On the Left

November is six months away, but Ronald Reagan has become a factor in Washington. During a Senate committee debate over a “charter” for U.S. intelligence agencies, the message went out that Senate Minority Leader Howard Baker and the GOP leadership would resist restraints on the intelligence agencies—on orders from Mr. Reagan. A couple of days later the Senate Intelligence Committee approved the Intelligence Oversight Act (IOA) of 1980. Whether, come January, President Reagan will be satisfied with the legislation is debatable. Supporters of the intelligence agencies have sought three major goals in any charter governing the agencies: changes in the Hughes-Ryan Amendment; CIA exemption from the Freedom of Information Act; and protection of agents.

When it left the Senate Intelligence Committee, the IOA did contain changes in Hughes-Ryan. Passed in 1974, when the anti-intelligence fever was at its peak, Hughes-Ryan requires the Executive Branch to notify several congressional committees—in practice, eight—of all covert operations. Ever since, intelligence agencies have argued that Hughes-Ryan made foreign intelligence agencies reluctant to cooperate with their U.S. counterparts for fear of a leak. The Committee voted to require that only the Senate and House Intelligence Committees be “fully and currently” informed of covert operations.

KL

About the Author

Kevin Lynch

November is six months away, but Ronald Reagan has become a factor in Washington. During a Senate committee debate over a “charter” for U.S. intelligence agencies, the message went out that Senate Minority Leader Howard Baker and the GOP leadership would resist restraints on the intelligence agencies—on orders from Mr. Reagan. A couple of days later the Senate Intelligence Committee approved the Intelligence Oversight Act (IOA) of 1980. Whether, come January, President Reagan will be satisfied with the legislation is debatable. Supporters of the intelligence agencies have sought three major goals in any charter governing the agencies: changes in the Hughes-Ryan Amendment; CIA exemption from the Freedom of Information Act; and protection of agents.

When it left the Senate Intelligence Committee, the IOA did contain changes in Hughes-Ryan. Passed in 1974, when the anti-intelligence fever was at its peak, Hughes-Ryan requires the Executive Branch to notify several congressional committees—in practice, eight—of all covert operations. Ever since, intelligence agencies have argued that Hughes-Ryan made foreign intelligence agencies reluctant to cooperate with their U.S. counterparts for fear of a leak. The Committee voted to require that only the Senate and House Intelligence Committees be “fully and currently” informed of covert operations.