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Intelligence
Representatives Christopher Shays (R-CT), Chairman of the
Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International
Relations, and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) introduced H.R. 5040,
the 9/11 Commission Report Implementation Act.
9/11 Commission Report
* Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention
Act * Homeland Security
9/11 Commission
Report
On September 9, 2004, I joined a bipartisan
group of 30 legislators in introducing the House version
of the 9/11
Commission Report Implementation Act. Additionally,
Congresswoman
Maloney and
I established a bipartisan
9/11 Commission Caucus to work with the Family Steering
Committee to advance reforms.
-Untangling the Web:
Congressional Oversight and the Department of Homeland Security
-Congress,
Reorganize Thyself (Washington Post Op-ed)
-The Select
Committee on Homeland Security: A History of Being Undercut
and Jurisdictional Uncertainty
Intelligence Reform and
Terrorism Prevention Act
On December 7, 2004, I voted for S.
2845, which was renamed the Intelligence Reform
and Terrorism Prevention Act, when it passed the House by
a vote of 336 to 75. The Senate passed S.
2845 the following day and the President signed
it into law on December 17.
This legislation is based on the 9-11 Commission's recommendations
and makes significant reforms to U.S. intelligence agencies.
S.
2845 also institutes reforms in a broad range
of other areas, including border security, aviation security,
maritime security, emergency responders, public diplomacy,
and law enforcement. The most significant reforms S.
2845 makes are:
• creates a strong Director of National Intelligence
(DNI), who will head the Intelligence Community; serve as
the principal intelligence adviser to the President; and direct
the implementation of the National Intelligence Program;
• establishes a National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC)
to coordinate and unify all elements of counterterrorism operations
planning;
• establishes an independent Privacy and Civil Liberties
Board that will be granted access to all government agencies
to review policies and practices;
• increases the number of full-time border patrol agents
by 2,000 per year for five years and increases the number
of full-time Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators
by 800 per year for 5 years;
In addition, this legislation improves national preparedness
by providing help to emergency responders, enhancing public
safety communications interoperability, restructuring the
FBI's intelligence capability, and improving U.S. public diplomacy,
exchange, and economic development programs around the world.
Prior to September 11, three commissions, the Bremer Commission,
the Hart-Rudman Commission and the Gilmore Commission, all
came to Congress and said the same thing: that the terrorist
threat is real, that we need to have an assessment of this
threat and a strategy to address it, and we need a reorganized
government to implement the strategy. Sadly, few listened,
and tragically, no one acted.
September 11 was a wake-up call from hell that told us not
only is the terrorist threat real, but Cold War doctrines
of containment, reaction and mutually assured destruction
are no longer valid. Our policy now must be to detect and
prevent those who wish to do us harm. This legislation will
help us accomplish that goal.
Homeland Security Committee
On January 4, 2005, I voted for H.Res.
5, to amend our rules to create a permanent committee
on Homeland Security, which passed the House by a vote of
220 to 195. While I am grateful this resolution took an important
step in protecting the American people by creating a permanent
Homeland Security Committee, there are still improvements
to be made in expanding the Committee's jurisdiction.
The bottom line is what is good for the Executive Branch
is good for Congress as well. Reorganizing Congress and streamlining
oversight was a key recommendation by the 9-11 Commission
to make our intelligence and homeland security functions more
effective. Congress needs to focus on protecting lives, not
protecting turf.
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