Today Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld urged caution at a meeting of the Senate Armed Services Committee with respect to reorganizing the budgetary authority of the intelligence community (IC). Currently, the Department of Defense (DoD) controls over 80% of the roughly $40 billion spent on intelligence work annually. Several former DoD secretaries testified as well urging that the department retain control of the intelligence budget.

Acting Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), John McLaughlin, along with several other members of Congress, support the creation of a new post which would have complete budgetary powers as well as hiring and firing abilities. Currently the DCI has complete control over the CIA, but can only advise regarding the budgets of the other intelligence agencies (DIA, NSA, NRO, etc.) in the IC.

Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kansas), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, indicated yesterday that his group has already drafting a bill which would formally empower a new National Intelligence Director with full budgetary and personnel power over the entire IC.

So far, the White House has refused to back either the Pentagon or the CIA, saying merely that they have ruled nothing out.