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File:United States Intelligence Community Seal 2008.jpg

United States Intelligence Community seal.

The United States intelligence budget comprises all the funding for the 16 agencies of the United States Intelligence Community. These agencies and other programs fit into one of the intelligence budget’s two components, the National Intelligence Program (NIP) and the Military Intelligence Program (MIP). As with other parts of the federal budget, the US intelligence budget runs according to the Fiscal year (FY), not the calendar year. Before government finances are spent on intelligence, the funds must first be authorized and appropriated by committees in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. Pursuant to a suggestion by 9/11 Commission, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) released the top line amount given to the NIP for fiscal year 2009 as 49.8 billion USD.[1]

Components[]

National Intelligence Program[]

The National Intelligence Program, under budgetary control of the DNI, comprises the agencies and programs formerly under the National Foreign Intelligence Program. This adjustment was made to better include domestic intelligence programs and intelligence arms of the Department of Homeland Security.[2]

Military Intelligence Program[]

In September 2005, the Military Intelligence Program was established by combining all of the agencies formerly under the Joint Military Intelligence Program (JMIP) and most of the program from the former Tactical Intelligence and Related Activities (TIARA) group.[3]

List of Agencies and Programs by Component[4]

National Intelligence Program Military Intelligence Program
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Army Military Intelligence (MI)
Counterintelligence - Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency (AF ISR)
Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) - Department of State (DoS) Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA)
Office of Intelligence Support - Department of Treasury Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI)
National Security Agency (NSA) Special Operations Command (SOCOM)
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Defense Cryptologic Program (DCP)
Foreign Counterintelligence Program (FCIP) - Department of Defense Defense General Intelligence Applications Program (DGIAP)
General Defense Intelligence Program (GDIP) Defense Imagery and Mapping Program
National Imagery and Mapping Program Defense Intelligence Tactical Program (DITP)
National Reconnaissance Program (NRP) Defense Intelligence Special Technologies Program (DISTP)
Community Management Account (CMA) Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Program (DARP)
CIA Retirement and Disability System (CIARDS) Defense Intelligence Counter-drug Program (DICP)
Consolidated Cryptographic Program (CCP) Defense Space Reconnaissance Program (DSRP)

Budget cycle[]

It takes just over three years for a budget to complete a full cycle from development to execution.

Mark Lowenthal's Budget Cycle[5]

Year Activity Activity (detail)
1 Planning: Guidance Broad guidelines of planning, programming, and budgeting are established.
2 Programming: Request and Review Program resources are projected for future year requirements for dollar and manpower resources.
3 Budgeting: Build and Submit Money or authority available to purchase goods and services or hire people is set.
4 Execution: Obligate and Spend Money on authorized programs is committed and spent.

See The United States Budget Process for more information regarding the budget process and cycle.

Congressional oversight[]

File:Constitution Pg1of4 AC.jpg

Page One of the U.S. Constitution.

The U.S. Congress derives its oversight powers of the intelligence budget from Article I, Section 9, paragraph 7, of the U.S. Constitution that states, "No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law." Congress's authorization and appropriation functions consist of approving programs and activities, and allocating precise dollar amounts to be authorized programs respectively.[6]

Congressional Entities Responsible for Intelligence Budget Oversight[7]

Senate House of Representatives
Authorization Senate Select Committee on Intelligence House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Appropriation Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense*
  • *The House Select Intelligence Oversight Panel provides budgetary and oversight recommendations.[8]

See United States Intelligence Community Oversight for more general information on the oversight of the Intelligence Community.

Recent news[]

On 30 October 2009, DNI Dennis Blair released information regarding the FY2009 budget for the National Intelligence Program. It stated:

Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair released today the fiscal year 2009 budget figure for the National Intelligence Program (NIP). The Director disclosed that the aggregate amount appropriated to the NIP for fiscal year 2009 was $49.8 Billion.

As required by Public Law 110-53, the Director of National Intelligence disclosed the aggregate amount of funds appropriated by Congress to the NIP for fiscal year 2009 within 30 days after the end of the fiscal year.[9]

This figure is up from $47.5 billion in 2008 [10], and $43.5 billion in 2007.[11]

References[]

  1. DNI Releases Budget Figure for 2009 National Intelligence Program
  2. Lowenthal, Mark. Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy. CQ Press: Washington D.C. 2006, p. 31.
  3. http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/RL33539.pdf, Accessed 24 April 2008.
  4. Lowenthal, Mark. Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy. CQ Press: Washington D.C. 2006, p. 49.
  5. Lowenthal, Mark. Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy. CQ Press: Washington D.C. 2006, p. 49.
  6. Lowenthal, Mark. Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy. CQ Press: Washington D.C. 2003, p. 156.
  7. Lowenthal, Mark. Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy. CQ Press: Washington D.C. 2006, p. 196.
  8. http://appropriations.house.gov/HR35.shtml, Accessed 28 April 2008.
  9. DNI Releases Budget Figure for 2009 National Intelligence Program
  10. DNI Releases Budget Figure for 2007 National Intelligence Program
  11. DNI Releases Budget Figure for 2007 National Intelligence Program

External links[]

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