CONGRESSIONAL RECORD [THE EXECUTIVE ORDER GOVERNING INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES]

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R000100090049-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 11, 2004
• Sequence Number: 49
• Publication Date: January 24, 1978
• Content Type: OPEN

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Approved For Release 2004/08/19 : CIA-RDP81 M0098OR000100090049-9 l1'
United States
of America
A
PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 9511'CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 1978
Senate
THE EXECUTIVE ORDER GOVERN-
ING INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES
Mr. MATHIAS. Mr. President, the Ex-
ecutive order governing the intelligence
activities of the United States, signed
today by President Carter, results from
a unique joint effort of the legislative
and executive branches. It represents a
year's work by President Carter, Vice
President Mondale, NSC Cabinet mem-
bers, the Senate Select Committee on
Intelligence and their staffs. The Execu-
tive order is based on the experience of
the Church committee which initially
examined the abuses of the intelligence
community and the reasons for those
abuses. It also derives from the Ford
Executive Order 11905 and from the
study of the performance of the intelli-
gence community done over the past
year by the Rockefeller Commission, the
Carter administration, and the Select
Committee on Intelligence.
The Executive order is an important
interim measure leading to statutes
which will govern all the intelligence
activities of the United States. I have
long held the view that a statutory
charter is needed and welcome President
Carter's support in this matter. Intelli-
gence activities are'too important to the
security of the United States, and the
necessity to conduct these activities
largely in secret- makes them potentially
too dangerous to our democratic society
to permit anything but the most care-
ful joint effort to formulate statutes.
In the drafting of this Executive order,
members of the Intelligence Committee
have been regularly consulted. Many of
us believe that further strengthening of/
provisions to protect the rights of Amer
scans will be required. During the process
of hearings and joint consultati9n the
committee and the executive brand will
work through the draft bills to be, in-
troduced next week to reach as close a
concensus ' ,s possible. The bill will then
be brought to the floor for action. This
process will permit further exploration
of both the reasons for particular intelli-
gence efforts and the degree of flexibil-
ity necessary and appropriate to intelli-
gence activities. The most difficult prob-
lem facing the committee and the exec-
utive will be to provide adequate flexi-
bility for intelligence activities in a legal
framework that strengthens the protec-
tions to Americans guaranteed in the
Constitution.
The draft charters -rich Senator
HUDDLESTON and I and Other members
of the committee have woed on during
the past year and which we will intro-
duce next week, provide what is in effect
an agenda for action during the coming
year.
I believe that this joint effort-so fully
supported by both the President and the
leadership in the Senate and House over
the past year-will produce sound law,
consistent with the Constitution, to gov-
ern intelligence activities, which will
command overwhelming support of the
American people.
Approv?o3(A RI
eelease 2004/08/19 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R000100090049-9