2500 years after Sun Tzu Murtha Amendment to Richardson Amendment to H.R. 3259 Intelligence Authorization Act |
CIA: The use of journalists How to become a spy (and why not) Sun Tzu (500 BC) | ||
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H.R. 3259 Intelligence Authorization Act
Murtha Amendment to Richardson Amendment The Chairman: Are there further amendments to the bill? Mr. Murtha: Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment to the amendment. The Clerk read as follows: | ||||
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Mr. Murtha (during the reading). Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment to the amendment be considered as read and printed in the Record. The Chairman Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Pennsylvania? There was no objection. Mr. Murtha: Mr. Chairman, what I am doing here is trying to make sure that in extreme, rare circumstances the President could waive the rules or waive the law so that a journalist in acts of terrorism or something like that would be able to allow a journalist to be used in the best interests of the country. It is a remote possibility. The DCI does not want to completely foreclose the option, if the national security interest cannot be furthered in any other way. I just think this is what we need in order to be able to pursue this amendment. There is widespread support for the amendment, but I think we need a clause which would allow the President of the United States to decide that something like this can be used in the best interest of the country. Mr. Richardson: Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield? Mr. Murtha: I yield to the gentleman from New Mexico. Mr. Richardson: Mr. Chairman, I would be prepared to accept this amendment. I think this is important. It is the President that we are giving this waiver to, not the DCI. The President would have to notify the committees of the Congress of such an action. It is under the most extreme of all circumstances. I suspect that we want to preserve that ultimate option. I think it is important that, in accepting this amendment, we approve my amendment, which basically states the policy of the Intelligence community not to recruit journalists as spies. Mr. Dicks: Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield? Mr. Murtha: I yield to the gentleman from Washington. Mr. Dicks: Mr. Chairman, I want to say I strongly support the Murtha amendment to the Richardson amendment. I think it was carefully crafted. It makes clear that a voluntary effort could be undertaken. In addition, a journalist could be used only if the President certifies to Congress as to why it is necessary to do so. I think it gives us a very good safeguard. I think it is a good compromise, and I applaud the gentleman from New Mexico for accepting the Murtha amendment. Mr. Combest: Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield? Mr. Murtha: I yield to the gentleman from Texas. Mr. Combest: Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman yielding to me. I rise in strong support of the gentleman from Pennsylvania's amendment. I completely understand the concerns of the gentleman from New Mexico in offering the amendment. I would like to insert in the Record a letter addressed to me as chairman of the committee from the Director of Central Intelligence outlining his concerns but indicating the fact that he would have no intention of using anyone within the media but wanting to protect the right and in dire circumstances or extreme circumstances, particularly as the case may affect the ability to save lives, that they would like the option. The amendment of the gentleman from Pennsylvania does preserve that right. I do rise in strong support of it. I include for the Record the letter to which I referred:
The Chairman: The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Murtha] to the amendment offered by the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Richardson]. The amendment to the amendment was agreed to. |