CONGRESSMAN LIPSCOMB'S REFLECTIONS ON KATZENBACH COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP72-00337R000500220009-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 19, 2005
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: May 15, 1967
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Release 2005/11/21: Cl
15 May 1967
SUBJECT: Congressman Lipscomb's Reflections on Katzenbach
Committee's Recommendations
1. During the course of the review of the Agency's FY 1968
budget request, Congressman Lipscomb raised questions regarding
savings which might be generated as a result of terminating certain
organizations identified in the Katzenbach report. Both the questions
and the comments may be of particular significance to possible future
Congr?ssiona,l roaction rcgarding this mE ttcr,
Z. First of all, Lipscomb was interested in the amount of
savings that might ensue from possible terminations, appearing not
to have given deep thought to the reality of termination costs. When
it was explained that there will be such costs, however, he tacitly
concurred but seemed to feel rather firmly that beyond termination
will be found savings. Although he was willing to indicate that the
Radios may require a different approach than other organizations, he
appears to have a rather rigid belief that those other organizations in
the A and B categories definitely are to be terminated.
3. Congressman Lipscomb's program views in the area of
PP proprietaries are not precise, but one could easily infer that he
believes the result of the recent disclosures should be to get the
Central Intelligence Agency definitely out of these fields of endeavor.
He indicated that, insofar as he knows, Congress is apprehensive
about the possibility of having to defend against possible future dis-
closures. For those reasons, he may not find acceptable the
reprogramming of any savings for similar activity. It should be
added that Mr. Lipscomb did not state this conclusion specifically,
however, the gist of his thinking appeared to be that the Agency must
not again incur the risk of disclosures such as have recently taken
place.
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Approved For Release 2005/11/21: CIA-RDP72-00337R000500220009-1
 Approved For Release 2005/11/21: CIA-RDP72-00337R000500220009-1
CtN'IET
4. In reaction to Congressman Lipscomb's comments, it
was stated by Col. White and others that the Agency is not in these
activities by choice but rather is merely acting as the agent of the
U. S. Government. Furthermore, the 303 approval procedure was
outlined, with emphasis on the fact that the Agency cannot of its
own volition exit from these organizations unless some alternative
means of support is assured. This explanation probably did not
change the Congressman's views outlined above.
5. At the conclusion of the meeting, when asked what action
the Agency should next pursue regarding the Katzenbach Committee
conclusions, Mr. Lipscomb indicated that he really was speaking for
himself and that this is a question which will have to be answered by
the Committee Chairman. My own view was that, whereas his views
regarding the Agency's withdrawal from this program probably reflect
a personal predilection, he was also alerting us to possible Committee
reactions should we endeavor to continue these kinds of programs under
other organizational arrangements.
FE / gmb
Distribution:
Orig - ExDir and Return (CCS)
1 -JMC
1 - C/BD
1 - Reading File
1 - CSAB
Chief, Budget Division
O/PPB
2
REGRET
Approved For Release 2005/11/21: CIA-RDP72-00337R000500220009-1
25X1