Summary
Mission:
The Committee was created by the Senate in 1976 to “oversee and make continuing studies of the intelligence activities and programs of the United States Government,” to “submit to the Senate appropriate proposals for legislation and report to the Senate concerning such intelligence activities and programs,” and to “provide vigilant legislative oversight over the intelligence activities of the United States to assure that such activities are in conformity with the Constitution and laws of the United States.”
House counterpart: Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Democratic Members (Majority):
Mark Warner, Virginia, Chair
Dianne Feinstein, California
Ron Wyden, Oregon
Martin Heinrich, New Mexico
Angus King, Maine[20]
Michael Bennet, Colorado
Bob Casey, Pennsylvania
Kirsten Gillibrand, New York
Republican Members (Minority):
Marco Rubio, Florida, Vice Chair
Richard Burr, North Carolina
Jim Risch, Idaho
Susan Collins, Maine
Roy Blunt, Missouri
Tom Cotton, Arkansas
John Cornyn, Texas
Ben Sasse, Nebraska
Featured Video:
Senate intelligence committee holds hearing on threats worldwide
OnAir Post: Select Intelligence Committee (Senate)
News
Press Releases and news can be found here at the committee website.
CNN, – February 7, 2022
Intercepted communications obtained by the US have revealed that some Russian officials have worried that a large-scale invasion of Ukraine would be costlier and more difficult than Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Kremlin leaders realize, according to four people familiar with the intelligence.
Three of the sources said those officials include intelligence and military operatives.
The officials have also grumbled about their plans being discovered and exposed publicly by western nations, two of the sources said, citing the intercepted communications.
There is no evidence that these officials are opposed to the overall plan, or would revolt against Putin’s orders, two of the sources said. Another source familiar with the US intelligence noted that Russia has a professional military that would be expected to effectively carry out Putin’s orders.
NBC News, – September 23, 2021
A top Republican lawmaker is demanding that the Biden administration share with Congress recent intelligence reports and diplomatic cables about Afghanistan in the run-up to the withdrawal of U.S. troops last month, including estimates of the likelihood of a Taliban takeover of the country.
Congress needs to have access to the intelligence reporting on Afghanistan “to understand how the situation deteriorated so quickly and why the Administration made the decisions they did regarding the disastrous evacuation,” Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the ranking Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote in a letter to the administration that was obtained by NBC News.
Addressing Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Intelligence Director Avril Haines, McCaul wrote that Congress is interested in the U.S. intelligence assessments and diplomatic messages “to see exactly how these products were reflected in the Biden Administration’s contingency and worst-case scenario planning.”
About
Responsibilities and Activities
Composition: The Committee has 15 Senators: eight from the majority party and seven from the minority. The one-seat majority is dictated by Senate resolution and, unlike most other committees, does not change in proportion with the overall Senate ratio of majority to minority membership. The Committee structure is intended to reflect the nonpartisan nature of intelligence and encourage the Committee to work in a bipartisan manner. By resolution, the 15 SSCI members include two members (one per side) from the Appropriations, Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and Judiciary Committees in order to ensure appropriate coordination with those Committees. The Senate Majority and Minority Leaders and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee serve as ex officio SSCI members.
Staff: The Committee’s staff reviews intelligence reports, budgets, and activities; investigates matters on behalf of the Committee; prepares legislation; and receives briefings.
Access: While all Senators have access to classified intelligence assessments, access to intelligence sources and methods, programs, and budgets is generally limited to Intelligence Committee members (and to members of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee). By law, the President is required to ensure that the Committee is kept “fully and currently informed” of intelligence activities—meaning that intelligence agencies are required, generally in writing, to notify the Committee of its activities and analysis. This includes keeping the Committee informed of covert actions and any significant intelligence failure.
Limitations: Under certain circumstances, the President may restrict access to covert action activities to only the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Committee, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee, and the House and Senate leadership. By law, even in these rare cases, all Committee Members will be aware of such circumstances and be provided a “general description” of the covert action information that is fully briefed only to the leadership.
Committee Activities:
- Hearings: The Committee meets roughly twice a week for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, generally in closed session. Most hearings involve appearances by senior Intelligence Community officials—heads of agencies, senior program managers, and senior intelligence analysts—who present testimony and answer Senators’ questions. The topics for hearings include agency activities, intelligence collection programs, and intelligence analysis on a geographic region or issue (e.g., stability in the Middle East, Iran’s nuclear program, terrorism threats). The Committee occasionally meets in open session, such as annual hearings to receive intelligence testimony on the national security threats to the United States, and for the Committee to consider the President’s nominees to intelligence positions requiring Senate confirmation.
- Legislation: The Committee writes an annual intelligence authorization bill that authorizes funding levels for intelligence activities (these set caps for agency funding) and provides legislative provisions that limit or allow intelligence conduct. The Committee also periodically considers stand-alone legislation, including laws governing surveillance of U.S. citizens (such as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as “FISA”). On occasion, the Committee reviews intelligence aspects of treaties as part of the Senate’s ratification process.
- Investigations and Reviews: The Committee conducts reviews of intelligence programs or events, ranging from routine and continuing study (the conduct of covert action programs and intelligence operations) to formal inquiries.
- Confirmations: The Committee considers and makes recommendations to the Senate for the President’s nominees to serve in intelligence positions requiring the Senate’s confirmation.
- Analysis: The Committee receives and reviews intelligence analysis on a broad range of topics to inform policy decisions.
- Daily Oversight: The Committee, through its staff, tracks the regular collection and analysis activities of the Intelligence Community, enabling the Committee to engage with the Intelligence Community early on if it becomes aware of an issue. The Committee’s Audit and Oversight staff conducts longer-term oversight projects.
Source: Committee website
Contact
Locations
Select Committee on Intelligence
211 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 211 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510
Fax: (202) 224-1772
Web Links
Legislation
Bills
Source: Committee website
Hearings
Source: Committee website
Committee website
More Information
Campaign Finance
Source: Open Secrets webpages
