National Security

Intelligence Reform

Following the tragedy of the September 11 attacks, and the flawed intelligence used to justify war with Iraq, Senator Rockefeller has played a major role in crafting the reforms that have significantly strengthened the nation's intelligence capabilities.

As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee since January 2001, Rockefeller had a key role in the joint House-Senate inquiry into the tragedy of 9/11 which ultimately led to many of the intelligence reforms that have been implemented.

The 2004 landmark Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act was designed to streamline and improve the nation's intelligence capabilities, and created for the first time a Director of National Intelligence to coordinate and manage all 15 agencies that make up the U.S. Intelligence Community, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).

These 15 agencies are our first line of defense against national security threats. They collect and analyze information at home and abroad, they identify funding sources for terrorists, and uncover and disrupt specific plots aimed at America or our allies. Our intelligence agencies also support the Department of Defense in its military activities, the Department of Homeland Security as it works to eliminate vulnerabilities within our own borders, and the Department of Justice's efforts to arrest and prosecute terrorists.

Senator Rockefeller strongly believes that intelligence must be objective, independent and free from political consideration and he has implemented a series of measures to improve the quality of our nation's intelligence.