Date

Jun 9, 1987

Description

After Congress introduced a bill proposing “substantial revisions” to Congressional reporting requirements on intelligence activities, John Bolton of the Department of Justice sends this forceful letter to Representative McHugh, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Legislation of the HPSCI, making clear that, “The Department of Justice opposes enactment of this legislation because we believe it would unconstitutionally intrude on the President's authority to conduct the foreign relations of the United States.” Bolton complains that the legislation appears to “broaden the congressional notification requirements,” by requiring that the “timely notice” standard “require that such notice be given within 48 hours after the initiation of such operations.” Bolton further chastises the bill for its removal of references “from section 501(a) of the National Security Act the present express acknowledgment that the Act imposes reporting requirements on the President only insofar as the requirements are consistent with his authorities and duties under the United States Constitution… [and the] President’s independent constitutional authority, namely section 501(b), which provides for presidential discretion in deferring notice to Congress concerning exceptionally sensitive intelligence activities.”

Source

George H. W. Bush Presidential Library, Bush Presidential Records, National Security Council, Nicholas Rostow Files, Subject Files, Folder, “Covert Action: Notification of [1].”

Document published in following posting(s):

What the CIA Tells Congress (Or Doesn’t) about Covert Operations: The Barr/Cheney/Bush Turning Point for CIA Notifications to the Senate

Feb 7, 2019