[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 18, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H5454-H5487]


             DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2015

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                                TITLE VII

                            RELATED AGENCIES

   Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System Fund

       For payment to the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement 
     and Disability System Fund, to maintain the proper funding 
     level for continuing the operation of the Central 
     Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, 
     $514,000,000.

               Intelligence Community Management Account

       For necessary expenses of the Intelligence Community 
     Management Account, $501,194,000.


                     Amendment Offered by Mr. Holt

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Page 39, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(reduced by $2,000,000) (increased by $2,000,000)''.

  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 628, the gentleman 
from New Jersey and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Chairman, let me begin by thanking Chairman 
Frelinghuysen and Ranking Member Visclosky for their cooperation in 
preparing this commonsense amendment.
  My amendment would carve out $2 million within the $504 million 
intelligence community management account and allocate it to the 
intelligence community whistleblowing and source protection 
directorate, which is a component of the Office of the Inspector 
General of the intelligence community.
  Currently, this directorate is literally a one-man operation. Now, 
the intelligence community is a closed, secretive community. It is 
different from almost all other agencies this Congress deals with. Only 
from workers within these programs are we likely to learn about 
improprieties. Given the fact

[[Page H5467]]

that there are tens of thousands of Federal employees and contractors 
who work for the intelligence community elements, it is not realistic 
to expect the IC inspector general to be able to receive and 
investigate effectively any and all valid complaints from conscientious 
internal whistleblowers through a single investigator, no matter how 
talented that investigator may be. This $2 million reallocation of 
funds will help the community whistleblowing and source protection 
directorate hire more needed additional investigators and support staff 
and will fund outreach and education efforts across the intelligence 
community.
  For our system of oversight of the intelligence community to work 
properly, it is vital that all employees and contractors know where and 
how they can report lawfully potential incidents of waste, fraud, 
abuse, criminal conduct, or whistleblower retaliation. So this 
directorate can truly become that place only if it has sufficient 
resources. I see this as a step in that direction. This amendment will 
ensure that they have resources to respond to legitimate concerns.
  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. HOLT. I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.
  Mr. VISCLOSKY. I am always cautious about people who have suggested 
in the past that we would balance the budget if we eliminated waste, 
fraud, and abuse. But the gentleman is correct; there are occurrences 
of waste, fraud, abuse, or inefficiencies.
  The investment the gentleman is talking about I think is a wise one, 
to make sure that we do protect the taxpayer's dollar, ferret out those 
monies that are ill spent to make sure it doesn't happen again, and to 
make sure that those who are doing the right thing are protected in the 
performance of their duty on behalf of the Government of the United 
States.
  So I appreciate the gentleman's amendment.
  Mr. HOLT. I thank the gentleman.
  If I may make one comment in response to the ranking member and then 
yield to the chairman, there has been a lot of concern in this House 
about people going public with concerns about activities in the 
intelligence community, and we should want them to have a reliable 
channel through which they can lawfully express their concerns about 
criminal activity, about whistleblower retaliation or waste, fraud, and 
abuse. This office, underfunded as it currently is, is the official 
place for them to go, and we should make it more accessible.
  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. HOLT. I would be pleased to yield to the gentleman from New 
Jersey.
  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Thank you for yielding.
  Our committee has long supported whistleblower protections. May I 
commend you on your two amendments today. You have got two in the win 
column and none in the loss column.
  Mr. HOLT. I thank the gentleman, and 2 and 0 in this soccer day is 
probably a pretty good score.
  So with that, I yield back the balance of my time with thanks to the 
chair and ranking member.
  The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen).
  The amendment was agreed to.

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