Bills
| 3.23.22

The Top Secret Intelligence Budget for FY2018-2019 (H.R. 6237)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is H.R. 6237?

(Updated December 10, 2018)

This bill would authorize funding for intelligence activities conducted by the U.S. government, such as by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Director of National Intelligence (DNI) for fiscal years 2018 and 2019. Aside from the CIA and DNI, the following federal agencies would also receive funding from this bill: the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA); the branches of the Dept. of Defense (D)D) that are involved in intelligence activities; intelligence divisions of the State Dept., National Security Agency (NSA), the Treasury Dept., and the Dept. of Justice (DOJ). Additionally, this legislation prohibits any intelligence activity that isn’t authorized by the Constitution or U.S. law.

Specifics about the total appropriations authorized by this bill 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.

All those classified things aside, there's some information available to the public:

  • $546.9 million in funding would be provided for the Intelligence Community Management Account for FY2018 while $514.5 million in funding would be provided in FY2019.

  • $514 million in funding would be provided to the CIA Retirement and Disability System in both FY2018 and FY2019.

  • Up to $775 million could be spent building East Campus Building 3 for the NSA.

  • Injury benefits paid to CIA employees overseas would be increased, as would pay for workers with cybersecurity skills.

The Intelligence Community would be required to provide reports to Congress about:

  • Foreign counterintelligence and cybersecurity threats to election campaigns for federal offices;

  • Investigations of leaks of classified information;

  • Security clearance processing timelines;

  • The process for reviewing information about computer vulnerabilities for retention or potential release;

  • Russian influence campaigns directed at foreign elections.

Argument in favor

The intelligence community plays an integral role in ensuring the security of Americans and needs funding to do its job — even if the public can’t know how all of it will be spent.

Argument opposed

Intelligence agencies should provide at least a general outline of how they’re spending taxpayer dollars on classified programs for the sake of transparency.

Impact

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

Cost of H.R. 6237

The CBO estimates that enacting the unclassified portions of this bill would cost less than $500,000 over the 2019-2028 period.

Additional Info

In-Depth: The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence passed this bill, introduced by Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA), on a voice vote.


Media:

Summary by Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: Ruskpp / iStock)