December 2, 1974
PAGE 37701
INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE TO BEGIN HEARINGS ON INTELLIGENCE OVERSIGHT BILLS
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, on Monday and Tuesday, December 9 and 10, the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations will begin hearings on four measures before the subcommittee which propose to increase the role of Congress in its oversight of U.S. intelligence agencies. On these first days of hearings, the subcommittee will hear testimony from Senators, from former Government officials, and from outside experts. The subcommittee expects to continue these hearings next year. At that time, we will invite testimony from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency and other agencies responsible for surveillance and intelligence.
The legislation before the Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee poses difficult questions which reach some of the fundamental principles of our representative system of government. We hope that this introductory volume of hearings will begin to focus the public's attention on the issues and be the framework for what promises to be an important and absorbing task.
I ask unanimous consent that a staff outline of the bills referred to the Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee be inserted at this point in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the outline was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS TO STRENGTHEN CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT OF INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES
The following proposals designed to strengthen Congressional oversight of the nation's intelligence agencies are presently pending before the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations:
1. S. 4019, introduced by Senators Baker and Weicker, would establish a fourteen-member Joint Committee on Intelligence Oversight. Such Committee would have principal responsibility for all intelligence agency authorizing legislation and for all general oversight of those agencies such as the CIA, FBI, NSA, DIA, etc. The Committee would not, however, take away oversight responsibilities of those committees presently exercising such jurisdiction.
2. S. Res. 419, introduced by Senators Mansfield and Mathias, would create a Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities. Such Committee would be charged with conducting a two-year study of all United States intelligence agencies and recommending any needed legislation to improve the Congressional oversight role. Membership on the Committee would be composed of four Democrats and four Republicans.
3. S. 2738, introduced by Senators Nelson and Jackson, would create a Joint Committee on the Continuing Study of the Need to Reorganize the Departments and Agencies Engaging in Surveillance. Such Committee would be authorized to make a continuing review of the need to reorganize Federal departments and agencies engaged in investigation or surveillance of individuals, to examine the need for such surveillance, and to recommend any legal or structural changes necessary to protect the privacy of individuals. The Committee would not have jurisdiction over "lawful investigative and/or surveillance activities related to the defense or national security of the United States conducted within the territorial boundaries of the United States," or over "any activities of agencies and departments of the United States government conducted outside the territorial boundaries of the United States." Membership of the Committee would be composed of the majority and minority leaders of the Senate and the House and the chairman and ranking minority members of all congressional committees having jurisdiction over agencies engaged in surveillance activities.
4. S. 1547, introduced by Senator Humphrey, would create a Joint Committee on National Security. Such Committee would be charged with studying and making recommendations concerning: (1) the foreign, domestic and military policies of the United States from the perspective of determining whether such policies are appropriately integrated in furtherance of national security goals; (2) the activities and recommendations of the National Security Council relating to such policies; and (3) Government practices with respect to classification and declassification of documents. Membership on the Committee would be composed of the Speaker of the House, the majority and minority leaders of the House and Senate, the chairmen and ranking minority members of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, the House and Senate Armed Service Committees, the Senate Foreign Relations and the House Foreign Affairs Committees, and the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy. In addition, three members from each house shall be appointed to sit on the Committee, for a total of twenty-five members.