The U.S. House Intelligence Committee - with Ranking Member Congressman Jim Himes

Oct 8, 2024

Jim Himes, U.S. Representative for Connecticut's 4th district and ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, dives into the world of U.S. intelligence. He shares personal reflections on 9/11 and its profound impact on intelligence practices. Himes emphasizes the necessity of bipartisan collaboration and transparency for national security. The conversation touches on the challenges of oversight, the evolving role of Congress, and the vital lessons learned from past intelligence failures—all while maintaining a balance between accountability and secrecy.

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Episode notes

Intro

00:00 • 2min

Navigating Intelligence: Lessons from 9/11 and Beyond

02:02 • 15min

Intelligence Oversight and Constitutional Challenges

17:29 • 5min

Congress and Intelligence: Balancing Oversight and Secrecy

22:40 • 7min

Dynamics of Congressional Intelligence Oversight

29:28 • 5min

Bipartisanship and Intelligence Oversight

34:42 • 12min

Summary

Jim Himes (Website; X) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the U.S. House Intelligence Committee. Jim has served as the U.S. representative for Connecticut’s 4th congressional district since 2009.

What You’ll Learn

Intelligence

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Its role and operations
The importance of bipartisan collaboration
Transparency and accountability in intelligence
Congressman Himes' personal experiences during 9/11, its impact on his career in intelligence, and 9/11’s impact on intelligence at large

Reflections

Public trust and earning confidence
Partnership and cooperation

And much, much more …

Quotes of the Week

“I get asked all the time, ‘Oh my gosh, you see all the threats. Do you sleep at night?’ … Yes, I do see with particularly exquisite detail the threats against us. I also get to see the detail of the assets and the people that we deploy against those threats. And because I get to see with great detail the assets and the tools that we have to address those threats, yes, I do sleep at night. Not because they will ever be perfect, but because these are incredibly dedicated people, the technology is amazing, and it is commensurate with the threats out there.” -Jim Himes

Resources

SURFACE SKIM

SpyCasts

Digital Innovation and the Next Frontier of Intelligence with Jennifer Ewbank (2024)
The Future of OSINT and the Intelligence Community with Jason Barrett (2024)
The Future of NATO with Leon Panetta and Expert Panel (2024)
CIA Director, Defense Secretary, Gentleman with Leon Panetta (2024)

DEEPER DIVE

Books

Sies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence, A. B. Zegart (Princeton University Press, 2022)
The Secret World: A History of Intelligence, C. Andrew (Yale University Press, 2019)
The First Congress: How James Madison, George Washington, and a Group of Extraordinary Men Invented the Government, F. M. Bordewich (Simon & Schuster, 2016)

Primary Sources

House Intelligence Committee COVID-19 Report (2022)
Unclassified Summary of the Second Interim Report on the Origins of the COVID-19 Pandemic (2022)
House Intelligence Committee Report on Russian Active Measures (2018)
Snowden Report (2016)
The 9/11 Commission Report (2004)

H. Res. 658 (1977)

Wildcard Resource

One of Connecticut’s very first representatives was a gentleman named Roger Sherman. Sherman is unique not only for being one of Jim’s congressional predecessors but also because he is the only person to have signed all four great state papers of the United States.
These include: The Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Articles of Association, and the Constitution. As a bonus, he also signed the 1774 Petition to the King.

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