Introduction

1. Introduction What are Committees in Congress? • regularly hold hearings • investigate problems and possible wrongdoing • oversee the executive branch. • they control the congressional agenda and guide legislation from its introduction to its send-off to the president • Members are determined by senior member of the majority party

2. U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence By Jessica Mendez

3. What do they do? • “…oversee and make continuing studies of the intelligence activities and programs of the United States Government…” • Submit appropriate legislation to the Senate • Report to the Senate on activities and programs concerning intelligence • Provides legislative oversight on intelligence activities

4. What is some important legislation? • (2009-2010) Report on the Attempted Terrorist Attack on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 • (2008-2009) Report to Accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, S. 1547 • (2008-2009) Report on Prewar Intelligence Assessments About Postwar Iraq

5. Who are they?

6. Dianne Feinstein, Chairman • Native to San Francisco • First elected to the Senate in 1992 • First female to become chairman of this committee • Presided over the inaguration of Obama

7. Christopher S. Bond, Vice Chairman • Native to Mexico, Missouri • Grows hand-planted trees • Received his law degree from Uva • First elected to the Senate in 1986 • Strong military advocate • “working to give the Intelligence Community the tools to detect and disrupt planned terrorist attacks on America”

8. Sources "U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence ." 2006, n.d. Web. 25 Oct 2010.<http://intelligence.senate.gov/in dex.html>.