Mike Levin: “my concern about the definition of intelligence programs that the budget execution authority would be transferred to…”

“my concern about the definition of intelligence programs that the budget execution authority would be transferred to relates to the definition in the bill that, in turn, relates to the Defense Intelligence Agency. There are a number of Defense Intelligence Agency programs which, in my judgment, should not have their budget execution authority transferred to the new national intelligence program. Specifically, there are three programs. These are a small set of DIA programs but, nonetheless, there are three in particular to which I refer. First is the intelligence staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Second is the intelligence staff of the combatant commanders. Third is certain sensitive communications systems which support the Department of Defense command structure. The principal purpose of those programs is to support joint or tactical military operations, and I think it would be a mistake to transfer the budget execution authority for those three programs to the national intelligence director. They are just simply too deeply embedded in supporting joint or tactical military operations for that to make sense.”