WASHINGTON - U.S. House leaders have appointed Rep. John Kline, a fourth-term Republican from Minnesota, to the prestigious House Intelligence Committee.
Rep. Kline wins appointment to House Intelligence panel
February 6, 2009 at 2:38AM
The committee is responsible for oversight of the entire U.S. intelligence community, which includes the CIA and the Department of Defense. It oversees some of the government's most contentious issues, such as federal wiretapping and the legality of aggressive interrogation techniques.
"I wanted very much to be part of this committee," said Kline, who spent 25 years as an officer in the Marine Corps and considers intelligence and military matters a passion. "It's at the core of what we need to keep America safe from another attack like we had on September 11."
Kline is one of a handful of House members who also serve on the Armed Services Committee, which shares jurisdiction with the Intelligence Committee on issues related to the Department of Defense and various branches of the U.S. military.
Unlike most committees, in which party caucuses vote on appointees, Intelligence Committee members are selected by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., with input from Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.
The new responsibility will come in addition to Kline's work on the Education and Labor, Armed Services and ethics committees. He is the only member of the Minnesota delegation on the Intelligence Committee.
"Whether we like it or not, we're unquestionably a nation at war," Kline said. "We need to get to work."
MITCH ANDERSON
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