Congressional Record: July 21, 1999 (Senate)
Page S8922-S8924
Amendments Nos. 1264 And 1265, En Bloc
Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, I have two amendments that I believe the
distinguished chairman is prepared to accept en bloc, as is the ranking
member, as I understand.
They are, first of all, a sense of the Senate, which says:
It is the sense of Congress that the systematic
declassification of records of permanent historic value is in
the public interest and that the management of classification
and declassification by the Executive Branch agencies
requires comprehensive reform and additional resources.
The second measure, in regard to that last phrase, the Information
Security Oversight Office, which is charged with administering this
Nation's intelligence classification and declassification, would
receive an additional $1.5 million to hire more staff so it can more
efficiently manage the program. They are in the National Archives. The
Archives asked for $5 million. They did not get it. This is a small
agency. It does indispensable work. It gives you a continuous series of
the amount of classification we do and the degree of classification and
the agencies that do it.
Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, have the amendments been sent down?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Will the Senator send the amendments to the
desk.
Mr. MOYNIHAN. I am sorry. Forgive me.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendments.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from New York [Mr. Moynihan] proposes
amendments numbered 1264 and 1265, en bloc.
The amendments (Nos. 1264 and 1265) are as follows:
amendment no. 1264
On page 5 strike lines 7-12, and insert the following:
SEC. 104. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT ACCOUNT.
(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated for the Intelligence Community Management
Account of the Director of Central Intelligence for fiscal
year 2000 the sum of $193,572,000. The Information Security
Oversight Office, charged with administering this nation's
intelligence classification and declassification programs
shall receive $1.5 million of these funds to allow it to hire
more staff so that it can more efficiently manage these
programs.
____
amendment no. 1265
After section 308 insert the following new section:
SEC. 309. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS ON CLASSIFICATION AND
DECLASSIFICATION
It is the sense of Congress that the systematic
declassification of records of permanent historic value is in
the public interest and that the management of classification
and declassification by Executive Branch agencies requires
comprehensive reform and additional resources.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.
Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I commend the distinguished senior Senator
from New York for offering these amendments. They make sense to me. We
have reviewed them. I think Senator Kerrey has reviewed them.
[[Page S8924]]
I also commend the senior Senator from New York for his past work,
not only in the Senate but specifically on the Intelligence Committee,
where he spent a lot of time--a lot of hours, and a lot of years--and
understands what we are going through--and what we need to do.
Hopefully, this is one of those little steps.
Mr. KERREY addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska.
Mr. KERREY. Mr. President, like Chairman Shelby, I fully support
these two amendments and am enthusiastic as well for the efforts the
senior Senator, Mr. Moynihan, has made in the area of secrecy over the
years.
I made a point earlier, when we were talking about secrecy, that
sometimes secrecy does equal security. We have to have secrecy in order
to maintain security. But there are times when secrecy actually makes
it harder for us to achieve security. It can make us less secure.
I retold the story in the Senator's book on the Venona project when
Omar Bradley made the decision not to inform the President of the
United States about Klaus Fuchs and others. As a consequence of
believing the President didn't have a need to know, he kept the secret.
I think, as a consequence, there was less security for the Nation.
I appreciate and fully agree with the chairman. These amendments are
good amendments and should be adopted. I appreciate and applaud and am
grateful for the leadership of the Senator from New York on this issue
of secrecy.
Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I urge adoption of the amendments.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the amendments are agreed
to.
The amendments (Nos. 1264 and 1265) were agreed to.
Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. KERREY. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I may be able
to proceed as in morning business for up to 5 minutes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.