Sherwood Boehlert: “we find ourselves in both a fiscal and political environment in which we simply cannot fund every system and program we…”

“we find ourselves in both a fiscal and political environment in which we simply cannot fund every system and program we would like. This applies whether intelligence or not intelligence. However, it is important for the American people to understand just how critical intelligence is to the very survival of our Nation and our way of life. On the way over to the Capitol this morning, I heard a radio announcer refer to this bill as ``the bill to authorize America's cloak-and-dagger operation.'' That sort of a label is correct in a way, but unfortuantely, I believe it unintentionally misrepresents what this bill is all about. What this bill is about is the wise and prudent funding and oversight of those intelligence collection analysis and dissemination function necessary to provide for the security of our Nation, its interests, and its citizens around the world. We are talking about what I refer to as ``counterprograms.'' We are not engaged in a world war, but we have some very important counterprograms, counterterrorism, counternarcotics, counterproliferation. These are all very important activities, and this bill funds them.”