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U.S. Senate Working Group to Examine Proposals on Improving Intelligence, Homeland Security Oversight By Mike Nartker WASHINGTON — The leaders of the U.S. Senate yesterday announced the creation of a bipartisan working group to examine improving congressional oversight of intelligence and homeland security (see GSN, Aug. 24). The 22-member working group will examine the reform recommendations made last month by the Sept. 11 commission and present its findings to the Senate leadership “as expeditiously as possible,” Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said in a joint statement. The members of the working group include Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Whip Harry Reid (D-Nev.), as well as the chairpersons and top Democrats of the Senate Appropriations, Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Governmental Affairs, Intelligence and Rules committees. “This working group will address the findings and recommendations outlined by the 9/11 commission that deal with the Senate’s oversight role and functions. Ensuring that the Senate is as effective as possible when dealing with the threat of terrorism is a principal concern, and I welcome the working group’s recommendations,” Frist said. In its report, the Sept. 11 commission said the House and Senate intelligence panels lack “the power, influence and sustained capability” to provide effective oversight over U.S. intelligence and homeland security efforts. In response, the panel recommended either the creation of a joint House-Senate intelligence committee or the creation of an intelligence committee in each house of Congress with combined funding appropriation and authorization powers. Following the release of the commission’s report, some members have testified before Congress in support of the creation of a joint intelligence committee. The commission also recommended that only a small number of members of Congress, ranging from seven to nine, be appointed to the intelligence committee or committees. Those members should be allowed to serve indefinitely, the commission said. To improve homeland security oversight, the commission recommended the creation of permanent homeland security committees in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Currently, there only exists the Select Committee on Homeland Security in the House of Representatives. “Of all our recommendations, strengthening congressional oversight may be among the most difficult and important. So long as oversight is governed by current congressional rules and resolutions, we believe the American people will not get the security they want and need,” the Sept. 11 commission report says. While most of Congress has been in recess, lawmakers over the last several weeks have held a number of committee hearings in both the House and the Senate to examine the issue of intelligence reform and the recommendations proposed by the Sept. 11 commission. Those hearings have focused on proposed structural changes to the U.S. intelligence community, including the creation of a national intelligence director and national counterterrorism center. The commission also warned in its report of the bureaucratic disputes likely to occur as lawmakers consider changing the structure and authority of congressional committees. “Few things are more difficult to change in Washington than congressional committee jurisdiction and prerogatives. To a member, these assignments are almost as important as the map of his or her congressional district,” the commission said. Senate Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-Maine) said yesterday that new Senate working group “is an opportunity for us in the Senate to prove that there really are no turf battles here and no protection of personal interests, but that our paramount goal is to do the work we are charged with doing to make this country safer.” The House of Representatives does not now plan to convene a similar working group, with the Republican leadership preferring instead to allow the various House committees to address oversight reform. Meanwhile, House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) yesterday named Representative Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) to head the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (see GSN, Aug. 16). Hoekstra will replace Representative Porter Goss (R-Fla.), who was selected by President George W. Bush earlier this month as his nominee to serve as CIA director. “Pete has big shoes to fill, but I am confident he will do an excellent job,” Hastert said.
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