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Compromise may clear way for accord on intel overhaul

Relatives of two Sept. 11 victims hold photos of their loved ones who died that day as they join a vigil outside the White House on Monday to urge passage of legislation that would revamp the nation's intelligence agencies. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Jesse J. Holland Associated Press
Relatives of two Sept. 11 victims hold photos of their loved ones who died that day as they join a vigil outside the White House on Monday to urge passage of legislation that would revamp the nation's intelligence agencies. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

WASHINGTON – Two powerful congressional chairmen, one who had opposed legislation to revamp the nation’s intelligence agencies, endorsed a compromise Monday and moved a bill endorsed by President Bush closer to approval.

House Armed Services chairman Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and Senate Armed Services chairman John Warner, R-Va., announced that they would vote for the bill to implement the Sept. 11 commission’s terror-fighting recommendations.

Now that they have Hunter’s support, GOP leaders plan to call House Republicans to a meeting this morning to discuss the compromise, the first step toward bringing legislation to the House floor for a vote.

The Senate expects to bring up the bill on Wednesday if the House acts today.

The House had refused to vote on the bill because of opposition by Hunter and another committee chairman, and it was in serious trouble when the House adjourned for the Thanksgiving holiday. Its defeat by a Republican-controlled Congress would have been a major embarrassment for Bush.

Hunter now supports it because House-Senate negotiators added language to ensure Defense officials would have priority in battlefield areas over the nation’s spy satellites and other intelligence equipment.

The California congressman had worried that a new national intelligence director, a position the legislation would create to coordinate spy agencies, would have been able to insert himself into the chain of command from the president to the combatant commanders.

Now “if there is a question as to whether a combatant commander in Iraq has access to an intelligence aircraft, if he needs it in a battle or another agency has access to that aircraft, it’s very clear now that he has access to that aircraft,” Hunter said.

Unlike Hunter, Warner has been silent through most of the negotiations but said he came forward with his support so Senate Republicans would have no question about where he stands. “They look to the two of us for a degree of leadership” as Armed Services chairmen, said Warner, pointing to Hunter. “And we’ve I think shown it, if I may say.”

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., refused to bring the bill up before Thanksgiving because of the opposition from Hunter and House Judiciary chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis.

Sensenbrenner still will oppose the bill in Tuesday’s GOP meeting because it does not deal with such issues as illegal immigration and asylum changes.

Bush praised the compromise Monday in a letter to Congress and asked Congress again to pass it.