Aftergood, Steven. "FY 2008 NRO Budget Book Released." Secrecy News, 6 Nov. 2008. [http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy]Materials presented in reverse chronological order.
Aftergood, Steven. "FY 2008 NRO Budget Book Released." Secrecy News, 6 Nov. 2008. [http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy]
"The National Reconnaissance Office has released a heavily redacted version of the Fiscal Year 2008 Congressional Budget Justification Book for the National Reconnaissance Program. It provides a few intriguing glimpses of the intelligence agency in transition."
CNN. "U.S. Intelligence Community Reveals 2008 Budget." 28 Oct. 2008. [http://www.cnn.com]
On 28 October 2008, the DNI announced that "[t]he U.S. national intelligence operations budget was $47.5 billion in fiscal year 2008.... The previous year’s figure was $43.5 billion."
Hess, Pamela. "US Spent $43.5 Billion on Intel in 2007." Associated Press, 30 Oct. 2007. [http://www.washingtonpost.com]
According to Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell on 30 October 2007, "[t]he U.S. government spent $43.5 billion on intelligence in 2007." The figure was released "under a new law implementing recommendations of the Sept. 11 commission.... Around 80 percent of the intelligence budget is consumed by military intelligence agencies, including the National Security Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office."
Walter Pincus, "2007 Spying Said to Cost $50 Billion," Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2007, A4, notes that when military spending is added to the figure released by the DNI, "aggregate U.S. intelligence spending for fiscal 2007 exceeded $50 billion."
Mark Mazzetti, "$43.5 Billion Spying Budget for Year, Not Including Military," New York Times, 30 May 2006, adds that the figure released by McConnell is for those activities that are part of the National Intelligence Program.
Pincus, Walter. "Intelligence Director Urged to Take Charge: House Committee Cites 'Chronic Problems.'" Washington Post, 11 May 2007, A4. [http://www.washingtonpost.com]
The HPSCI wants DNI Mike McConnell "to assume a greater managerial role to correct what it describes as gaps in what is known about enemies and threats.... In a report released on the eve of a House vote on the roughly $48 billion intelligence authorization bill for fiscal 2008, the committee says it is concerned that McConnell 'has not taken a consistent approach on whether [he] will serve as coordinator or executor of intelligence community functions.'...
"[T]he House approved the bill by a vote of 225 to 197, after members concerned about the proposed growth of McConnell's office voted to limit its size to the number of employees working there as of May 1. The committee report also criticizes progress being made on the future architecture of the U.S. space intelligence satellites, saying a problem has been 'festering for some time' because of cost overruns and delays in completing projects."
Pincus, Walter. "House Panel Approves a Record $48 Billion for Spy Agencies." Washington Post, 4 May 2007, A7. [http://www.washingtonpost.com]
On 30 April 2007, "[t]he House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence ... authorized U.S. intelligence agencies to spend an estimated $48 billion in fiscal 2008, the largest amount ever included in an intelligence bill, thanks to inclusion of funding efforts associated with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.... In the past two years, Congress has failed to pass an intelligence authorization bill."
Pincus, Walter. "Who Stalled the Intelligence Bill?" Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2007, A21. [http://www.washingtonpost.com]
On 6 March 2007, "[f]or what could become the third year in a row," the U.S. Senate failed to "pass an Intelligence Authorization Bill," because of "the objection of a lone Republican senator whose name is being protected by his colleagues.... Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, was named by Congressional Quarterly [on 7 March 2007] as the member who put the bill on hold.... [S]ources said that they believe the hold is due to White House objections to specific provisions, including public disclosure of the national intelligence budget; a requirement for a report on secret CIA prisons; and response to information requests by the committee chairman and vice chairman within 30 days."
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