Democrats Must Be Smart with Intelligence Spending

As a former Member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, I have long been concerned that the lack of attention to our intelligence budget is a serious weakness that could put our security at risk. For this reason, I strongly support the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation to reorganize the intelligence committee structure and ensure adequate oversight of the billons of dollars going to our nation’s intelligence agencies.

Unfortunately, I recently read that the incoming leadership was considering legislation that would not include this key 9/11 Commission recommendation. The Commission’s report was not meant to be cherry-picked. The 9/11 Commission created a very important blueprint for government reorganization to keep our country safe from future terrorist attacks and it is incumbent upon the 110th Congress to pass legislation that fulfills our responsibility to protect the American people.