Bush Vetoes Intelligence Funding Bill

President Bush, objecting to a reform enacted in the wake of the Iran-Contra scandal, vetoed a $29-billion intelligence funding measure late Friday that would have expanded congressional oversight of U.S. covert activities in other countries.

In a veto message, Bush said that the offending provision “purports to regulate diplomacy by the President” and would “seriously impair the conduct of our nation’s foreign relations.”

The intelligence bill is the third measure vetoed by Bush this year on the grounds that the provisions they contained would have given Congress too much influence over the conduct of U.S. foreign policy.

In recent months, Bush repeatedly has criticized Congress for encroaching on his authority to conduct the nation’s foreign affairs. Even before his election as President, Bush frequently spoke about the need to restore the presidential prerogative in foreign policy, which he said he believes was eroded by Congress during the previous three presidencies.

The same issue has been at the heart of Bush’s reluctance to give Congress final authority over whether to use force to resolve the current standoff in the Persian Gulf. When asked at a press conference Friday what role Congress should play on that question, Bush responded: “Consultation.”

The authorization bill would have granted congressional approval for the Administration to spend funds already appropriated for all U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. The measure also included covert military aid for rebel forces in Angola and Afghanistan .

It was the first time a President has vetoed an intelligence authorization bill since the CIA was established in 1947, and it was not immediately clear how the activities of U.S. intelligence agencies would be funded in the absence of the authorization measure.

Congressional committee staff members said it appeared likely that many intelligence agency functions would continue under authorization provided in a separate Defense Department measure already signed into law. Intelligence support for U.S. military activities in the Persian Gulf will be unaffected by the veto, they said.

The provision cited by Bush in his veto message would have required that Congress be notified whenever the Administration asks a private individual or another government to conduct a covert action on behalf of the United States.

During events that led to the Iran-Contra scandal, private individuals and the governments of other countries served as intermediaries in arms transactions between the United States and Iran. Congress was not notified of these activities.

Bush said that the bill left unclear “exactly what sort of discussion with foreign governments would constitute reportable ‘requests’ under this provision.”

The President’s action drew an immediate outcry from the chairmen of the Senate and House intelligence panels.

“The bill merely attempted to make certain that the same standards of oversight and review apply to all covert actions, whether they are conducted directly or indirectly by our government,” said House Intelligence Committee Chairman Anthony C. Beilenson (D-Los Angeles).

“The President clearly received bad advice from members of his staff,” said Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman David L. Boren (D-Okla.).

Boren, Beilenson and Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman William S. Cohen (R-Me.) sent a letter to Bush Thursday in an effort to assuage White House concerns.