Critics: National intelligence office not doing much

Critics: National intelligence office not doing much
Members of Congress want less bureaucracy, more focus on job
By John Diamond
USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — A year after John Negroponte became the first director of national intelligence, key lawmakers worry that the spy agency they created is not fulfilling its vital mission.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence is “not adding any value” by enlarging the bureaucracy, said Rep. Pete Hoekstra, a Michigan Republican who leads the House Intelligence Committee. “They're lengthening the time to make things happen. … We want them to be lean and mean.”

The agency does some tasks well, Hoekstra said in an interview Tuesday, but is only slowly improving the quality of intelligence. Negroponte was sworn into office last April 21.

Congress created the agency in December 2004 to streamline and centralize control over the nation's intelligence community. Last month, a bipartisan majority of Hoekstra's committee asked Congress to freeze part of the agency's budget until it answers lawmakers' concerns, including worries that new employees are being hired too quickly.

Once a bureaucracy takes root, Hoekstra said, “It's awfully hard to get rid of.”

Gen. Michael Hayden, Negroponte's deputy, said the agency is within the limit set by Congress of 500 new positions. About 400 intelligence jobs from other agencies also have moved under Negroponte's control, Hayden said, along with about 400 staffers at new centers focused on issues such as nuclear proliferation and terrorism.

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Want a career? Want to make good money with a great benefit package? Want to sit around and do little or nothing? Get a position with Uncle Sam and you can have it all. We have added 500 new positions to the Intel community and I'm betting all they do is CTA 24/7.