Lawmaker fights to keep Defense operational planning at the Pentagon

Senate Armed Services ranking member Carl Levin, D-Mich., on Wednesday went to bat to protect the budget and policy independence of the Defense Department's operational planning and military assets such as unmanned aerial vehicles from proposed national intelligence legislation.

During the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee's markup of the bill Wednesday, Levin urged it to approve his amendments to clarify language in the underlying bill that could allow a new national intelligence director and accompanying National Counterterrorism Center to intervene in the Pentagon's operational planning.

The amendments also would limit the new director's budget authority over a small number of military assets such as the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle. The Global Hawk is used primarily for tactical intelligence missions, but is occasionally tasked to conduct non-military functions for other government agencies, such as the Homeland Security Department.

At presstime, Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, and ranking member Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., appeared to support the spirit of Levin's proposals, although both sought to resolve outstanding areas of disagreement with Levin's language through second-degree amendments.

Collins said she expected to complete work on the intelligence bill on Wednesday.