House Panel Approves a Record $48 Billion for Spy Agencies

[maddezmom]

Source: Washington Post

By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 4, 2007; Page A07

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has authorized U.S. intelligence agencies to spend an estimated $48 billion in fiscal 2008, the largest amount ever included in an intelligence bill, thanks to inclusion of funding efforts associated with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In approving the bill Monday evening, the panel's chairman, Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Tex.), said, "The single largest intelligence authorization bill ever written by the committee evidence of how important intelligence has become to our national security." While the exact numbers in the measure are classified, intelligence experts estimate it has grown nearly 4 percent annually in recent years.


The committee added to the Bush administration's funding request for "human intelligence" activities by the CIA and the Defense Department. In addition, Reyes noted, "we invest in language training for collectors and analysts and in language translation capabilities" and "add funding for sending additional analysts overseas."

Committee Democrats cut back on a group of classified CIA programs for Iraq that Reyes described as a wasteful "wish list" that lacks a "real strategy or metrics for evaluating its effectiveness." The committee's ranking Republican, Rep. Peter Hoekstra (Mich.), said yesterday that Republicans criticized these "deep cuts to classified CIA programs designed to help America fight and succeed in the conflict against radical jihadists." Neither would describe the nature of the secret activities.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/03/AR2007050302174.html

[anotherdrew]

1. that is a huge sum, where does that money get spent?

bigger than some countries total economy

[moondust]

4. Good question.

For example, what did the intelligence agencies do with the billions (trillions?) they received from 1991 to 2002? I would assume that one of their highest priorities in that period was to keep track of the weapons programs of the defeated though unpredictable Saddam, yet George Tenet has just publicly admitted that in 2002-03 he still thought Saddam had "tons" of WMD. At those rates it must be mighty expensive to get intelligence that is actually accurate! :sarcasm:

[KansDem]

5. I was just going to say, $48 billion and they *still* can't find OBL...

...and they complain they got the intelligence "wrong" on Iraq and 9/11. And they exposed a covert intel operation when they outed Plame!

It seems to me like $48 billion is an awful lot of money to spend for this kind of incompetence and malfeasance...

[MikMouse]

2. House Democrats Fail

House Democrats approve $48 Billion intelligence budget.  

Somewhere along the line I missed the hearings on the
intelligence failures leading up to the Iraq War. Democrats
just shovel more money for more failure. 

Somewhere I missed the hearings on Sibel Edmonds allegations
of gross intelligence misconduct and corruption. Democrats
obviously do not care about the misuse of funds.

Somewhere I missed the hearings demanding accountability on
any of the intelligence community's gross violations of law in
spying on Americans. Democrats just approved more.

Somewhere I missed Democratic demands that the White House
produce ALL the documents on outing a CIA spy. Democrats had
no better time to say no info, no money! Instead we get no
guts or at least proof that they do not care.

Somewhere I missed the Democrat's demand that the intelligence
community come clean on its role in the Iraq torture, secret
prisons and renditions.

And the list goes on and on. To say I am disappointed in Ms
Pelosi and the rest of the House Democrats is an
understatement. They have obviously decided to treat us just
like the Republicans treat us. 

To Democrats we are nothing but mushrooms kept in the dark and
covered with fertilizer. 

[maddezmom]

3. rather large brush your painting with there

I suggest you do a google of Henry Waxman just to start. :hi:

edited to add, here is a good place to start:
http://oversight.house.gov/

[gratuitous]

6. I'll say it: This is disappointing

Our national security is enhanced by taking care of our citizens (like through universal health care), not spying on them. And handing more money to this administration of bandits is merely an endorsement of everything they've done up to this point.

[maddezmom]

7. and not even knowing where the money goes is infuriating

Torture, secret prisons, sectet flights, etc

[Triana]

8. Why not send this money to the FDA?

So they can start INSPECTING and regulating the garbage that is sent in here from China. So they can protect and monitor our food supply - you know, like they're SUPPOSED to do?

Or is it more important for them to SPY on us, instead?

Guess so.

[donkeyotay]

9. $$$48 B I L L I O N$$$ That's a lot more cheese down a big rat hole

Those hookers in Washington must be expensive.