The U.S. Intelligence Budget: A Basic Overview

Publication Date: September 2004

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

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Research Area: Military and defense

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Abstract:

The 9/11 Commission recommended that a new National Intelligence Director (NID) should have control over personnel and budgets of all agencies that collect and analyze national foreign intelligence in order to foster more cooperation. This CRS report describes the intelligence budget and gives rough estimates of amounts for major components of the budget based on unclassified sources. It also reviews current procedures for formulating and executing the budget. And it highlights how proposed legislation addresses the issue. For a more extensive description of the Defense Department agencies whose budgets are at issue and a discussion of pros and cons of giving greater authority over them to a National Intelligence Director, see CRS Report RL32515, Intelligence Community Reorganization: Potential Effects on DOD Intelligence Agencies, by Richard Best. This report will be updated as events warrant.