Floor Statement

Rep. Terry Everett (AL-02)

HR 2028 - Intelligence Authorization Act for FY08

CONFERENCE REPORT

December 13, 2007

Mr. Speaker:

        I rise in opposition to the conference report to the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY08; the process and the substance of the bill sadly fall short.  As one of the cross-over members who serves on both the Select Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, it's critical that the HASC and HPSCI work together on national security programs that serve both the military and national intelligence.  Regretfully, the Armed Services Committee's ranking Republican was denied any input on those joint programs that are shared by both committees.

        On substance, I had hoped the bill would have improved from the House-passed measure in May; that didn't happen.  In addition to Intelligence funding resources being redirected to "global warming" studies in the House bill, the conference report includes even more politically charged provisions from the Senate bill that micromanage and publicize the interrogation techniques of the Intelligence community.  In case anyone in the chamber has forgotten, we are at war with terrorists.  Should we really be publishing our interrogation manual for the world (and terrorists) to see?

        On a positive note, I would like to mention two specific program areas that are important to both the military and intelligence community; the U-2 aircraft and space radar programs.  The conference report language keeps the U-2, and its critical intelligence capabilities, flying until we fully transition over to the Global Hawk.  I am also pleased that the bill authorizes funding for space radar capabilities, though at lower funding levels than I would have liked.  This is an essential capability that combatant commanders and service intelligence chiefs have continually requested.

        Mr. Speaker, we can do better than this, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote no on this conference report.