WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Members of the Sept. 11 commission told a House panel Tuesday President Bush's decision to embrace a national intelligence czar is a good first step.
However, Commissioner Bob Kerrey, a former Democratic senator from Nebraska, and Republican Commissioner John F. Lehman stressed the commission's recommendations are not a "Chinese menu" to be picked from but a set of changes intended to work together to ensure success in reforming the nation's intelligence system.
"I would strongly recommend that these be viewed as a whole and that the power needed to carry out these recommendations be enacted as a whole package," Lehman told the House Government Reform Committee.
While both Kerrey and Lehman praised the Bush administration's examination and moving forward with the commission's recommendations, they diverged on whether Bush's call Monday for the development of a largely consultative national intelligence chief to oversee all existing programs could result in the kinds of changes needed being made. The post would have no budgetary authority.
