House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Stored: House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Type:	Congressional Committee
Parent organization:	House of Representatives
Top organization:	Congress
Employees:
Executive:	Chairman
Budget:
Address:	HVC-304, U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC 20515
Website:	https://intelligence.house.gov/
Creation Legislation:	House Resolution 658, 95th Congress
Wikipedia:	House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

This map created from a Cargo query (Purge)

Mission
Oversee U.S. Intelligence Community to protect security and rights via oversight, budget, and investigations into operations and threats.

Services
Intelligence Oversight; Legislative Authorization; Classified Hearings; Policy Development

Regulations

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) is a permanent select committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, established in 1977, responsible for overseeing the U.S. Intelligence Community, including the CIA, NSA, and FBI, to ensure lawful and effective intelligence operations supporting national security.

Official Site

Mission

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence seeks to maintain rigorous oversight of the Intelligence Community, authorizing its annual budget, reviewing covert actions, and investigating issues like foreign interference or intelligence lapses. It balances security needs with civil liberties, primarily through classified hearings, while occasionally engaging the public to shape intelligence policy.

Parent organization

The HPSCI functions under the United States House of Representatives, within the United States Congress, as a permanent select committee with specialized jurisdiction over intelligence, distinct from standing committees due to its focused mandate.

Legislation

The HPSCI was established by House Resolution 658, adopted on July 14, 1977, in the 95th Congress, following the Pike Committee’s temporary probe into intelligence abuses, creating a permanent oversight entity.

Partners

Intelligence Community agencies (e.g., CIA, NSA, ODNI) for oversight
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) for bicameral collaboration
House Armed Services Committee for military intelligence coordination

Number of employees

The HPSCI employs a professional staff of approximately 30-40, including analysts, attorneys, and investigators, managed by a Staff Director, though exact numbers vary with congressional sessions and workload; staff are not listed under the committee’s name directly.

Organization structure

The HPSCI is a bipartisan committee with targeted subcommittees:

Leader

The Committee is chaired by Rick Crawford (R-AR) in the 119th Congress, with Jim Himes (D-CT) as Ranking Member, as of March 2025.

Divisions

The subcommittees include:

Central Intelligence Agency Subcommittee
Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture Subcommittee
National Intelligence Enterprise Subcommittee
National Security Agency and Cyber Subcommittee
Open Source Intelligence Subcommittee
Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee

List of programs

Annual Intelligence Authorization Act
Russian Election Interference Investigation (2017-2018)
Worldwide Threat Assessment Hearings

Last total enacted budget

The HPSCI’s operational budget is not separately specified; it’s funded within the House’s FY 2024 budget of $1.7 billion, covering staff, classified facilities, and hearings, with no distinct allocation published.

Staff

The HPSCI’s staff of about 30-40 comprises intelligence specialists, legal experts, and administrative personnel, appointed by the Chairman and Ranking Member, working nonpartisanly from HVC-304 to analyze classified data, investigate, and draft legislation.

Funding

Since its inception in 1977, the HPSCI has been funded through House appropriations, with FY 2024’s $1.7 billion House budget supporting its oversight of the Intelligence Community’s extensive operations, without additional earmarks.

Services provided

The HPSCI authorizes intelligence budgets (e.g., FY 2024 Intelligence Authorization Act), conducts primarily closed hearings (over 80% classified), investigates critical issues (e.g., 2016 election interference), and advises on policy to ensure agencies like the CIA and NSA operate within legal bounds.

Regulations overseen

The HPSCI does not author regulations but oversees compliance with statutes like the National Security Act of 1947, influencing intelligence policy through legislative recommendations to uphold constitutional standards.

Headquarters address

HVC-304, U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC 20515

History

Formed on July 14, 1977, by H. Res. 658 after the Pike Committee (1975-1976) highlighted intelligence abuses, the HPSCI succeeded temporary efforts with a permanent oversight role. It shaped policy via the Casey Accords (1980s), probed Iran-Contra, and investigated post-2016 election interference, adapting to cyber and foreign threats despite periodic partisan friction (e.g., 2018 memo disputes).