Pelosi Calls for New Oversight of Intelligence Spending

Go Ms. Pelosi!

Washington - Representative Nancy Pelosi, soon to be speaker of the House, said today that she will create a new panel to oversee spending on intelligence and enable lawmakers to better determine whether the money is being spent wisely.

Ms. Pelosi said the formation of the panel, which would work within the House Appropriations Committee, is in response to recommendations of the commission that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks and is part of an effort to make spending on intelligence more transparent.

The new unit will be called the Select Intelligence Oversight Panel and be composed of members of the House Intelligence and Appropriations committees, Ms. Pelosi said at a news conference. "Its purpose is to protect the American people with the best possible intelligence, recognizing the role that Congress plays in all of this," Ms. Pelosi said.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121506D.shtml