United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

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The United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (sometimes referred to as SSCI) is dedicated to overseeing the United States Intelligence Community—the agencies and bureaus of the Federal government of the United States who provide information and analysis for leaders of the executive and legislative branches. The Committee was established in 1975 by the 94th Congress. The Committee is "select" in that membership is temporary and rotated among members of the chamber. Two seats on the Committee - one from the majority party and one from the minority - are reserved for members of the standing committees on Appropriations, Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and Judiciary.^[1]

As part of its oversight responsibilities, the Committee performs an annual review of the intelligence budget submitted by the President and prepares legislation authorizing appropriations for the various civilian and military agencies and departments comprising the Intelligence Community. These entities include the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, as well as the intelligence-related components of Department of State, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of the Treasury, and Department of Energy. The Committee makes recommendations to the Senate Armed Services Committee on authorizations for the intelligence-related components of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Marine Corps. The Committee also conducts periodic investigations, audits, and inspections of intelligence activities and programs.

In a March 6, 2008 letter to the Senate leadership, 14 of the 15 current members of the Committee proposed the creation of a new Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Intelligence to prepare the annual intelligence budget.^[2] The proposed Subcommittee, on which members of the Intelligence Committee would be heavily represented, would increase the Committee’s influence and leverage over executive branch intelligence agencies, and require continuing disclosure of the annual budget for the National Intelligence Program. The proposal has been opposed by the leadership of the Senate Appropriations Committee, however.^[3]

1 History
2 Members, 110th Congress
3 Chairmen
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

The Select Committee on Intelligence was preceded by the Church Committee (1975). Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) became the first chairman of the committee when it was established during the 94th Congress. He kept the chairmanship through the 96th Congress.[1] Senators who have served as chair since Inouye have included Birch Bayh, Barry Goldwater, David L. Boren, Arlen Specter, Richard Shelby, Bob Graham, and Pat Roberts.

Former Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet was staff director of the committee when David Boren of Oklahoma was its chairman. The committee was the center of much controversy and contentiousness during the run-up to the war in Iraq in 2002 and 2003, when chairmanship of the committee changed hands following the November, 2002 election. Among the committee staff members at that time include:

Pete Dorn, Professional Staff Member Jim Hensler, Deputy Staff Director Vicki Divoll, General Counsel Steven Abram Cash, Professional Staff Member & Counsel Alfred Cumming, Minority Staff Director

[edit] Members, 110th Congress

Majority party (Dem.)		State
	John D. Rockefeller IV, Chairman	West Virginia
	Dianne Feinstein	California
	Ron Wyden	Oregon
	Evan Bayh	Indiana
	Barbara Mikulski	Maryland
	Russ Feingold	Wisconsin
	Bill Nelson	Florida
	Sheldon Whitehouse	Rhode Island

Minority party (Rep.)		State
	Kit Bond, Vice Chairman	Missouri
	John Warner	Virginia
	Chuck Hagel	Nebraska
	Saxby Chambliss	Georgia
	Orrin Hatch	Utah
	Olympia Snowe	Maine
	Richard Burr	North Carolina

Ex-Officio Members
	Officer	Party	State
Senate Majority Leader	Harry Reid	Democrat	Nevada
Senate Minority Leader	Mitch McConnell	Republican	Kentucky
Armed Services Committee Chairman	Carl Levin	Democrat	Michigan
Armed Services Committee Ranking Member	John McCain	Republican	Arizona