Mike Levin: “On the first part of the inquiry, what is interesting to me, and ironic, is the Director of Central Intelligence has…”

“On the first part of the inquiry, what is interesting to me, and ironic, is the Director of Central Intelligence has that same authority the chairman just read from page 12, line 20, that is provided to the NID, which is to develop and present to the President the annual budget for the national intelligence program. That is the same authority as exists in current law to the intelligence director. So there is no change in terms of presenting and developing the budget. Where the real changes take place are after the budget or after the appropriation is adopted, and then it depends--then the law will change who it is that executes that budget authority. That is where we get very complicated changes. I think the discussion and debate is very important, that we analyze which specific programs, projects, and activities, budget execution-- not presentation or preparation--but execution is transferred to the NID from where it currently is. That is where I think we all would benefit from a description of specific programs which are not transferred. There are some in the tactical area. But there are also some that are transferred--very few, perhaps 3 percent of the 80 percent of the budget that is transferred, in terms of budget execution to the NID--that in my judgment should not be transferred.”