Heinrich Statement on Voting Against Intelligence Authorization Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement on voting against the 2026 Intelligence Authorization Act:

"The Intelligence Committee has an important obligation to ensure our intelligence agencies operate within the bounds of the law and respect the constitutional rights of Americans. At a time when the Trump Administration is defying the rule of law and undermining the very protections our Constitution guarantees, robust Congressional oversight is more important than ever.

"While the 2026 Intelligence Authorization Act includes some provisions aimed at accountability, it falls far short. Instead of strengthening independent oversight, it weakens the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, effectively endorsing this Administration's arbitrary purges of career intelligence professionals. It also fails to address the current DNI's documented missteps, including the blatant politicization of intelligence under her leadership. And I have deep concerns about matters raised - or ignored - in the classified annex.

"Our Intelligence Community should never be handed a blank check, especially under an Administration that has shown such disregard for democratic norms and the rule of law."

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Tweet