U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has expressed his support for the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026. This marks his first endorsement of such legislation since joining the committee earlier this year.
Senator Budd stated, “I was proud to support the Intelligence Authorization Act, my first since joining the Intelligence Committee earlier this year.” He emphasized that the legislation provides necessary resources and flexibility to safeguard Americans from foreign threats. He also highlighted reforms aimed at improving efficiency within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence by reducing bureaucracy.
The act aligns with several policy priorities that Senator Budd has been advocating in his role on the Intelligence Committee. These include reducing bureaucratic red tape to restore the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to its original size and mission. Earlier in Congress, he collaborated with Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and other senators in introducing the Intelligence Community Efficiency and Effectiveness Act.
Additionally, the act aims to enhance AI capabilities within the Intelligence Community by setting new guidelines for procurement and use. It also seeks to preserve spectrum bands used by intelligence agencies by clarifying eligibility under the Spectrum Relocation Fund.
To protect Americans’ privacy, new procedures are proposed for sharing information about U.S. identities, along with measures preventing intelligence collection on American citizens by certain departments. The act also introduces review processes for foreign purchases of U.S. land near intelligence facilities to guard against potential drone attacks.
