LETTER TO HONORABLE HOWARD W. CANNON, CHAIRMAN FROM GEORGE BUSH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00735R000200160004-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 11, 2001
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: April 24, 1976
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2001/07/27 : CIA-RDP90-00735R000200160004-4
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505
April 24, 197 i
Honorable Howard W. Cannon, Chairman
Committee on Rules and Administration
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
It is my understanding that consideration is being given in the Rules
Committee to amending S. Res. 400 to delete those provisions requiring
annual authorizations and related legislative authority. While I am strongly
in favor of eliminating the annual authorization requirement, the net result
of the amended Resolution will be the creation of an additional standing
committee to exercise general oversight of our foreign intelligence agencies.
While the manner in which the Senate chooses to exercise oversight of intel-
ligence agencies is for the Senate to determine, I feel compelled to express
my concern regarding any plan which would broaden access to sensitive
operational information.
During my 31 March testimony before the Committee, I stressed that
the intelligence community, particularly CIA, has been confronted with
;a disturbing proliferation of congressional oversight responsibility. The
Armed Services and Appropriations Committees have traditionally exercised
oversight of CIA. During the 94th Congress, the Senate Foreign Relations
and House International Relations Committees (pursuant to Section 662 of
the Foreign Assistance Act) and the two select committees have been briefed
on sensitive CIA operations. The Senate Budget Committee has recently
established an intelligence unit and begun requesting access to sensitive
information. In addition, 11 other congressional committees and subcommittees
have requested access to sensitive Agency operational information during
the past year. With this background, you will understand my reluctance to
have still another committee added to the rolls of those with some oversight
responsibility.
I share the President's view stated in his 18 February message to
Congress that the nation's foreign intelligence effort would be best served by
centralizing the responsibility for oversight of our foreign intelligence
community. As the President stated, "The more committees and subcommittees
dealing with highly sensitive secrets, the greater the risks of disclosure."
Such concentrated jurisdiction would give one committee an. overall, rather
than parochial, view of the intelligence community.
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Mr. Chairman, it is not my wish or intent to limit Congress' access
to substantive intelligence on foreign developments. I want Congress to
be a consumer of intelligence. However, I believe the trend toward wide
proliferation of information on Agency operations must be reversed, rather
than fueled, if Congress and the Executive branch are to work together
constructively in the intelligence field, and if sensitive operational informa-
tion is to be reasonably protected fromk. unauthorized disclosure.
Sincerely,
STATINTL
GeLe'Bush
ector
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