LETTER TO WILLIAM J. CASEY FROM DAVE DURENBERGER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87M01152R000200180004-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 23, 2010
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: November 12, 1985
• Content Type: LETTER

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office of Legislative Liaison
Routing SNP
ACTION INFO
1. D/OLL
Action officer:
time/Date
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EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT
ACTION
INFO
DATE
INITIAL
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DDCI
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EXDIR
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D/ICS
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DDI
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DDO
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DDSBT.
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Chm/NIC
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Compt
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D/PAO
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D/PERS
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VC/NIC
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SUSPENSE
To 13: For appropriate ac
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WILLIAM V. ROTH, JR., DELAWARE
WILLIAM S. COHEN, MAINE
ORRIN HATCH, UTAH
FRANK MURKOWSKI, ALASKA
ARLEN SPECTER, PENNSYLVANIA
CHIC HECHT, NEVADA
MITCH MCCONNELL, KENTUCKY
LLOYD BENTSEN. TEXAS
SAM NUNN, GEORGIA
THOMAS F. EAGLETON, MISSOURI
ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, SOUTH CAROLINA
DAVID L. BOREN, OKLAHOMA
BILL BRADLEY, NEW JERSEY
ROBERT DOLE, KANSAS, EX OFFICIO
ROBERT C. BYRD, WEST VIRGINIA, EX OFFICIO
BERNARD F. MCMAHON, STAFF DIRECTOR
ERIC D. NEWSOM. MINORITY STAFF DIRECTOR
United estates Senate
SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE
WASHINGTON. DC 20510
November 12, 1985
The Honorable William J. Casey
Director of Central Intelligence
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D.C. 20505
Executive Registry
85- 4522
itJ,+" I'll U~ii, N
Just thought I'd'let you kn w that we do support your
efforts to help the dedicated, ha\d working professionals at
CIA.
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STATEMENT OF SENATOR DAVE DURENBERGER ON CIA RETIREMENT PROGRAM
MR. PRESIDENT, I RISE TO AMEND THE MOTION OF THE SENATOR
FROM MISSOURI. BUT ALLOW ME TO FIRST SAY THAT I DO THIS
IN THE SPIRIT OF IMPROVING AN ALREADY EXCELLENT AMENDMENT.
SENATOR EAGLETON'S AMENDMENT IS IMPORTANT AND MUST BE
PASSED. IT COVERS TWO AREAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PENDING
LEGISLATION -- COVERAGE OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
PERSONNEL UNDER THE NEW CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENT SYSTEM AND INCLUSION
OF OVERSEAS AGENCY PERSONNEL UNDER THE SO-CALLED "SPECIAL
EARLY RETIREMENT" PROVISIONS FOR HIGH RISK OCCUPATIONS.
BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, THE AMENDMENT DOES NOT GO QUITE FAR
ENOUGH TO COVER THE UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES IMPACTING CIA
PERSONNEL..
As YOU ARE AWARE, THE CIA HAS COME UNDER A GREAT DEAL OF
PUBLIC AND CONGRESSIONAL SCRUTINY IN THE PAST DECADE AND
CERTAINLY IN THE PAST WEEK. UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT YOU ARE NOT
SEEING OR HEARING ARE THE THOUSANDS OF ACTIONS THEY ARE DOING
RIGHT ON A DAILY BASIS. IN PARTICULAR, WE ARE CONSISTENTLY
DEMANDING THAT OUR INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS ABROAD PROVIDE MORE
AND MORE INFORMATION ON HOSTILE INTENTIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE
OF TERRORISTS.
THIS INVOLVES RISK. MORE AND MORE OF OUR CIA FIELD
PERSONNEL ARE BEING SUBJECTED TO THREATS AND ABUSE. Two
YEARS AGO WE WITNESSED AN EXAMPLE OF THIS WHEN A NUMBER OF THEM
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WERE KILLED BY A TERRORIST BOMBING OF THE U.S. EMBASSY IN BEIRUT.
AND AS THEIR ASSIGNMENTS BECOME MORE HAZARDOUS AND DEMANDING,
THE SPECIAL MENTAL AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS NECESSARY OF THE
INTELLIGENCE OFFICER INCREASE DRAMATICALLY.
To MEET THIS STANDARD THE CIA MUST CONTINUALLY REPLACE
ITS OFFICERS OVERSEAS WITH YOUNGER PERSONNEL WHOSE IDENTITIES
ARE NOT KNOWN AND WHO CAN STAND UP TO THE STRESSES OF THEIR ENVIRON-
MENT. TO DO THIS THE CIA CURRENTLY ALLOWS THESE OFFICERS TO RETIRE
AT AGE 50. THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE CAN* DEMAND THAT
THEY RETIRE AT AGE 55.
YET MAKING THESE DEMANDS ON OUR CIA PERSONNEL FORCES THEM OUT
AT AN AGE WHERE JOB OPPORTUNITIES ARE LIMITED. IN ADDITION, THEIR
SKILLS ARE UNIQUE AND WE VIGOROUSLY DISCOURAGE THEM FROM REVEALING
OR MARKETING THEIR EXPERTISE IN NEW CAREERS. THAT IS WHY WE MUST BE
CAREFUL NOT TO SEND A FALSE MESSAGE -- THAT THEIR GOVERNMENT DEMANDS
THE RISK, BUT IS UNWILLING TO PAY THE PRICE. IF WE ARE NOT GOING
TO PAY THESE PEOPLE WHAT THEY DESERVE UP FRONT, THEN WE MUST
PROVIDE FOR THEM AT THE END.
I AM PLEASEDTO SAY, MR. PRESIDENT, THAT THERE IS NEARLY
UNANIMOUS AGREEMENT ON THIS POINT AND THAT THE PENDING AMENDMENT WILL
CONTINUE THE EARLY RETIREMENT PROGRAM FOR OUR OVERSEAS INTELLIGENCE
OFFICERS. BUT THERE ARE THREE MODIFICATIONS NECESSARY IF WE ARE
TO TRULY INSURE THE INTEGRITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY'S RETIREMENT SYSTEM.
FIRST, WE MUST NOT ALLOW RETIREMENT BENEFITS TO DETERIORATE IN
THE FUTURE. CURRENTLY, THE AVERAGE CIA OFFICER WILL RETIRE WITH
A PENSION THAT WILL REPLACE 47 PER CENT OF HIS PRERETIREMENT SALARY.
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UNDER THE PENDING LEGISLATION, THIS SAME EMPLOYEE WILL RETIRE
WITH ONLY A 41 PER CENT REPLACEMENT RATE. BUT BY SLIGHTLY
ADJUSTING'THE PENSION ACCRUAL RATE FROM 1 PER CENT TO 1.3 PER
CENT, THIS SLIP IN BENEFITS CAN BE AVOIDED. AND THAT IS ALL WE
ARE TRYING TO DO HERE -- SIMPLY MAINTAIN PENSION BENEFITS AT
CURRENT LEVELS -- NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS.
SECOND, THIS AMENDMENT PROVIDES FOR FULL SELF ADMINISTRA-
TION BY THE CIA OF ITS RETIREMENT AND DISABILITY PROGRAMS.
THIS IS CRITICAL IF THE AGENCY IS TO MAINTAIN CONFIDENTIALITY
FOR ITS EMPLOYEES WHO ARE SERVING OR WILL SERVE -- LITERALLY A LIFE
AND DEATH NEED IN THIS TIME OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.
UNDER CURRENT LAW, ONLY OVERSEAS PERSONNEL RECORDS ARE STRICTLY
MAINTAINED IN-HOUSE BY THE AGENCY. IN THE EAGLETON AMENDMENT,
THIS IS EXPANDED TO COVER FUTURE NON-OVERSEAS EMPLOYEES.
BUT A CRITICAL GAP CONTINUES FOR THE THOUSANDS OF CURRENT
NON-OVERSEAS PERSONNEL WHOSE RECORDS ARE MAINTAINED BY OPl1 AND
OTHER NON-SECURE AGENCIES AROUND WASHINGTON.
AND THIRD, THE AMENDMENT REQUIRES THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE TO STUDY THE CURRENT CIA RETIREMENT PROGRAM AND
DETERMINE WHAT CHANGES AND EXPANSIONS ARE APPROPRIATE. IT
HAS BEEN 20 YEARS SINCE SUCH A MAJOR REVIEW HAS BEEN DONE AND
IT IS CLEAR TO THIS SENATOR THAT MODIFICATIONS ARE NECESSARY.
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COLLOQUY WITH SENATOR EAGLETON:
IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
AND THE CIA, WE HAVE CONCLUDED THAT IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO
EXPAND THE CURRENT CIA RETIREMENT AND DISABILITY PROGRAM TO
MEET SPECIAL NEEDS. IS THIS ALSO SENATOR EAGLETON'S UNDERSTANDING?
WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE CONDUCT SUCH
A REVIEW OF THE CIA RETIREMENT AND DISABILITY SYSTEM AND MAKE
APPROPRIATE CHANGES WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR. DOES SENATOR
EAGLETON ALSO BELIEVE THIS IS CORRECT?
THANK YOU.
RETURN TO STATEMENT
Now, MR. PRESIDENT, I KNOW MANY PEOPLE WILL SAY THAT THIS
AMENDMENT IS BAD POLICY. THEY WILL SAY THAT IF WE MAKE ANY
EXCEPTIONS -- ANY AT ALL -- THE FLOOD GATES WILL OPEN TO ALL
SPECIAL APPEALS. I AM CERTAINLY SENSITIVE TO THAT FACT AND KNOW
FIRST HAND AS A MEMBER OF THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
HOW DIFFICULT IT HAS BEEN TO GET THIS LEGISLATION TO THE FLOOR.
BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT SUCH AN AGREEMENT SHOULD NOT PREVENT
US FROM SIMPLY DOING WHAT IS RIGHT. PRINCIPLES AND RIGID
POLICIES ARE WONDERFUL ONLY AS LONG AS THEY ARE CORRECT.
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AND IN THE CASE OF THE INTELLIGENCE OFFICERe THE STRAIGHT-
JACKET APPROACH OF NO EXCEPTIONS" DOES NOT FIT REALITY. AND,
THEREFORE, WE SHOULDN'T WEAR IT.
IN SUMS-OUR INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS FACE HAZARDS UNKNOWN
TO OTHER OVERSEAS OR LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL. THEY AND THEIR
FAMILIES MUST LEAD THEIR LIVES UNDERCOVER, NEVER TELLING
FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES OF THEIR TRUE MISSION AND RESPONSI-
BILITIES. IN A WORLD FILLED WITH TERRORISM, THEIR VERY
SAFETY AND LIVES ARE AT STAKE IF THEIR COVER IS REVEALED.
MOST OF THESE OFFICERS ALSO WORK TWO JOBS -- THEIR COVER
EMPLOYMENT AND THEIR AGENCY DUTIES. AND, FINALLY, THE
NATURE OF THIS WORK IS VERY EXACTING, DANGEROUS, AND DIFFICULT.
IN SHORT, IT IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER WORK IN GOVERNMENT.
MR. PRESIDENT, THERE IS A GREAT NEED FOR A STRONG AND
EFFECTIVE HUMAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE IN TODAY'S INTERNATIONAL
ENVIRONMENT. MY SERVICE ON THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE
HAS MADE ME WELL AWARE OF HOW MUCH WE DEPEND ON THE FINE MEN
AND WOMEN OF OUR INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY. THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES
ARE UNIQUE AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION IS UNPARALLELED. IT IS MY
DETERMINATION THAT THEY, IN TURN, WILL BE ABLE TO DEPEND ON US.
I URGE THAT THE SENATE SUPPORT ME IN THIS EFFORT AND ADOPT
THIS AMENDMENT.
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