Moving from "Need-to-Know to "Need-to-Share":

A Review of the 9-11 Commission's Recommendations

Thank you, Chairman Davis, for calling this important hearing today.  As we have seen with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, great economies of scale and increased effectiveness can be achieved by reorganizing the way the government operates.  In the case of fighting terrorism, cooperation and synergy are critical.

The findings in the Commission's report echo concerns we see, from a management perspective, throughout the Federal government.  As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Efficiency and Financial Management, I have seen how stove-piped operations hinder effectiveness.  Convoluted chains of command and control make it difficult to effect real change and difficult to lead.  As the report aptly stated, the events of 9/11 were evidence of "the government's broader inability to adapt how it manages problems to meet the new challenges of the 21st Century." 

As we transform our government to counter the threat of terrorism, we must also be able to adapt to the next threat even as we continue to use our intelligence assets in the traditional sense.  When setting priorities and allocating resources, we need to ensure that our goals are clear and that we see the whole universe of the intelligence and law enforcement community.  In other words, we can't just do what's politically expedient.  Many of the recommendations focus on the long term.  This is where we will see real change, and this is where Congress should make a commitment to seeing the recommendations through.  Of particular importance is the creation of a National Intelligence Director.  Building on President Bush's call to action, Congress must move swiftly on this recommendation, but we must do it right. This new office must have the appropriate authority to effect real change. 

I applaud the Commission for its thorough and forward-looking approach.  The innovative thinking espoused in the recommendations will improve not only the workings of the intelligence community but also the management of the entire Federal government.  I look forward to working with the President, as well as my colleagues in the House and Senate, to address these problems in the most effective manner possible.