After NSA scandal, US intelligence budget declines
US intelligence agencies will see a five percent drop in funding under a proposed 2015 budget, officials said Thursday, after a year marked by controversy over far-reaching electronic spying.
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said the requested budget for most of the country's 17 spy services came to $45.6 billion for fiscal year 2015, which begins October 1. The proposed budget, which must be approved by Congress, is lower than the 2014 national intelligence program budget, at $48.2 billion.The Pentagon is also planning for a slight drop in funding for intelligence activities that support the military, requesting $13.3 billion for next fiscal year, officials said.The 2014 budget had allocated $14 billion for the military intelligence program.In keeping with past practice, Clapper's office, or ODNI, did not divulge any further details or provide a breakdown of the budget.
