Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

Stored: Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Type: Congressional Committee Parent organization: Senate Top organization: Congress Employees: Executive: Chairman Budget: Address: 211 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510 Website: https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/ Creation Legislation: Senate Resolution 400, 94th Congress Wikipedia: Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

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Mission Oversee U.S. intelligence to ensure legal, constitutional alignment, propose laws, and provide vigilant oversight for national security.

Services Legislative Oversight; Intelligence Policy Development; Hearings and Investigations; Budget Authorization

Regulations

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) is a select committee of the U.S. Senate, established in 1976, tasked with overseeing the United States Intelligence Community, including agencies like the CIA, NSA, and FBI, to ensure effective national security while maintaining accountability and transparency within legal bounds.

Official Site

Mission

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence aims to provide continuous oversight of U.S. intelligence operations, ensuring they protect national security without compromising constitutional principles. It conducts studies, holds hearings (mostly closed), authorizes the annual intelligence budget, investigates significant intelligence matters, and submits legislative proposals to the Senate, fostering bipartisan cooperation on intelligence policy.

Parent organization

The SSCI operates under the United States Senate, within the United States Congress, reflecting its role as a legislative oversight body with temporary, rotating membership distinct from standing committees.

Legislation

The SSCI was created by Senate Resolution 400, passed on May 19, 1976, in the 94th Congress, following the Church Committee’s revelations of intelligence abuses, establishing a permanent oversight framework.

Partners

• Intelligence Community agencies (e.g., CIA, NSA, FBI) for oversight
• House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) for bicameral coordination
• Senate Armed Services Committee for military intelligence funding

Number of employees

The SSCI does not employ staff directly under its name; it relies on a professional staff of approximately 40-50, including analysts and investigators, managed by a Staff Director, with numbers fluctuating based on workload and congressional session.

Organization structure

The SSCI is a bipartisan committee with a fixed membership structure:

Leader

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is led by a Chairman, currently Mark Warner (D-VA) as of the 119th Congress, with Marco Rubio (R-FL) as Vice Chairman.

Divisions

The committee operates as a single entity but includes:

• Oversight Team for daily Intelligence Community monitoring.
• Legislative Team for drafting authorization bills.
• Investigative Team for special inquiries (e.g., Russian interference).

List of programs

• Annual Intelligence Authorization Act
• Worldwide Threat Assessment Hearings
• Russian Election Interference Investigation (2017-2020)

Last total enacted budget

The SSCI’s operational budget is not separately detailed; it’s funded within the Senate’s FY 2024 budget of $1.1 billion, with staff and activities supported through general legislative appropriations.

Staff

The SSCI staff includes about 40-50 professionals—policy experts, lawyers, and intelligence analysts—hired by the Chairman and Vice Chairman, working in a nonpartisan capacity to review intelligence reports, conduct investigations, and prepare legislation.

Funding

Since 1976, the SSCI has been funded through Senate appropriations, with FY 2024’s $1.1 billion Senate budget covering its operations, supplemented by access to classified Intelligence Community budget details it oversees.

Services provided

The SSCI conducts oversight through closed and occasional open hearings (e.g., annual threat assessments), authorizes intelligence budgets (e.g., FY 2024’s Intelligence Authorization Act), investigates issues like CIA torture (2014 report) and Russian interference (2020 report), and advises on policy to ensure lawful intelligence activities.

Regulations overseen

The SSCI does not create regulations but oversees compliance with laws like the National Security Act of 1947, ensuring Intelligence Community activities adhere to constitutional standards through legislative recommendations.

Headquarters address

211 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510

History

Established on May 19, 1976, via Senate Resolution 400 after the Church Committee exposed intelligence abuses (e.g., CIA’s MKUltra), the SSCI replaced ad hoc oversight with a permanent body. It gained prominence with reports on Iraq WMD (2004), CIA torture (2014), and Russian election interference (2020), evolving to address modern threats like cybersecurity and foreign influence.

Related

See Also Links to related programs articles or organizations:

• United States Senate
• House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
• Central Intelligence Agency

External links

• Official Website
• wikipedia:United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
• Committee Publications