[Congressional Record: October 20, 2009 (Extensions)]
[Page E2577]


 
    THE DISCLOSURE OF PRESIDENTIAL DECLASSIFICATION OF INTELLIGENCE 
                        INFORMATION ACT OF 2009

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 20, 2009

  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to introduce the 
``Disclosure of Presidential Declassification of Intelligence 
Information Act of 2009.''
  This bill will help increase transparency by requiring the White 
House to release public notices when classified materials are 
declassified. Specifically, this legislation would require the 
President to inform the relevant congressional committees within 15 
days whenever intelligence has been declassified. The bill also 
contains a sense of Congress that additional notice should be given to 
the Director of National Intelligence, the Archivist of the United 
States, and the heads of the applicable elements of the intelligence 
community.
  In January of this year, I released a report documenting several 
abuses and excesses of the Bush Administration. The Report, titled 
``Reining in the Imperial Presidency: Lessons and Recommendations 
Relating to the Presidency of George W. Bush,'' contained 50 separate 
recommendations designed to restore and support the traditional checks 
and balances of our constitutional system.
  This bill carries out the recommendation that Congress consider 
legislation requiring the President to announce the declassification of 
classified materials.
  As the report details, the Bush administration selectively leaked 
numerous items of classified information to strengthen the case for war 
in Iraq. For example, evidence suggests that President Bush secretly 
authorized the declassification of information without notice in an 
effort to neutralize Ambassador Joe Wilson's op-ed that raised 
questions about the case for war.
  This bill will help to prevent similar future abuses and political 
manipulation of intelligence authority by alerting Congress when 
information is declassified. Such transparency in presidential 
delegations of declassified authority is a matter of good government 
regardless of who occupies the White House.

                          ____________________




HR 3849 IH

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3849

To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to require notice to Congress of certain declassifications of intelligence information, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 20, 2009

Mr. CONYERS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence (Permanent Select)


A BILL

To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to require notice to Congress of certain declassifications of intelligence information, and for other purposes.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

SEC. 2. NOTICE TO CONGRESS OF CERTAIN DECLASSIFICATIONS OF INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION.

`NOTICE TO CONGRESS OF CERTAIN DECLASSIFICATIONS OF INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION

END