Tulsi Gabbard Proposes Major Overhaul of ODNI, Targeting Workforce and Budget Cuts
Tulsi Gabbard plans a 40% workforce reduction and $700 million budget cut for the ODNI, citing inefficiencies and refocusing on election-related foreign threats.
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Overview
- Tulsi Gabbard is leading a major reorganization of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), proposing a 40% workforce reduction.
- The restructuring aims to cut the ODNI's budget by over $700 million, addressing what Gabbard calls 'bloated and inefficient' operations.
- Key changes include a refocus on the Foreign Malign Influence Center's priorities, particularly regarding election security.
- Gabbard's actions are reportedly directed by President Trump and involve questioning past intelligence on Russian election interference.
- While Senator Tom Cotton supports the revamp for enhancing national security, Senator Mark Warner expresses concerns about Gabbard's qualifications despite agreeing on the need for reform.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the ODNI staff cuts as a politically motivated effort by the Trump administration to reshape the intelligence community, particularly concerning foreign influence and election security. They consistently contextualize Director Gabbard's actions within the administration's history of skepticism towards intelligence assessments, rather than solely as an efficiency measure.
"The cuts at ODNI are expected to save around $700 million annually, Gabbard's office estimated in a statement."
CBS News"The move is expected to save taxpayers over $700 million annually and better enable ODNI to focus on “fulfilling its critical role of serving as the central hub for intelligence integration, strategic guidance, and oversight over the Intelligence Community,” said the late afternoon news release."
USA TODAY"The reorganization is part of a broader administration effort to rethink its evaluation of foreign threats to American elections, a topic that has become politically loaded given President Donald Trump’s long-running resistance to the intelligence community’s assessment that Russia interfered on his behalf in the 2016 election."
Associated PressArticles (11)
FAQ
The main goals are to reduce what Gabbard calls 'bloated and inefficient' operations by cutting the workforce by over 40% and saving $700 million annually, refocus on core national security missions like election security through the Foreign Malign Influence Center, and end politicization and abuse of intelligence to restore public trust.
The National Intelligence University is set to be merged with the Pentagon's National Defense University, and the External Research Council and Strategic Futures Group, accused of partisanship, will be shuttered. Other departments like the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center, Foreign Malign Influence Center, and Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center will have their priorities refocused.
Senator Tom Cotton supports the revamp, believing it will enhance national security. In contrast, Senator Mark Warner agrees on the need for reform but questions Gabbard's qualifications to lead such changes.
Gabbard cites that over 20 years, the ODNI has become bloated and inefficient, characterized by abuse of power, unauthorized classified intelligence leaks, and politicized weaponization of intelligence. She emphasizes the need for objective, unbiased intelligence aligned with the U.S. Constitution.
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