LIEBERMAN SAYS INTELLIGENCE
UNIT WITHIN HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT MUST HAVE ADEQUATE
AUTHORITY TO SAFEGUARD AMERICA
June 27, 2002
WASHINGTON - Governmental Affairs
Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., said Thursday the
secretary of a new Department of Homeland Security will need
full access to all information the intelligence agencies have
relating to terrorism and must also be given the authority to
task the agencies to collect specific information.
After two days of hearings on the relationship
between the intelligence community and a new department,
Lieberman said the secretary of the department will need such
authority in order to protect Americans in a meaningful way.
"We have a responsibility - in designing a new
Department of Homeland Security - to guarantee, as best we can,
that it has the best intelligence on domestic security to help
prevent further attacks against our people and homeland,"
Lieberman said.
Thursday’s hearing was the third of
four hearings before the Governmental Affairs Committee on the
creation of a new Department of Homeland Security since
President Bush offered his proposal earlier this month.
Lieberman and Senator Arlen Specter, R-Pa., introduced similar
legislation last fall, and the Committee approved a bill with
significant contributions from Senator Bob Graham, D-Fla., in
May.
While the Committee has no intention of
reorganizing the American intelligence community or fixing all
of its problems, Lieberman said he was increasingly convinced
that a new intelligence structure is needed for the new
department.
"That department," Lieberman continued, "must
have the authority not only to receive all terrorism-related
information and data, including, on request, unfettered access
to raw intelligence data. The department Secretary also must
have the power to task the intelligence and law enforcement
agencies to collect information that the new Department believes
is critical to its work."
President Bush’s proposal envisions a more
passive intelligence role for the Homeland Secretary through a
new information analysis division, focusing predominantly on
critical infrastructure protection. Also, under the President’s
plan, the Secretary would need the President’s approval before
the Department of Homeland Security could obtain raw data from
the intelligence community. The President’s proposal leaves the
FBI, the CIA, and a handful of other intelligence agencies
primarily responsible for uncovering and preventing terrorist
threats on American soil.
"But it does not give the Secretary the
authority necessary to carry out the full range of his or her
duties," Lieberman said. "I am confident we can find common
legislative ground. In fact, we must - to fulfill our
Constitutional responsibility to provide for the common defense,
as it has been redefined by the events of September 11." |