https://crsreports.congress.gov
Updated June 7, 2021
The Director of National Intelligence (DNI)
The United States Intelligence Community (IC) is a
collection of 18 statutory elements within six cabinet
departments and an independent agency that all carry out
intelligence-related functions. As provided in statute, the
Director of National Intelligence (DNI) oversees the
integration of these intelligence functions, spearheads the
support the IC provides to the military and senior policy-
makers across the government, and serves as principal
intelligence advisor to the President.
Creation of DNI Position
In 2004, the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks
upon the United States, (also called the 9/11 Commission)
recommended the creation of a central coordinating
authority among the then-16 component organizations of
the IC to mitigate administrative and operational barriers,
and promote the sharing of intelligence and information.
Congress acted on this recommendation, creating the
position of the DNI through passage of the 2004
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (P.L.
108-458, or IRTPA). The law also eliminated the Director
of Central Intelligence (DCI) position, which had existed
since 1946. Through a “triple-hatted” arrangement, the DCI
simultaneously served as community manager of the IC,
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and
chief intelligence advisor to the President. With the passage
of IRTPA, the DNI assumed responsibility as manager of
the IC and principal intelligence advisor to the President,
leaving leadership of the CIA to the Director of the CIA.
Table 1. DNIs to Date
Responsibilities
Pursuant to IRTPA, as amended and codified in 50 U.S.C.
§3024, and Executive Order 12333 (as amended), DNI
responsibilities include:
Serving as head of the IC and principal advisor to
the President on intelligence matters.
Ensuring that timely, accurate, and objective
national intelligence is provided to policy makers.
Overseeing and providing advice to the President
and the National Security Council with respect to
all ongoing and proposed covert action programs.
Establishing objectives and priorities for
collection, analysis, production, and dissemination
of national intelligence.
Collaborating with the Under Secretary of Defense
for Intelligence and Security in the development
and execution of the Military Intelligence Program
(MIP).
Managing intelligence and counterintelligence
relationships with domestic and foreign
intelligence partners.
Developing personnel policies and programs to
enhance joint intelligence operations, and facilitate
community management functions.
Authorities
To carry out these responsibilities the DNI has the statutory
authority to:
Act as the decisionmaking authority on major
intelligence-related acquisitions, with the
exception of acquisitions involving DOD
programs. In those cases, the DNI shares authority
with the Secretary of Defense.
Establish Mission and Functional Managers to
serve as principal substantive advisors on
intelligence collection and analysis related to
designated countries, regions, or functional areas
such as cyber threat intelligence.
Establish councils related to IC-wide management
and intelligence integration.
Establish policies and procedures that (1)
encourage sound IC-wide analytic methods and
tradecraft; (2) ensure analysis based upon all
available sources; and (3) ensure competitive
analysis of analytic products.
Develop and oversee implementation of the
National Intelligence Program (NIP) budget.
Direct how congressionally appropriated funds
flow from the Treasury Department to each of the
cabinet level agencies containing IC elements,
