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WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House voted today to rename CIA headquarters after former President Bush, the only U.S. intelligence chief to go on to the nation's highest office.
In a 337-83 vote, the House approved the 1999 intelligence authorization bill, which includes a provision to rename the Langley, Va., headquarters of the CIA the "George Bush Center for Intelligence."
Bush was CIA director under President Ford, serving from Jan. 30, 1976, to Jan. 20, 1977.
The provision was authored by Rep. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who served in the Bush White House as associate counsel and later director of legislative affairs.
"President Bush exemplified the values of honor, integrity and responsibility in more than 50 years of service to our country," Portman said. "President Bush understood the vital role that the CIA played in protecting our national security, and he has always considered his term as director of central intelligence to be one of the most rewarding parts of his career."
A spokesman for Bush did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
The measure approved by the House is a conference report, the result of House-Senate negotiations. Only a final vote in the Senate is needed to send it to the President Clinton for signature.
The Clinton administration has indicated the president supports the measure. Among other things, the bill shifts money from "legacy" technical intelligence programs to more future-oriented research programs. It also adds money to the CIA's counter-terrorism center and to the agency's clandestine Directorate of Operations.
The total amount of spending for intelligence contained in the bill remains classified, but it is believed to be slightly above this year's level of $26.7 billion. The House-Senate version adds less than 1 percent to Clinton's budget request for next year.
(07 Oct 1998 13:19 EDT)
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