To modernize the system for classified information. The bill is sponsored by senator moran and senator wyden and wood offers director of National Intelligence to set policies. This runs one hour 35 minutes. The hearing will come to order. This afternoon wicklund welcome gregory koch were having trouble getting linked in but hopefully we will resolve that here at w some point. Windows whatever third vote that is pending as well. Former rep john tierney from the Public Interest declaration declassification board will discuss declassification policy and in particular we will discuss striking vows in protecting our nation class i been to and ensuring Historical Documents can safely get their moment in the sun. I am prepared to do for my Opening Statement for the following reasons. Senator moran as the chair hearing at 330 thymic and has to vote. If its okayte with both of you because if i give my time to senator moran so we s can open with some comments since he joined a circuit of the station that what he can, doesnt have to miss about and can cheer is important here at 330 thymic. Help with your webex is hearing. Can i results in special favor from jerry. Was absolutely. You should take them for everything gets got in that bag. Senator moran come to a to say or comets . So you plan attend vote not mr. Hank . Thank you, mr. Chairman, thank you very much. Its a privilege to testify. I hold the Intel Committee in high regard and recognize its Important Role in securing the security of our citizens and i appreciate the consideration that you and senator warner provided in the timing. Members of the committee thank you very much for the opportunity to advocate for declassification reform and for having this open setting, mr. Chairman. As you may be aware i am a sponsor alongside with a member of this committee senator wyden, senate bill 3733, the declassification reform act. Senator wyden at i i worked on this issue for a long time. It is surprising to me the end result is so straightforward and relatively simple, but it is an attempt to begin the process of modernizing declassification i designate the director of National Intelligence as executivena agent responsible fr promoting programs, processes and systems related to declassification. Though the bill itself rests within the jurisdiction ofdi another committee this committee has considered this bill as an amendment offered by senator wyden to the intelligence authorization act. I appreciate the discussion of this bill which many of you have personally visited with me on the floor andth throughout the capital complex. It there is n that the process that guides the release of declassified information are antiquated and unable to keep up with the overwhelming flood of digital data. Congress has been told repeatedly over the years that the system is unsustainable. Last year, the director of Security Oversight Office wrote that the current framework is unsustainable and desperately requires modernization. In 2016, the Public Interest declassification port posted that the classification system is no longer able to handle the current volume of information especially given the excess information. Four years later, there is little evidence that this project is on the path to be resolved. They no longer require classification and its impacts to to taxpayers is estimated to be 18 billion per year, and it denies Public Access to information used to hold the government accountable. The board notes, the overwhelm system hurts the policymakers. The senator approached me in late 2018, and asked me to join him in an effort to craft legislation to begin to solve the problem. While i indicate my great regard for members of this committee, i am not one of them. There might be a question of why this is an interest to me. The ability to save taxpayer dollars is of interest. To be more transparent to the American Public is of interest of to me. And for policymakers to have necessary Information Available to us, that is important to me. Protecting taxpayers to the tune of billions spent on classification and ensuring transparency from the federal toernment, and the ability do it without jeopardizing National Security, that is a priority. We have consulted with experts from the declassification board, oversight office, and national or National Archives, and other experts, and officials from our intelligence agencies, as well as staff from this intelligence committee. Technical solutions such as Machine Learning exists to facilitate bringing our learning into the 20 century. We know agencies are taking steps with some technology to address the issue, the effort that implement best practices is required. The final product adopts the key recognition from the latest report issued in may by the declassification board. Senator wyden and i are not under the pressure the impression that naming an agent will resolve every question of declassified information, but we authorityone with the being appointed is a good first step. Know there are other ideas to facilitate reform. I am pleased todays hearing will have ideas to address this problem of this magnitude. Research resources will be necessary to implement this. An ally inider me this endeavor. I have been pleased to join in this effort and im eager to work with members of this committee in achieving declassification reform long overdue and yet protects american citizens. I thank you for having this open hearing and i thank you and the Committee Members for their time and opportunity to be here today. Sen. Rubio thank you for being here. I will condense my Opening Statement in the interest of time. Congress established the Public Interest declassification board to advise the executive branch on identification of the view in relief of release of records. They released a report on reforming the process and recommended sweeping changes to the way we declassify records. We will look at our witness to explain these. The Intelligence Community agrees that reform is needed. The backlog of Historical Documents is large. The system is completely outdated and the standards are sometimes inconsistent throughout the National Security establishment. I am concerned they do not align with the current role, given that they have neither the authority or expertise to serve as the leader of declassification enterprise for for the entire government. They are not it should not be in a position to set declassification rules for the department of defense war plans, for nuclear programs, for example. Tolook forward to talking witnesses about the declassification process, including the prospects of achievable reform within the context of the limits of authority. I think the subject of this hearing allows us to emphasize a related point, the difference between a process of responsible deed classification declassification of seekers that do not need to be secret, and selfish and irresponsible leaks. You do not declassify things to keep things for people. Because you reveal how you learn about those things and the people in the entities you are correcting on we realized you have access to information and cut you off for more Important Information in the future. This is a reason why things are kept secret. That is balanced with the default position of transparency in government. We needed to have accountability that our system of government requires. There has to be balance between these equities, protecting the security of the American People through our ability to learn valuable information about potential adversaries with the need of the American People for transparency in everything the government does. I am very proud of this committee, that by and large, has been very responsible with the information we come across. It is fair to say this committee has never been a source of these sorts of things. But there are those who casually dismiss the responsibility of holding classified information. Have never sat through briefing or have been read into billiondollar programs that would leave our nation blind and deaf to the threats we face. They never met and heard about the brave men and women who risk their lives every day to prevent or next terrorist attack steal the plans for a deadly new weapons system. These are secrets that i iran and russia and others receive and they use that information to do us harm. These secrets need to stay secret but not forever. To ensure that those secrets can , doneen their day responsibly, it would build trust between the American People and their government. The colleagues make sure that happens in the Intelligence Community. Some unfortunately who have put their lives on the line have seen their secrets splash across the new york times, the washington post, just because a politician wanted to score cheap political points for their own benefit. Our people deserve better than that. They pay taxes so the government can provide for their common defense. You can make 10 times their salary working on something else. These people work for years to gain access to the secrets that make us safe from a terrorist attack. And oligarchs plans to steal an election. Decides they are above that mission and that scoring palooka points is a better mission, that trust is destroyed and the dollars would dissolve and it is no overstatement to say that people die. From Edward Snowden to a politician who wants to be the first to break news, we suffer for their selfish acts and who benefits . Maybe the politicians snag a few headlines for an interview on cable news but the real winner ultimately is our adversaries. I want to take a minute to thank professionals, on whose shoulders the declassification decisions rest. People whol group of have been a vital partner for this committee. We worked with the Intelligence Community to ensure we were doing no harm. All five volumes of the russian report passed through his shop for declassification review. We greatly appreciate his in their efforts to protect secrets and make sure the American People were able to see our work. I want to thank the senator for his perspective as an historian aremaking sure they protecting our investment in our Intelligence Community. Moran, who is here today, and senator wyden, who has been perhaps the leader on trying to reform the declassification process. Take you, senator moran, for being here. And we will let everyone know about the first expense with webex. We will do the best we can as we work through technical glitches. So, thank you to the vice chairman. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Friends for my taking on the issue. I think it is extraordinarily timely. I hope we get to hear from the congressman. We have a number of questions for them. I know that declassification is a bit more technical than some issues that we grapple with but it is fitting we should have an open session to discuss it. We should all agree that the declassification system of today is broken, outdated, slow, bulky, and hopelessly inadequate for the digital age. Agencies are using a fragmented and paperbased system that lacks the resources and technology to keep pace with the exploding volume of digital records. It leads to errors and puts classified records at risk. A quarter of a century ago, the Commission Led by a late senator patrick moynihan, a former member of this committee, found while secrecy is important for security operations, policy discussions, and weapons systems, he also found that excessive secrecy has significant negative consequence is. When the public cannot be engaged in an informed debate, extort nearly timely now in terms of election security, when policymakers are not fully informed, and government cannot be held accountable for the actions. Zapssive classification that truly must be kept. I agree with the chairman. Those critical secrets must be a greateronored in way. My fear is in todays digital age. The new solution seems much worse. The ease with which tens of millions of new got new documents are classified every year. I am anxious to hear from our witnesses on how the declassification system is functioning. I would like the chairman to recognize the important work of senator wyden, who, without his assistance, i am not sure we would be at this point. Fore the balance of my time opening comments. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I want to thank my cosponsor, senator moran, out the door, and chairman rubio, open hearings are rare and i appreciate him doing this. Let me start by saying that when our countrys safety is at stake , there is a need to classify documents essential to protecting american lives. What there is no need for is a dilapidated, outofcontrol classification system that costs taxpayers more than 18 billion a year. Colleagues, cannot even distinguish between what should and should not be kept secret. When it comes time to declassify a document, the agencies have to even havend do not the ability to communicate about it securely online. Heres what happened. Intelligence officials have to print out the documents. They put them in a bag and drive around from agency to agency. Traffic,et stuck in they better bring a bag lunch. It means intelligence officials. Arch around it might make a funny saturday night live skit but it is an. Bsurd waste of taxpayer money documents are piling up in the secret databases. The system is choking on itself and it gets worse each year as a flood of new information gets classified visually. As the chairman said, there is widespread consensus, there is a serious problem here. Widespread consensus that modernizing the declassification system is the only solution. There are a lot of Good Solutions ideas on how to do it. The only thing missing is for somebody to take responsibility to get it done. And is what the senator are doing. Bipartisan legislation that would implement the recommendations and the director of National Intelligence to take the leadership role. They are already already responsible for the protection of methods. We are already responsible for andloping uniform policies solutions to the longstanding problem are at hand. Chairman rubio, i would like to impart this to you because i think you raise a central concern that i have heard about the department of defense. Urging doese are not put dni in charge of secrets aret dod declassified. It is about modernizing systems for declassifying information that the department of defense and other agencies have already longerned are no declassified. Thank you again for your courtesy and the opportunity to be here. Thank you. Welcome. We open it up for you for any Opening Statement you might have. You, members of the committee. It is an honor to appear before you on this panel for perspective on classification reform. I am grateful to discuss it, one of the most often overlooked and misunderstood areas of the program. I hope to give you a better understanding of the landscape and perspective on proposed. Overnmentwide reform the committee is likely aware that u. S. Government declassification review processes require significant the resource for the classification is a daunting requests,ocessing which some estimates exceed 4 million alone. The federal agencies need and support classification reform. Must occur to meet demand, more transparency for the public while transparent i recognize the critical importance should be transparent with the American People. We worked diligently to support declassification for National Intelligence information, not only from the public, but also from congressional committees, including but not limited to argentinian human rights abuses. Information about the use of surveillance. Five volumes of this committees report. In afacilitated a review wide range of topics, including materials of the 50th anniversary. I see elements continue to , mandatoryusands declassification review each year. These effortsth because they are important to the understanding of challenges facing our nation. While while we continue to and systems,sses larger investments in people and technology are required to seek change. In this review of the Legislation Service come multiple concerns. Any proposed reform must be consistent with the application from unauthorized disclosure. Department of defense and energy, which has significant the legislation informed requires more to understand and account for all equity. I look forward to more discussion on the price tag of a kabul shrink the objectives. Concern is the recommendation to make the government wide recommendation for declassification, responsible for all policies and processes of the u. S. Government. We believe such an approach takes it well beyond its intended role. The dni is delegated authority from the president , as are other agencies in accordance with second order 1, 2, 5, 6. The declassification responsibilitys and competencies apply to intelligence and intelligencerelated information. We authority generally does not extend beyond this. The role for declassification is not only resource intensive but also supposes one is responsible for declassification and all is treated the same. The assumption is false and will likely lead to unintended consequence. Many agencies have delegated classification authorities specific to holdings. Created, classified, and held by the entire government. Charging with this broader mandate would have negative consequences and distract from our core mission of activities. The expanded role is also in conflict with and contrary to the constitution is a small body, rather than a large operational organization. The proposed legislation describes the proposed legislation to refo