WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (AFP) - The chairman of the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee on Sunday unveiled an ambitious plan to overhaul US intelligence services, including creating a director of national intelligence post with broader powers than those envisioned by the White House.
"It`s called the 9/11 National Security Protection Act," said Republican Senator Pat Roberts, announcing his bill on the CBS television`s program "Face the Nation."
As outlined by Roberts` committee, some intelligence functions would be removed from the Defense Department and put under the authority of the new intelligence overseer.
And in contrast to the proposals floated recently by the White House, the national intelligence director, or NID, would have line-item budget authority over US intelligence, power to hire and fire staff, and the ability to transfer funds between program when and where needed, among other powers.
According to the proposal, the NID also would oversee intelligence units at the National Security Agency, the Departments of Treasury, Energy, Homeland Security, the State Department, and the remaining analytical elements of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
"We do give a lot of authority to the national intelligence director," he told CBS.
The Kansas Republican said the bill is a response to two recent critical reports over the past several weeks -- by the Senate Intelligence Committee and last month`s report by the bipartisan September 11 Commission -- damning the organization and methods employed by US intelligence around the world.
"We just sort of stepped back from the trees and, instead of worrying about boxes and agencies and turf, just said, `What would you put together now that really represents an answer to what the 9/11 Commission has recommended and what our Senate report has indicated?" Roberts said.
"What is right for our national security? What is real reform?" We`ve put that together."
The Intelligence Committee chairman added, however, that the drafting the broad outlines of the position is still a work in progress.
"It`s not a tablet written in stone. If anybody wants to make changes or if anybody that wants to lob a brick bat or two ... we`re perfectly ready," he said.
Roberts said he planned to formally brief officials from the George W. Bush administration on the proposal.
"We`ve been talking with the White House and the National Security Council people that are trying to put together their version of what they think is appropriate for some time. We will share with them on Monday," said Roberts, who added that he was also seeking feedback from members of the 9/11 Commission.
"We`ve already talked to several, and their reaction has been positive," said Roberts.
Democrats balked however, saying that the plan had not been shared with them, and accusing Republicans of politicizing a direly important issue that ought to be held above partisan wrangling.
"The eight people who have signed on to this proposal ... are the Republicans members of the Intelligence Committee," Democratic Senator Carl Levin told CBS, adding that Democrats have not been allowed to see the document.
"I think it would be better to start on a bipartisan basis with a bipartisan bill ... to put the 9/11 recommendations into bill form, and that we then start with that."
"What we have seen is the politicization of intelligence during this administration. We`ve seen a director whose intelligence has been shaped to support administration policy," said Levin, a member of the intelligence committee, and top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"In any bold move, if we`re going to give more power to the intelligence director, we`ve got to take steps to make sure that that director is just not a yes man for any administration. And that`s just as important as any of the structural reform," said Levin.