Legislation would expedite promotion of Goss to intelligence director post
New CIA Director Porter Goss could become the first national intelligence director under GOP drafted legislation to overhaul intelligence programs unveiled Friday by House Republicans.
Under the legislation, Goss, a former Florida Republican lawmaker who became CIA director Friday, would not be subject to another round of hearings or a vote. House GOP leaders included a section to make an "initial appointment" of the NID.
"The individual serving as the director of central intelligence on the date immediately preceding the date of the enactment of this act may, at the discretion of the president, become the national intelligence director," the bill says.
Goss, the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, resigned from his House seat last week to head up the CIA. The Senate confirmed his nomination 77-17 Wednesday.
The Senate's bill, which the chamber began debating on Monday, does not include similar language to allow the promotion of the CIA director to NID, said a spokeswoman for Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine. Collins authored the Senate's version with Governmental Affairs ranking member Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn. While both senators voted for Goss' nomination, Collins and Lieberman said today they do not support "automatically" elevating a CIA director to the new position.
The NID position and its budgetary authority over the government's intelligence agencies has become a thorny issue on Capitol Hill. Lieberman called the House GOP bill "too weak" and said it gives NID "little authority" over the intelligence budget. If the House GOP's language to promote Goss becomes law, he could become the nation's top spy with control over most of the intelligence community, including CIA. The House version, however, prohibits the same person from simultaneously serving as CIA director and the NID.
House committees with jurisdiction over intelligence and homeland security issues are holding markups Wednesday on the legislation. The Transportation and Infrastructure, Judiciary, Financial Services, Government Reform and Intelligence panels are all slated to take up the bill. The House Armed Services Committee's schedule was not available at presstime, but Armed Services Chairman Hunter said last week he intended to mark up the measure this week. Following committee passage, GOP leaders would like to vote on the measure next week and finish conference negotiations with the Senate before adjourning next month.