House bill forbids CIA from using U.S. journalists as spies
Related sites and stories May 23, 1996
Web posted at: 11:10 a.m. EDTWASHINGTON (CNN) -- News organizations reacted favorably to the national intelligence bill passed by the House Wednesday prohibiting the CIA from using U.S. journalists as spies. But media observers said it was only a partial victory.
Overall, the bill budgets money for the vast network of U.S. intelligence gathering, from CIA spy and analysis operations to spy satellites to military intelligence.
But, reporters were more concerned about how well the measure would protect their profession from government meddling. The bill, approved by a voice vote, still would allow the CIA to recruit journalists who are not U.S. citizens. The CIA also could order its own agents to pose as reporters.
The new assurances for reporters comes a month after CIA Director John Deutch told news executives that the agency neither uses journalists as agents nor news organizations as cover, and has no plans to do so.
But Deutch said he reserved the right to make exceptions under "genuinely extraordinary" circumstances.
An amendment by Rep. Bill Richardson, D-New Mexico, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, gives the president the authority to override restrictions on using journalists as agents, if the White House explains the need to Congress.
Does't go far enough
The bill and its loopholes bothered Robert Giles, president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors.
"It's encouraging that members of Congress recognize the danger of utilizing journalist for espionage," Giles said. But, "It does not go far enough to exclude both foreign journalists as well as the use of journalistic organizations as cover for espionage activities."
Richardson defended the measure. "This will ensure that neither the independence guaranteed to the press by the Constitution nor the lives of journalists are endangered by blurring the distinction between reporters as commentators on government and reporters as instruments of government."
Budget still secret
On a separate issue, representatives voted 248-176 to reject an amendment that would make the national intelligence budget public.
The CIA and a similar bill in the Senate support disclosure of the amount, but House members fear it would lead to disclosure of budgets for individual intelligence accounts, which could give valuable information to U.S. adversaries.
Overall, the House bill authorizes a 4.9 percent intelligence budget increase -- unofficially about $29.4 billion.
Related stories:
- CIA director defends using journalists as spies - February 23, 1996
- CIA needs big overhaul, report says - March 1, 1996
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