U.S. intelligence agency faces further budget reductions, as revealed by Gabbard's announcement.
Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, has announced a significant reorganization of the nation's top intelligence agency. The aim of this reorganization, named "ODNI 2.0," is to cut the workforce by nearly 50% and save taxpayers at least $700 million per year.
Gabbard has already reduced the size of the ODNI's workforce by more than 500 staffers, roughly 30%. According to her plan, several subagencies and offices deemed redundant or politicized will be shut down or restructured. These include the Foreign Malign Influence Center and the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center.
The Foreign Malign Influence Center monitors efforts by foreign entities to influence the American public, while the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center monitors the spread of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. The Strategic Futures Group, responsible for producing long-range forecasts to guide policymakers, will be shut down due to allegations of a partisan political agenda use by elements of the Intelligence Community's deep state.
Gabbard's team has reviewed the Global Trends Report, an annual analytical product, and found it to violate professional tradecraft standards to propagate a political agenda contrary to the current President's national security priorities.
However, Gabbard's announcement has raised concerns among some politicians. Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, acknowledged the need for thoughtful reform in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence but raised concerns about Gabbard's politicizing of intelligence. Sen. Tom Cotton, the top Republican on the panel, called Gabbard's effort an important step towards returning the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to its original size, scope, and mission.
Gabbard stated that ending the weaponization of intelligence and holding bad actors accountable are essential to begin to earn the American people's trust. She believes that the Intelligence Community must make serious changes to fulfill its responsibility to the American people and the U.S. Constitution.
However, Gabbard and her team have previously faced allegations of pressuring intelligence analysts to change their conclusions to fit their views or to support the president. It was not immediately clear how much of Gabbard's announced reorganization is already underway or has already taken place. Gabbard sent a three-page memo to Congress outlining proposed changes, including offices that will be modernized, streamlined, or sunset in Fiscal Year 2026.
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