WASHINGTON — House Democrats unveiled plans Thursday to create a single congressional panel to oversee both the budgets and operations of American intelligence agencies, a realignment that would give lawmakers greater control of the expanding U.S. espionage community.
The proposal would mark the first significant change in congressional oversight of U.S. spy agencies since the House and Senate intelligence committees were created in the mid-1970s.
It also would allow the newly elected Democratic majority to exert more influence over the nation's 16 U.S. spy agencies.
Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said the reorganization "removes the barriers" between existing committees that control spending and monitor the overseas operations of the CIA and other spy services.
"This panel will have the responsibility to hold hearings, to consider the budget for intelligence," Pelosi said. "Its purpose is to protect the American people with the best possible intelligence."
The change was announced as part of a package of national security measures and other initiatives Democrats have pledged to enact quickly when they take control of the chamber next month for the first time since 1994.
House Republican leader John A. Boehner of Ohio said he and other GOP members were reviewing the proposal and welcomed efforts "to improve congressional oversight of America's intelligence systems."
The proposal is designed to fix flaws in congressional oversight that were outlined by the commission that investigated the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
In particular, that panel concluded that congressional controls were routinely undermined because the lawmakers responsible for monitoring the overseas operations of the CIA and other agencies lacked authority over spy agency budgets.
Since its creation in 1977, the House Intelligence Committee has helped set the broad parameters for intelligence budgets. But specific spending decisions have been made by the House appropriations panel and its defense subcommittee.
In several cases in recent years, priorities identified by the intelligence panel were ignored or blocked by the appropriations committee, according to congressional officials familiar with the matter. Spy agencies would also routinely bypass the intelligence committees and appeal to appropriations to fund pet projects.
