Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik released the below statement following the House’s passage of this year’s Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA):
“I voted in support of today’s bipartisan Intelligence Authorization Act,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “I’m proud to have language from the Counterintelligence Accountability Act included in this bill, legislation that I introduced earlier this year to require the FBI to provide quarterly counterintelligence briefings to the congressional intelligence committees. The FBI should not be able to circumvent Congress and unilaterally conduct investigations without any congressional oversight due to a loophole in the law, and I’m proud to continue leading the effort for transparency and provide the American people with the certainty that the FBI is subject to the same standards as other intelligence agencies.”
The Counterintelligence Accountability Act was in response to Congresswoman Stefanik’s questioning of then-FBI Director James Comey at a HPSCI hearing in 2017, where he revealed that he did not follow the proper protocol of notifying Congress about opening a counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign in 2016. That questioning can be found here.
The Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA) ensures the Intelligence Community has the necessary resources, funding, and authorities to protect and defend the United States. The bill supports critical national security programs, particularly those focused on countering terrorism and cyberattacks.
Watch Congresswoman Stefanik speak in support of the IAA on the House Floor here and below.
