The Super Secret U.S. Intelligence Budget for FY2016 (H.R. 2596)

What is H.R. 2596?

(Updated January 13, 2018)

This bill authorize funding for intelligence activities conducted by the U.S. Government, including intelligence agencies, Armed Forces, and other related federal agencies. 

Specifics about the total appropriations authorized by this legislation are classified, so minimal information is available to the public. The classified information is known as the “Classified Schedule of Authorizations” and has the levels of funding and personnel used by these agencies to carry out operations. 

The plans had to be made available to the House and Senate intelligence committees that oversee appropriations, but otherwise, it's really under wraps. Even the President can't publicly disclose anything from the budget (outside of what is necessary to implement it or comply with the law).

All those classified things aside, there's  stuff available for the public. We're all allowed to know that a total of $514 million would go to funding the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability system. Another $501.8 million would go into the Intelligence Community Management Account.

Beginning 60 days or less after this bill’s enactment, and every 60 days after that, the Director of National Intelligence would have to write a report on the movement of foreign fighters in Syria in Iraq to Congressional intelligence committees.

A Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center would be created to focus on strategies against cyber threats. It would be limited to 50 permanent employees.

Funds from this bill are prohibited from going to transferring or releasing detainees from the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to foreign countries. Funds also cannot be use to extend to modify other building facilities to detain Guantanamo prisoners in the U.S. This bill would also mandate reports on the status of former Guantanamo detainees.

Wondering which lucky federal agencies get funding from this bill? 

• The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
• The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) 
• The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
• The Department of Defense (DOD) (but just branches that engage in intelligence activities
• Other intelligence activities conducted through the Department of State, the Treasury Department, the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Justice.
  

Argument in favor

We live in a dangerous world, and there are many threats to U.S. national security. Increasing the intelligence budget is an appropriate response to the emerging challenges posed by cyber attacks and lone wolf terrorism.

Argument opposed

Even if this bill increases the budget by seven percent from last year, it is still one percent below the President’s request. Not only that, it uses budget gimmicks to avoid limits imposed by the sequester.

Impact

People who live in the U.S., federal intelligence agencies, and Congress.

Cost of H.R. 2596

The CBO does not perform cost estimates for classified legislation. It does, however, estimate that implementing the unclassified portions of this bill would cost $660 million over the 2016-2020 period.

Additional Info

In-Depth: The Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) claims that:

“this bill will ensure that the intelligence community receives the resources it needs to continue protecting Americans from attack by a wide array of foreign adversaries.”

The House Intelligence Committee pointed out that this legislation is consistent with the Budget Resolution and the Budget Control Act (aka the sequester), even though it provides intelligence agencies with seven percent more funding than last year.

Democratic members of the committee took issue with the budget mechanisms used to remain within those levels. In a press release detailing the minority’s views, Democrats noted:

“While it largely makes appropriate cuts to some programs and adds wisely to others, it does so by using short-term Overseas Contingency Operations funding to evade the Budget Control Act caps.”

Despite the concerns raised by Democratic members of the House Intelligence Committee, this legislation passed the Committee unanimously by voice vote.

Of Note: All the secrecy surrounding intelligence appropriations have led to this bill's (and it's predecessors) nickname, the ‘Black Budget.’ However, the public has a pretty good idea of what might receive funding, and at what levels — thanks to the release of a top-secret budget summary from the 2013 fiscal year from Edward Snowden.

That year, the intelligence community received more than $52 billion in funding, $14.7 billion of which went to the CIA, while the National Security Agency and National Reconnaissance Office received $10.8 and $10.3 billion, respectively. The majority of the total funding from that year was given to intelligence gathering and counterterrorism, at a level of $20.1 billion and $17.2 billion, respectively.

Media:

• House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Press Release
• House Democratic Policy Statement
• CBO Cost Estimate
• The Hill
• Washington Post (Context)