Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 4548 - Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 2005

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

(House)

(Rep. Goss (R) FL)

The Administration supports House passage of HR 4548, which authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 2005 for the conduct of the intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government. The committee-reported bill authorizes funding that strengthens core intelligence capabilities and supports intelligence activities that would sustain the Global War on Terror.

Now more than ever before, our Nation's security relies on accurate, timely, and actionable intelligence - and the challenges facing the intelligence community are difficult and complex. This makes it vitally important for the Administration and Congress to work together to provide the intelligence community with the tools and resources it needs to enhance our national security posture, win the Global War on Terror, and reduce the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

We are making advances in our ability to collect, process, and analyze intelligence information. Although not part of this bill, crucial innovations such as the PATRIOT Act and the Terrorist Threat Integration Center are helping us to protect our homeland by sharing information better than ever before. The President has also expressed his interest in working with Congress, when the time is right, to examine structural reforms that may be needed to improve our intelligence capability in the future. The upcoming reports of the Senate Intelligence Committee and the 9/11 Commission, along with the work of the Commission on Intelligence Capabilities Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction, will provide important information that will help Congress and the Administration in this effort.

The Administration looks forward to working with Congress to support the vital work of the intelligence community, especially its counterterrorism activities, to assure continued strong, flexible intelligence capabilities, and to refine certain provisions in this bill, including relating to procurement, to ensure that these provisions maintain the flexibility the President needs to most effectively manage the ongoing war against terrorists of global reach.