Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative Bud Cramer (D-Ala.) joined U.S. Representative Jane Harman, Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and other Democratic Members of the Intelligence Committee to announce legislation that would improve our nation's intelligence operations. 

The Intelligence Transformation Act would consolidate intelligence collection techniques, enable the sharing of information between agencies, and establish clear guidelines for creating intelligence estimates and alternative analysis.  This legislation also creates a Director of National Intelligence, separate from the CIA Director, to coordinate, direct, and organize all of our nation's intelligence operations.

"It is clear to me and many of my colleagues that many of the intelligence failures leading up to September 11^th were caused by a lack of coordination between our nation's intelligence organizations," said Cramer.  "This legislation would establish a Director of National Intelligence that could integrate all of nation's vast intelligence capabilities into one focused effort, uniting the various agencies, and enabling them to share information and technology."

Cramer continued, "With the current threats facing our nation it is important that the different agencies stop competing against one another and start working together for the benefit of our national security.  If passed, the Intelligence Transformation Act would force communication between agencies that could paint a clearer and more accurate assessment of our intelligence."

In addition to the proposed legislation, the Members released a letter written to President George W. Bush, encouraging him to implement immediate changes to enhance our nation's intelligence.

Cramer added, "I believe that this is an important piece of legislation that I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will embrace.  Our intelligence capabilities are critically important to our national security.  It is of the utmost importance that Congress does everything it can to modernize and improve our nation's intelligence."

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is the Congressional oversight committee for all of our nation's intelligence agencies.  Congressman Cramer has been a member of the Committee since 2002.  He is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence.