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| Hip See |
November 04, 2005 |
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Dear Friends,
At the beginning of this year I took on a new job in the House, and it has taken up a significant amount of my time in Washington.
I returned to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Its acronym is HPSCI, and we refer to it as "Hip See". Our Senate counterpart is the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, SSCI, known as "Sissy". I`m not sure which moniker is worse.
Unlike almost all other facets of Washington life where everyone uses sharp elbows to get in front of cameras, we don`t. We do our work in secret and, for the most part, cannot even talk about the substance of our work with other colleagues in the House. Like submarines, we run silent and deep.
I chair our Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence. It has jurisdiction over more than half of the budget of America`s intelligence enterprise.
The HPSCI is a small committee of serious people. We try to make sure that we are able to know the plans, capabilities and intentions of anyone who would threaten America.
That challenge -- to be able to know -- is more difficult today than at any time in our history.
In the House, I specialize less than most. Members from small states like New Mexico have to cover more ground. But in national security and especially on intelligence matters, I feel particularly useful on problems that are very important to the country.
There are worse things in life than being quietly useful.
Wish you were here,
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