The Public Record
Susan Margaret Collins is a United States Senator from Maine, serving since January 7, 1997. A member of the Republican Party, Collins is known for her moderate stance on various issues, often working across party lines. Throughout her tenure, she has focused on a range of topics including healthcare, national security, and economic policy. Collins has been recognized for her independent approach to governance, often emphasizing the importance of bipartisanship in her legislative efforts.
If we are going to create jurisdiction in one committee for homeland security, let's do it. Let's not pretend that we are doing it. Let's not do it in name only. As a result of the proposal put before the Senate with its exclusions and the…
The bill makes very clear that any intelligence assets that are principally for joint military operations or for tactical intelligence stay within the Department of Defense. Now, there may be national intelligence assets that are now…
I believe we have worked out an agreement on Senator Stevens' amendment No. 3826, as modified, that is acceptable to both sides. I am pleased we have been able to reach a compromise. This amendment would clarify the NCTC Director's role in…
I am very pleased to inform our colleagues that, after working very closely with Senator Stevens, Senator Lieberman and I have agreed to a modification of his amendment that is acceptable to us. The bill originally called for an effective…
Let me indicate to the Senator from Missouri that I very much appreciate his concern in this area. There is no greater advocate for our troops than he. I join with him in an assurance that we are going to watch this very carefully. The…
Typically you require the approval of the agency that is surrendering the funds. Then you require the approval of the department head who oversees the agency. Usually that is the Secretary of Defense. Then you require the approval of OMB…
If the intent of the Senator is to override the provisions of the bill, then that would be a problem.
I commend Senator Rockefeller and Senator Hutchison for their amendment to improve the quality of intelligence analysis by creating a red team. Both of them talked to me very early on about the need for this improvement in our bill…
William Odom, who is a former head of DIA. So we felt the case was very persuasive for the kind of organizational structure we came up with. That was recommended by the 9/11 Commission. Having said that, I am sure it is not perfect. I am…
I direct the Senator from Ohio to the exact language in the bill. On page 27, starting on line 21: (C) in accordance with procedures to be developed by the National Intelligence Director, transfer personnel of the intelligence community…
I disagree with the Senator, so I do not know how to respond. I was saying the NID does not run the day-to-day, daily operations of the NSA, for example. I want to make sure on the record because I think it is going to be very important 2…
The DIA employees who are part of the national intelligence program, yes, the answer is yes. DIA employees who are part of DOD's tactical intelligence programs, which are outside the scope of the authority of the NID, the answer in that…
There is very strong authority for the NID to transfer personnel who are working within the national intelligence program throughout the Federal Government and, indeed, I would envision the staffing of the National Counterterrorism Center…
I will find the specific language to show the Senator from Ohio. I have the language. The NID would establish collection and analysis requirements for the Intelligence Community, determine collection and analysis priorities, manage and…
Perhaps it will be of some comfort to the Senator from Ohio to know that the language in this regard was suggested to our committee by Senator Roberts and comes from his bill. There is very strong language regarding the issue the Senator…
I question why it is necessary when everybody has the bill available. It is on page 12, for example, lines 20 through 25, in describing what the national intelligence director shall do. It says: Developing and presenting to the President…
Those provisions are extremely clear in the bill. I do not see how they can be ambiguous.
The full budget authority, in my view, applies to the national intelligence assets.
That is correct, other than there may be some programs that are now part of the JMIP that are not principally for--and I see my colleague from Michigan joined us; we had a long debate in committee about this--that are not principally used…
What I am telling the Senator is that if he looks at the language sent up by the administration, he will see--and if he looks at the language in our bill, he will see there has never been discussion in putting tactical intelligence--
If we look at the administration's legislative language they have sent up, they, too, exclude the tactical intelligence assets. I think what this language is intended to convey is, as one of our witnesses said--as many of our witnesses…
I direct the Senator's attention to the very first sentence of this Statement of Administration Policy where it states: ``The Administration supports Senate passage of S. 2845.'' That is the bill before us. That is the bill that is also…
I agree that it creates confusion and also that the implications of substituting the national intelligence director for the Secretary of Defense throughout the laws creating these agencies creates a lot of unintended problems. That is one…
I congratulate the senior Senator from Maine for her comments and her work on this issue. As a member of the Intelligence Committee she has understood very early the need for significant intelligence reform. The provisions included in the…
Is that not what is hurting? It is time to end this program. These are small farmers who need help, who are in debt; and the purpose of this program is to buy a quota from the government.
Politicians like Susan Collins
