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Washington, D.C. --- Rep. Rush Holt, Chairman of the Select Intelligence Oversight Panel, today lauded House passage of legislation authorizing the activities and funding of the federal intelligence community.
“The first line of defense for keeping Americans at safe at home is the effective collection and analysis of intelligence,” said Holt. “This legislation provides a framework for identifying threats to our country and eliminating them, and authorizes the resources necessary to accomplish these goals.”
The House passed an amendment offered by Holt that would address the consequences of the “outing” of former CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson. The amendment would require the Director of National Intelligence to report annually to Congress on the need for changes to the Identities Protection Act to improve legal protections for covert agents. The amendment passed on a voice vote.
“The men and women who risk their lives to protect Americans deserve nothing less than the full support of the federal government,” said Holt. “Today, the House took the first of what I hope will be several steps to improve Congress’s oversight of this vital issue. Disclosures of covert agents put the individual at risk, compromise and endanger the individual’s contacts, and make it more difficult to gain the cooperation of people who can provide the intelligence we need to protect our people and our interests.”
With the strong support and advocacy of Rep. Holt, the intelligence authorization also included requirements for regular reporting on the nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea. Holt also successfully advocated for the inclusion of an inventory of special access programs, as well as measures to improve contracting accountability. These provisions will give Congress the tools to enforce accountability with regard to the use or misuse of taxpayer funds.
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