
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