The Top Secret Intelligence Budget for FY2017 (H.R. 5077)

What is H.R. 5077?

(Updated November 13, 2017)

This bill would authorize funding for intelligence activities conducted by the U.S. government, including agencies like the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Director of National Intelligence (DNI) for fiscal year 2017. Aside from the CIA and DNI, the following federal agencies also receive funding from this bill:

• The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA);

• The branches of the Dept. of Defense (DOD) that are involved in intelligence activities;

• Intelligence divisions of the Dept. of State, National Security Agency (NSA), the Treasury Department, and the Dept. of Justice (DOJ).

Specifics about the total appropriations authorized by this bill are classified, so minimal information is available to the public. The classified information is known as the “Classified Schedule of Authorizations” and has the levels of funding and personnel used by these agencies to carry out operations.

The plans had to be made available to the House and Senate intelligence committees that oversee appropriations, but otherwise, it's really under wraps. Even the President can't publicly disclose anything from this budget (outside of what is necessary to implement it or comply with the law).

All those classified things aside, there's some information available to the public. We're all allowed to know that a total of $514 million would go to funding the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability system. Employees whose salaries and benefits are paid for by this spending package would be able to see their pay and benefits increase.

Additionally, this legislation prohibits any intelligence activity that isn’t authorized by the Constitution or U.S. law. Whistleblower complaints would go directly to Congress from intelligence community inspectors general. Congressional defense and intelligence committees would also receive reports about major defense intelligence acquisition programs at each milestone of development.

The DNI would be required to publish a list of all logos, symbols, and other markings associated with foreign terrorist organizations on a publicly-available website. DNI would also be tasked with helping the DOD modernize their security clearance technology architecture.

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) would be required to develop a plan to carry out certain space-based monitoring missions currently carried out by the Air Force. The NRO could carry out pre-acquisition activities and would then provide a cost estimate to relevant congressional committees.

Relevant congressional committees would receive a report from DHS about the agency’s counter-messaging activities against the Islamic State and other extremist groups.

Argument in favor

The intelligence community plays an integral role in ensuring the security of Americans and needs funding to do its job — even if the public can’t know how all of it will be spent.

Argument opposed

Intelligence agencies should provide at least a general outline of how they’re spending taxpayer dollars on classified programs for the sake of transparency.

Impact

People who live in the U.S., federal intelligence agencies, and Congress.

Cost of H.R. 5077

The CBO estimates that implementing the unclassified portions of this bill would cost $521 million over the 2017-2021 period.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) introduced this bill to ensure that the intelligence community receives the funding that it needs to protect Americans from foreign threats:

“This bill will keep the Intelligence Community fully funded so it can carry out its vital work protecting Americans from a wide range of pressing foreign threats. At the same time, the bill ensures that Congress has the means to conduct vigorous oversight over the Intelligence Community’s activities.”

This legislation passed the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence via voice vote.

Of Note: All the secrecy surrounding intelligence appropriations have led to this bill's (and it's predecessors) nickname, the ‘Black Budget.’ However, the public has a pretty good idea of what might receive funding, and at what levels — thanks to the release of a top-secret budget summary of the 2013 fiscal year from Edward Snowden.

That year, the intelligence community received more than $52 billion in funding, $14.7 billion of which went to the CIA, while the National Security Agency and National Reconnaissance Office received $10.8 and $10.3 billion, respectively. The majority of the total funding from that year was given to intelligence gathering and counterterrorism, at a level of $20.1 billion and $17.2 billion, respectively.

Media:

• House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Press Release
• Committee Fact Sheet (PDF)
• CBO Cost Estimate

Summary by Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: Flickr user Daniel Rehn)