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Advocacy Groups to Congress – Strengthen Congressional Oversight of Intelligence Community

  • September 13, 2016 via 33 organizations: “Dear Speaker Ryan and Minority Leader Pelosi, We write to express our concerns about congressional oversight of intelligence activities. Congress is responsible for authorizing and overseeing these programs. In recent years, experts and policymakers have expressed concern that congressional oversight efforts are falling short. Experts have put forth reform proposals, but there has been no systematic evaluation of whether reforms adopted heretofore have met the mark.We believe Congress must renew its commitment to provide a meaningful check on the executive branch and reform how it conducts oversight over intelligence matters. The time for modernization is now. Whenthe House convenes for the 115th Congress in January 2017 and adopts its rules, the House should update them to enhance opportunities for oversight by House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (“HPSCI”) members; members of other committeesof jurisdiction; and all other representatives. The House also should establish a select committee to review how it engages in oversight….”
  • September 13, 2016 via Demand Progress, EFF, R Street, FreedomWorks: “The U.S. House of Representatives created the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) in 1977 to exert meaningful oversight over the intelligence community in the wake of revelations of wide-scale abuses and violations of law. The House Intelligence Committee and its Senate counterpart were intended to consolidate review of intelligence matters, inform the entire Congress of intelligence activities, and hold public hearings to inform the broader public. In recent years, experts and policymakers have expressed concern that congressional oversight efforts are falling short. Experts on Congress have put forth reform proposals, but no systematic evaluation has taken place on whether reforms heretofore adopted have met the mark…”

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