Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) today voted in support of S. 2845, the National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004, which passed the Senate by a 96 to 2 vote. The bill unifies and strengthens the national security institutions of the United States to better protect Americans against our post-Cold War enemies.
Senator Akaka commended the chairman and ranking member of the Governmental Affairs Committee, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), for their strong leadership in moving forward this historic legislation. "The chairman and ranking member crafted a bipartisan measure that reflects the spirit of the 9/11 Commission recommendations.
"It is the mark of a strong nation that can examine its weaknesses and turn challenges into opportunities for change. We have accomplished this task with dedication and diligence, and I am very proud to be a part of this formidable effort," Akaka said.
In July, the Senate leadership tasked the Governmental Affairs Committee, on which Akaka serves as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Financial Management, the Budget, and International Security, with the job of drafting legislation to reorganize the nation's intelligence community. Through a series of hearings, the Committee developed legislation that responded to the weaknesses within the intelligence community that contributed to the terrorist attacks in 2001. The Committee adopted the Collins-Lieberman bill on September 22, 2004, by unanimous consent and moved the legislation to the floor on September 27, 2004. The measure embodies one of the primary recommendations of the Commission Report that there be a single office with full budget and personnel authority over the intelligence community.
During the Committee's consideration of S. 2845, Senator Akaka joined with Senator Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL) in offering an amendment that would create a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) within the Office of the National Intelligence Director. The amendment also places the NIA under the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990, which requires agencies to submit audited financial statements and requires that CFOs be appointed by the president, confirmed by the Senate, and report directly to an agency's head. This amendment is similar to legislation passed by the Senate on September 30, 2004, that will bring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the CFO Act and ensures a Senate-confirmed CFO who reports directly to the Director of DHS. Senators Fitzgerald and Akaka introduced the Senate companion to the House-passed measure.
During Senate consideration of S. 2845, two amendments offered by Senator Akaka to modify provisions dealing with the National Intelligence Authority (NIA) Inspector General were incorporated into the legislation. The first Akaka amendment would prevent duplication of audits, inspections, and investigations among the Inspectors General of the Intelligence Community. This provision was accepted by the Senate as a basic principle of good government and was agreed to by unanimous consent.
The second IG-related provision addresses one of Senator Akaka's longstanding concerns - ensuring that all federal employees who believe they have been retaliated against because of a disclosure of waste, fraud, or abuse have due process. The Akaka amendment expresses the sense of Congress that the Inspector General of the NIA, in consultation with other inspectors general in the intelligence community and the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency, should adopt standards for review and related precedent that are generally used by the intelligence community for reviewing whistleblower reprisal complaints.
Another Akaka amendment, which was agreed to by unanimous consent, requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to report to Congress on the implementation of the recommendations of the Defense Science Board on preventing and defending against clandestine nuclear attacks. The Defense Science Board found that little has actually been done to protect the nation against such an attack and called for DOD to lead an interagency task force to develop a system of capabilities reduce the risk of a nuclear attack to the United States.
S. 2845 also includes an amendment offered by Senators Wayne Allard (R-CO) and Akaka which will create an Office of Geospatial Management under the Chief Information Officer in the Department of Homeland Security to better coordinate the procurement and management of geospatial information within DHS and centralize activities within one office. The amendment is based on two pieces of legislation, S. 1230 and S. 2390, introduced by Senators Allard and Akaka, respectively.
Much of the discussion that has grown from the 9/11 Commission Report has centered around the institutional stovepipes that impede information sharing within the government, which is why the Allard-Akaka amendment is so important. "It is critical that the Coast Guard and FEMA, for example, can share maps and work from the same information in the event of a disaster," Akaka noted. "Geospatial coordination is a critical component of this nation's information sharing effort after the events of September 11."
The bill also includes provisions similar to those in S. 589, the Homeland Security Federal Workforce Act, introduced by Akaka and passed by the Senate last November. The National Intelligence Reform Act mirrors the intent of S. 589 by establishing a program awarding scholarships to students in exchange for government service in the intelligence community. S. 2845 includes other aspects of the Akaka bill such as an incentivized rotational program for employees in the intelligence community in order to break down cultural and artificial barriers to information sharing, build a cadre of highly knowledgeable professionals, and ensure cooperation among national security agencies. In addition, the Senate adopted an amendment offered by Senators Bob Graham (D-FL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), and Akaka requiring the National Intelligence Director to review existing programs to increase the number of personnel with science, math, and foreign language skills and report to Congress on the proposals to improve the education of such individuals if existing programs are found inadequate.
