Prospects for intelligence overhaul bill remain uncertain

With Congress set to return next week for its final meeting of the year, there was no breakthrough yet on negotiations to approve legislation to overhaul intelligence-gathering programs.

President Bush had not yet sent to House and Senate leaders an anticipated letter in which he was expected to urge passage of the bill and make clear his stand on immigration and authority issues that remain unresolved.

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said Friday the letter would express Bush's commitment to preserving the Pentagon's authority over intelligence as part of its chain of command. McClellan indicated talks between White House and congressional officials were continuing, and he reiterated Bush's determination to get the bill done next week. As part of the effort to prod Congress, the president's weekly radio address Saturday will focus on intelligence reform.

A House leadership aide said House leaders may not decide until Monday whether to schedule a vote on the bill. If House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., decides against voting on the measure, the aide said the House would likely adjourn sine die. He noted that statements by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Richard Myers, that he supported the conference agreement could "change things" for House Republicans who opposed the deal.

But a spokesman for House Armed Services Chairman Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., who led the opposition, said Myers' comments had not changed anything. Hunter's spokesman said the budgetary authority concerns outlined by Myers were largely worked out between House and Senate conferees, but that Hunter remains adamant the measure include language ensuring the military's chain-of-command authority over its intelligence assets. The conference agreement does include a provision addressing the issue, but Hunter insists it must be stronger.

Also, demands by House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., for provisions on driver's licenses and asylum criteria have yet to be resolved.

Over the weekend, House Intelligence Chairman Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., who is leading the House-Senate negotiations, plans to speak with conferees about the White House letter, according to his spokesman. Senate Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, who is leading Senate conferees, said Thursday she expected the letter to be sent Friday, but conferees had not received it by presstime. Collins added that it "will be a strong letter of endorsement" for the agreement she helped garner last month. She and Governmental Affairs ranking member Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., said they were optimistic that if Hastert would schedule a vote on the compromise it would pass overwhelmingly.

On Friday, Bush did not respond to a reporter's shouted question about whether one letter would be enough to get the bill passed as Bush left the news conference where he announced a replacement for outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. Bush named former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik to that post. "Bernie is a dedicated, innovative reformer who insists on getting results," Bush said. "His broad, practical, hands-on experience makes Bernie superbly qualified to lead the Department of Homeland Security."