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=20 DNI Clapper References INSA's SMART Change Efforts in Congressional= Testimony

In recent testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on I= ntelligence (HPSCI), Director of National Intelligence James Clapper made r= eference to work that is being done to help IC leaders effectively adopt to= current fiscal and budgetary circumstances. He was referring to the INSA S= MART Change Task Force, set up in late 2010 and chaired by Joan Dempsey, fo= rmer Deputy Director of Central Intelligence for Community Management, whic= h was established by INSA to explore how previous budget cuts were implemen= ted and what lessons can be learned from the past as the intelligence commu= nity confronts increasingly tighter fiscal realities. Through a series of = panel discussions focused on manpower, acquisition and organization, the gr= oup had developed a collection of observations and recommendations that wil= l soon be presented to executive and legislative branch leaders.

During t= he testimony, Clapper said, "We, I think, all understand that we're going t= o be in for some belt-tightening." He agreed with warnings from Secretary o= f State Hilary Clinton that the massive U.S. deficit has weakened the count= ry's position against potential competitors such as China. "The debt does = pose a potential threat to our national security ... The financial relation= ship we have with China is illustrative of that," he said. Nevertheless, t= he Obama Administration's fiscal 2012 budget proposal includes a request fo= r $55 billion for the CIA and other civilian intelligence services, a four = percent increase over the $53.1 billion that the government spent on intell= igence gathering in fiscal 2010, according to The Washington Post. = It is the first time that the funding request for U.S. intelligence agencie= s has been disclosed. CIA Director Leon Panetta also testified that the na= tional debt poses a security risk, according to the States News Service<= /I>. "That threat of the debt and the level of deficits that this country = is now running and the consequences of that internationally, economically, = and in terms of the resources we need for the future—I think there's = no question that it represents a threat we have to pay attention to," Panet= ta said.

During his testimony Clapper noted that the Intelligence Communi= ty's budget was substantially reduced in the 1990s, only to be ramped up ag= ain as a consequence of September 11, 2001. "So now the pendulum will swin= g back ... and given, you know, the funding that we have been given over th= e last 10 years since 9/11, that's probably appropriate," he said. Clapper= said the Intelligence Community and Congress must cooperate to guide fisca= l constraint in a responsible manner. "I've had at least one outside group = that is completely out of the community, but very familiar with it, looking= at this," he reported, making reference to INSA's SMART Change Task Force.= "They've sent me some recommendations on areas we ... need to consider fo= r examination in the areas of personnel structure and ... acquisition." Al= though he said that he has yet to examine the recommendations, "this will b= e a subject among the IC community and its executive community, leadership,= but this is an area we need to work with [Congress]."

The Post n= otes that intelligence agency budgets have more than doubled in the almost = 10 years since September 11, 2001, which has seen the creation of several n= ew agencies, including the ODNI.

From "DNI Clapper References INSA's SMART Change Efforts in Congression= al Testimony"
Information, Inc. (02/22/11)

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