House Intel

House lawmakers today passed the fiscal year 2012 intelligence authorization bill by a 384-14 vote. As a committee statement reads:

The passage of the FY-11 Intel Authorization Bill marked the first time since FY-04 a complete Intelligence Authorization Bill was enacted, and today's House passage [of the FY-12 bill] marks a commitment to returning to the normal business of oversight of the Intelligence Community.

The bill "provides oversight and authorization" for the following intelligence activities, according to the statement:

* Global counter-terrorism operations, such as the one that took out Osama bin Laden;

* Tactical intelligence support to combat units in Afghanistan and Iraq;

* Cyber defense by the National Security Agency;

* Court-ordered wire taps against terrorists and spies;

* Detecting and countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction;

* Designing, launching and operating of spy satellites;

* Global monitoring of foreign militaries, weapons tests, and arms control treaties;

* Real-time analysis and reporting on events such as the unrest in the Middle East; [and]

* Research and development of new technology to maintain our intelligence agencies' technological edge, including work on code breaking and spy satellites.

In a separate statement, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) lauded the bill's passage:

This important measure ensures the men and women of our intelligence community have the tools, the authorities, and the resources needed to keep America secure, today and in the future. The threats against our nation and the American people haven't ebbed -– rather, as events around the world continue to show, the need for a robust intelligence community that enhances our national security is as critical as ever. I'm hopeful the Senate will quickly pass this measure and send it to the president's desk for his signature.

That presidential signature, however, comes with a caveat. In a Sept. 7 statement of administration policy, the White House announces that if the bill "includes, but does not adequately address, the specific provisions of the Senate classified annex," the president's senior advisers would recommend a veto.