NBC: Senate proposes to cut staff of intelligence agency headed by Hubbard

The Senate is proposing a major reform of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, reducing the staff of the organization that has expanded since its creation after the September 11 attacks. This was reported by the TV channel NBC News, citing an unnamed source familiar with the initiative.

According to a bill by Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which has about 1,600 employees, would be limited to 650 employees.

In January, the organization's staff was about 2,000, but Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has already made about a 20% cut as part of the efforts of the administration of US President Donald Trump to reduce the federal workforce.

The cuts to the staff of the office that Gabbard runs could weaken her role in the intelligence community at a time when she may have lost favor with the White House, journalists said.

An unnamed source told NBC News that Cotton and other Republican senators have been working on reform for months, and that their efforts predate Gabbard's appointment.

Cotton declined to comment. At the same time, an official in the Office of the National Security Director said that Gabbard and her staff have been discussing plans for major reforms and cuts in the agency with members of Congress for several months.

• Several years ago, Gabbard was accused of repeating Russian narratives after a video was published in which she claimed the alleged existence of American biolabs in Ukraine.
• Nevertheless, on February 12, the US Senate voted to appoint Gabbard as the head of the National Intelligence.