Trump's DNI pick vows leaner spy office, stronger coordination
Washington, July 16
US President Donald Trump's nominee for Director of National Intelligence has pledged to streamline the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, saying the agency should focus on oversight and coordination rather than expanding into operational roles.
Appearing before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on Wednesday (local time), Jay Clayton said the intelligence community must deliver "timely, objective and independent" intelligence to policymakers while restoring public confidence in the ODNI.
"The mission of the Director of National Intelligence is clear: to ensure that the policymakers and institutions that the intelligence community serves, especially the president, our military leaders and Congress, receive the best possible intelligence in a timely, objective and independent manner," Clayton said in his opening statement.
If confirmed, he said, he would work to strengthen coordination across the 18 agencies that make up the US intelligence community while improving communication with Congress.
"I will work to strengthen the coordination and communication between the intelligence community and the people we serve," Clayton said. "I will focus on enhancing the trust of the American people in the ODNI, the intelligence community and our federal government generally."
Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, who has long argued that the ODNI has become too large, said he expected Clayton to continue efforts begun under outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to reduce the organisation's size.
Cotton said Congress intended the ODNI to be "a lean and efficient organisation" but that, two decades after its creation, it had become "yet another bloated agency that incentivises bureaucratic make-work as opposed to genuine intelligence work."
Clayton did not endorse abolishing the office, despite calls from some Republicans.
Questioned by Senator Susan Collins, one of the architects of the legislation that created the ODNI after the September 11, 2001 attacks, Clayton said the organisation continues to serve an essential purpose.
"If we didn't have this role, we'd have to invent it, because there needs to be a focal point for coordination across the other 17 intelligence agencies," he said.
"There needs to be a place of oversight, a place to resolve conflict."
At the same time, Clayton suggested the office should avoid becoming directly involved in intelligence operations.
"To the extent that the ODNI has gotten into operations or started to play the roles of some of those other agencies, it probably should pull back," he said. "Because it's difficult to be both operations and oversight."
Clayton said his approach to managing the intelligence community would be guided by three principles: commitment to the mission, clear strategic objectives and measurable performance.
He also promised an "open door and walk the halls policy" if confirmed and said he intended to engage frequently with both the Senate and House intelligence committees.
Drawing on his experience leading the Securities and Exchange Commission and serving as US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Clayton said large organisations function best when they have clear missions and effective oversight.
"I intend to work with the members of this committee" to develop those objectives and performance metrics, he said.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was established in 2004 following recommendations by the 9/11 Commission to improve intelligence sharing among US agencies after failures to connect information before the terrorist attacks. The Director of National Intelligence serves as the principal intelligence adviser to the president and oversees coordination among 18 intelligence organisations.
The Senate Intelligence Committee is expected to vote on Clayton's nomination next week. If confirmed, he would succeed Tulsi Gabbard as the nation's top intelligence official.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Sounds like they're trying to fix what wasn't entirely broken. But if it improves efficiency and reduces bureaucracy, it's a win. The 9/11 commission's recommendations were good, but implementing them effectively is key.
With 18 agencies, coordination must be a nightmare! Good that Clayton wants to focus on oversight rather than getting into operations. We could take a leaf out of this book for our own intelligence reforms.
Big promises about reducing bloat. We've heard this before from many nominees. Let's see if he actually delivers. The "leaner" concept sounds good on paper but real change is tough in Washington.
Respectful criticism: While reducing bureaucracy is welcome, we must remember that after 9/11, the ODNI was created precisely because of coordination failures. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. India's intelligence sharing improved after our own lessons from Mumbai attacks. Some things cannot be sacrificed for efficiency.
"Open door and walk the halls" policy - sounds like a good approach to build trust with Congress. The SEC experience should help with oversight. Let's hope he brings that same rigor to intelligence coordination.
Clayton's three principles - mission, strategy, performance - are basic management 101. But in
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