NELSON EXPLAINS CIA OVERSIGHT BILL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000404490012-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2010
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: June 28, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/22 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000404490012-9
MADISON TIMES
28 June 19130
? .... ... ? ? ? . ? - - ,
voted in favor of this legislation,
which was endorsed by the American
ON JUNE ;t; 1980, the U.S. Senate choice we faced was not between this
passed, by a vote of 89-1, S. 2284, the .legislation and a more extensive bill,
Intelligence Oversight Act of 1980. I but rather between this bill and no bill
By SEN. GAYLORD NELSON ,CL?n,,,Z w uc uvne. nowever, ii
Aught to be remembered that the
existing restraints established by ex: iced to congressional leaders, with the
ecutive order have hampered the.ef- full intelligence committees to be in
g
,
.
Civil Liberties Union and the Center
balanced and intelligent piece of leg-
for National Security Studies, be-
cause I believe that, if enacted intoillation. It would repeal the "Hughes-
law, it will constitute a useful first:' Ryan" Amendpient of 1974, which re
step toward a rational policy concern=,i quires that covert CIA activities be
ing our intelligence agencies.; reported to as many as eight congres
y sional committees.
In1975, Americans were' appalled l IT WOULD REPLACE Hughes-
by the Final Report of the Senate Se Ryan with the following legal require-
lect Committee 'on' Intelligence Ac- ments: First, S. 2284 would require
tivities (the "Church Committee"). that the two permanent congressional
'('hat report revealed activities on the ; committees on intelligence matters
part . of, U.S. `intelligence agencies be kept "fully and `currently in
which the committee considered "un- formed of all intelligence activities.
worthy of a democracy and occasion- Second, the two committees would
ally reminiscent of ... totalitarian re- have to be informed of "any signifi-
gimes." cant anticipated activity." Third, the
However, since 1975, all attempts to intelligence committees would have
write a comprehensive legislative ,to be provided with any information
"charter" for the intelligence agen-:they requested from any intelligence
cies have failed. The reasons for this _,,agencies.
are obvious. Some. members of Con. Under extraordinary circum-
gress believe . there should be vir. 'stances affecting the "vital interests
tually no restraints on the CIA and 'of the United States," prior notice of
other intelligence agencies and. that. intelligence activities could be lim
by' future presidents The American]
gence Activities, both proponents and Civil. Liberties Union and the Center]
.opponents of such legislation con for 'National 'Security Studies, who !
cluded that it would be impossible to have justifiably concerned ahem-,
pass charter legislation this year selves with CIA abuses in the past,
The Senate Select Committee then, considered it important to write these
decided to .unanimously report S. - necessary 'safeguards into the statute,
2284,. a bill with much more limited books, and I agree. with them.:,
objectives. At the outset, it is impor-,
tant to note that 'this bill does not'-
,achieve the measure of control that.I
,believe Congress ',; can and.; must;.
achieve overthe;behavior. of our. in-
telligence agencies Much`' work
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ings on charter legislation before the
QUESTIONS WERE RAISED dur-
ing debate on the bill- concerning a
provision in its preamble that would
seem to direct the intelligence agen-
cies to comply with the bill's report-
ing provisions only "to the extent con-
sistent with due regard for the protec-
tion from unauthorized disclosure of i
classified information 'and informa-
tion relating to intelligence sources
and methods.
Though the bill's managers stated
clearly that this provision constituted
"a routine disclaimer" and was not
intended to create a loophole affect-
ing the bill's substantive reporting re-
quirements, it does present at least
potential dangers. However, the
problems this provision may cause
did not seem to me to outweigh the
bill's substantial benefits.
THIS YEAR, after months of hear-
ire needed.
insufficiently constrained by existing., The CIA and the other intelligence
,',t while others maintain that the CIA is,;
fectiveness of intelligence activities';'- formed later.
at all.
And, in its own ri
ht
S
2284 is a
procedures were established by pre
vious presidential executive orders,: