View source for United States House Appropriations Select Intelligence Oversight Panel

The '''United States House Appropriations Select Intelligence Oversight Panel''' was a select subcommittee of the [[United States House Committee on Appropriations|House Committee on Appropriations]]. Established on January 9, 2007 pursuant to {{USBill|110|HRes|35}}, as part of efforts to implement the recommendations of the [[9/11 Commission]], it was [http://rules-republicans.house.gov/Media/PDF/HRes%205%20Sec-by-Sec.pdf eliminated] in the [http://rules.house.gov/Media/file/PDF_112_1/112th-Rules_xml.pdf rules] adopted by the [[112th United States Congress|112th Congress]].

==History==
{{Further|9/11 Commission}}
The [[9/11 Commission]] in the ''[[9/11 Commission Report]]'' recommended a reorganization of the [[United States Intelligence Community|U.S. intelligence community]], including its budget and appropriations, which are [[Classified information]]. Currently, the [[United States House Committee on Appropriations|House Committee on Appropriations]] and its [[United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense|Defense Appropriations Subcommittee]] have jurisdiction over intelligence funding, and the [[United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence|House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence]] has jurisdiction over authorization of that funding. The 9/11 Commission urged the creation of smaller committees responsible for both authorization and appropriation of intelligence funding, thereby limiting the number of lawmakers involved in the process and improving oversight. So far, the [[United States House Committee on Appropriations|House Appropriations Committee]] has been reluctant to give up its long-standing prerogatives related to the appropriations process to separate committee. The Defense Subcommittee already has jurisdiction over [[military intelligence]] spending, and is reluctant to give up jurisdiction over the entire intelligence budget.

This is further complicated by the classified nature of intelligence funding. Currently, appropriations are authorized through a classified appendix or annex to the annual defense appropriations bill and the specific numbers are not released. The 9/11 Commission urged the public release of the overall funding amounts, while keeping specific agency funding secret.  The current administration opposes the release of this information, citing concerns that the release of such information, even on a broad basis, could benefit America’s enemies. However, specific funding for military intelligence budget is already public released, so the commission saw no reason to continue keeping the remainder of the intelligence budget secret.<ref>[http://www.gpoaccess.gov/911/pdf/sec13.pdf  Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, Page 416]</ref> Also, many in Congress are concerns that creating a stand-alone committee responsible for the appropriations while keeping them classified would further complicate the open, public operations of Congress.<ref>Sen. [[Arlen Specter]], February 8, 2005, Speech on the Senate Floor, {{USCongRec|2005|S1073}}</ref>

==Jurisdiction==

As a compromise, the House developed the select panel as a “hybrid” committee made up of Appropriations committee and intelligence committee members. {{USBill|110|HRes|35}} stipulated that the 13-member panel shall include 10 [[United States House Committee on Appropriations|House Appropriations Committee]] members, including the [[Chairmen]] and [[Ranking member|Ranking Members]] of the full committee and the [[United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense|Defense Appropriations Subcommittee]].  Three members are to come from the [[Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence]]. Intelligence committee members who serve on the panel are not members of the full appropriations committee, but are considered as such purposes of the select panel’s activities. The [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] makes all appointments to the select panel and selects its [[Chairman]] and [[Ranking member|Ranking Member]].

The [[Select or special committee (United States)|select panel]] has the same powers as any other [[United States Congressional committee|Congressional committee]] or [[United States Congressional subcommittee|subcommittee]] of the [[United States House of Representatives|House]]. It is able to conduct hearings, receive testimony, or any other duties normally conducted by a committee, except it lacks the ability to issue subpoenas or otherwise require the attendance and testimony of witnesses. Its primary purpose will be to review and study budget requests for intelligence activities, and make recommendations to the committee on appropriations and its subcommittees as appropriate. It will also prepare a report for the Defense Subcommittee containing recommendations on funding, which the Defense Subcommittee would use in developing the classified portion of the Defense appropriations bill.

==Past members, 111th Congress==
{| class=wikitable
! Majority
! Minority
|-
| {{party shading/Democratic}} valign=top |
* [[Rush D. Holt, Jr.|Rush Holt]], ''Chairman'', New Jersey*
* [[Dave Obey]], Wisconsin
* [[Norman D. Dicks|Norm Dicks]], Washington
* [[Silvestre Reyes]], Texas*
* [[Nita Lowey]], New York
* [[Adam Schiff]], California
* [[Steve Israel]], New York
* [[Debbie Wasserman Schultz]], Florida
| {{party shading/Republican}} valign=top |
* [[Ken Calvert]], ''Ranking Member'', California
* [[Jerry Lewis (California politician)|Jerry Lewis]], California
* [[Bill Young (Florida politician)|Bill Young]], Florida
* [[Pete Hoekstra]], Michigan*
* [[Rodney Frelinghuysen]], New Jersey
|}

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Denotes members of the select panel appointed from the [[United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence|House Intelligence Committee]]. These members are not members of the full [[United States House Committee on Appropriations|House Appropriations Committee]]

==Intelligence Appropriations in the Senate==
The [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] has no comparable subcommittee or panel on intelligence appropriations. {{USBill|108|SRes|445}} of the [[108th United States Congress|108th Congress]] called for the creation of a “Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Intelligence,” but those efforts stalled citing many of the same concerns over competing jurisdictions between the [[United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence|Senate Select Committee on Intelligence]] and the [[United States Senate Committee on Appropriations|Senate Appropriations Committee]], and the classified nature of the intelligence budget. The Senate is currently considering {{USBill|110|S|372}}, the [[fiscal year|Fiscal Year]] 2007 Intelligence Authorization Act, which would permit the public release of overall budget amounts for the intelligence funding, but is silent on the creation of a stand-alone intelligence appropriations subcommittee.

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100807204647/http://www.gpoaccess.gov/911/index.html Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, full report]
*[http://appropriations.house.gov U.S. House Appropriations Committee, official site]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{United States congressional committees}}

[[Category:Subcommittees of the United States House of Representatives|Appropriations Select Intelligence Oversight Panel]]