And the Number Is . . .

The National Intelligence Program received $49.8 billion in taxpayer money during fiscal year 2009, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair disclosed today. The number is the third publicly available NIP topline figure since Congress legislated that the number be revealed, starting in 2007. The figure for FY-08 was $47.5 billion, and $43.5 billion for FY-07.

Blair told reporters last month the government's overall intelligence budget was $75 billion. That figure includes the other program making up the intelligence budget: the Military Intelligence Program.