There is a legal and historical compact—a marriage of sorts—between the Congress and the Executive Branch over how intelligence activities are to be carried out and monitored. It is based on strong foundation—a common set of beliefs about the essential role of the Intelligence Community in providing for our national security. But this relationship also has created a dynamic tension which produces periods of fragile equilibrium followed by those of volatility fueled by suspicion, mistrust, and public recriminations.
In this memo, we argue in support of reforming how the Executive Branch notifies the congressional intelligence committees of sensitive intelligence activities. We believe that such a reform would put intelligence oversight on stronger footing be restoring trust and balance and usher in a new era in which all of our nation’s intelligence activities are strengthened by having received proper review and endorsement.
