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National Security Act of 1947

October 23, 2023

The National Security Act of 1947 (Pub.L. 80-253, 61 Stat. 495, enacted July 26, 1947) was a law enacting major restructuring of the United States government's military and intelligence agencies following World War II. The majority of the provisions of the act took effect on September 18, 1947, the day after the Senate confirmed James Forrestal as the first secretary of defense.[1][2]

National Security Act of 1947
Long titleAn Act to promote the national security by providing for a Secretary of Defense; for a National Military Establishment; for a Department of the Army, a Department of the Navy, a Department of the Air Force; and for the coordination of the activities of the National Military Establishment with other departments and agencies of the Government concerned with the national security.
Enacted bythe 80th United States Congress
EffectiveSeptember 18, 1947
Citations
Public lawPub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 80–253
Statutes at Large61 Stat. 495
Codification
Titles amended50 U.S.C.: War and National Defense
U.S.C. sections created50 U.S.C. ch. 15 § 401
Legislative history
United States Supreme Court cases

The act merged the Department of the Army (renamed from the Department of War), the Department of the Navy, and the newly established Department of the Air Force (DAF) into the National Military Establishment (NME).[3] The act also created the position of the secretary of defense as the head of the NME[3] It established the United States Air Force under the DAF, which worked to separate the Army Air Forces into its own service.[3] It also protected the Marine Corps as an independent service under the Department of the Navy.[3] Aside from the unification of the three military departments, the act established the National Security Council and the Central Intelligence Agency, the latter of which is headed by the Director of Central Intelligence.[3]

The legislation was a result of efforts by Harry S. Truman beginning in 1944.[4] President Truman proposed the legislation to Congress on February 26, 1947.[5] The bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on February 28, 1947, and in the Senate on March 3, 1947.[6] Senator Chan Gurney was the bill's sponsor.[6] Senator Gurney, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, led committee hearings for the bill from mid-March to early May.[7][8][9] The bill passed in the Senate on July 9, 1947, and in the House on July 19, 1947.[10] The Senate agreed to a related House resolution (80 H.Con.Res. 70) on July 16, 1947.[10] The bill received bipartisan support and was passed in both chambers by voice vote.[4][10] The National Security Act of 1947 was signed into law by President Truman on July 26, 1947, while aboard his VC-54C presidential aircraft Sacred Cow.[11]

Background Edit

Before World War II, congressional committees oversaw the Cabinet-level War Department and Navy Department, and while each department was separate from the other, both were able to obtain aircraft.[12] During this time, the President had a level of authority over the departments.[12] After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Congress passed the First War Powers Act, which authorized the sitting president "to make such redistribution of functions among executive agencies as he may deem necessary" provided that it is "only in matters relating to the conduct of the present war" and that these authorities will expire "six months after the termination of the war."[12][13]

During World War II, then-chief of staff of the Army George Marshall brought the idea of unification of the armed services to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, but "he was routinely rebuffed on the grounds that a substantive discussion of this option while the country was at war might undermine the war effort."[14] On August 26, 1944, future president Harry S. Truman, who was a senator at the time, wrote that "under such a set-up [of unification] another Pearl Harbor will not have to be feared" in his article "Our Armed Forces Must Be United".[14] Military problems apparent during World War II that turned attention to the need for unification were a lack of preparedness, a lack of attention to "logistics in war," and a "lack of coordination among the services."[15]

In the years following the war, President Truman had been pushing for the unification of the armed services until the passing of the National Security Act of 1947, having research conducted on the topic since 1944[4] and having expressed his desire for Congress to act on the issue as early as April 6, 1946.[14] He stated in a letter to Congress on June 15, 1946, that he "consider[s] it vital that we have a unified force for our national defense."[16] President Truman had worked closely with the Army and the Navy to establish a consensus, but the departments struggled to come to an agreement until 1947.[12][17]

Legislative history Edit

On February 26, 1947, President Harry S. Truman sent a bill proposal to Congress detailing the creation of a "National Defense Establishment".[5] Representative Clare E. Hoffman (R-MI) introduced the bill as H.R. 2319 to the House of Representatives on February 28, 1947; it was then referred to the Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments.[6]

Senator Chan Gurney (R-SD) introduced the bill to the Senate as S. 758 on March 3, 1947.[6] Due to conflict over which committee the bill was to be referred to, as well as the focus the Senate had on the legislative budget at the time, the bill was not able to be introduced in the Senate sooner.[6]

Congressional hearings Edit

On March 18, 1947, then-Chairman Senator Gurney held congressional hearings in the Senate Committee on Armed Services on the bill that would become the National Security Act of 1947.[6] The hearings were held in three parts: Part 1 hearings were held on March 18, March 20, March 25, March 26, and April 1–3, 1947;[7] Part 2 hearings were held on April 8, April 9, April 15, April 18, April 22, April 24, and April 25, 1947;[8] and Part 3 hearings were held on April 30, May 2, May 6, May 7, and May 9, 1947.[9]

The witnesses at the hearings largely spoke in support of the bill, either overall or with adjustments. Major witnesses of the bill who spoke in support were United States Army Chief of Staff General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal, Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Chester W. Nimitz,[6] Under Secretary of War Kenneth C. Royall, Representative Walter G. Andrews (R-NY), Senator Henry Cabot Lodge (R-MA), two colonels from the Reserve Officers Association of the United States, Director of Central Intelligence Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Director of the Bureau of the Budget James E. Webb, and president of General Electric Co. Charles E. Wilson.[8][9] Assistant Secretary of the Navy W. John Kenney spoke in support but expressed concerns about appropriations, while United States Army Surgeon General Norman T. Kirk expressed concern about the role of medical services.[8] Former Senator Thomas C. Hart (R-CT) opposed the bill and proposed changes to the areas concerning the Navy and the Marine Corps.[8] The president of the Marine Reserve Officers Association, Melvin J. Maas, stated that 95% of the Association opposes the bill and requests adjustments as it comes to the Marine Corps' role.[8] The president of the Reserve Officers of the Naval Services (RONS), John P. Bracken, stated that the organization opposed the bill due to the lack of input they were allowed to give.[9] Representatives from the National Guard Association opposed the bill as it stood and said that the role of the National Guard needed to be improved.[9]

Debates Edit

On July 7, 1947, the National Security Act of 1947 was debated for the first time in the Senate, two days after the Senate Committee on Armed Services reported the bill to the Senate.[4] On July 9, 1947, the Senate continued debates and, with an amendment to the title, passed the bill by a voice vote.[10]

On July 15, 1947, having already been passed in the Senate, the National Security Act of 1947 was debated in the House of Representatives.[10] The House introduced Resolution 80 H.Con.Res. 70 on the same day.[10] The Senate agreed to the Resolution on July 16, 1947.[10] The House debated and passed the National Security Act of 1947, along with 80 H.R. 4214, on July 19, 1947.[10] The conference report 80 H. rp. 1051 was agreed to in the Senate on July 24, 1947, and was agreed to in the House on July 25, 1947.[10] The recorded votes on the bill itself "drew strong bipartisan support."[4]

Senate Edit

During the July 7, 1947, and July 9, 1947, debates in the Senate, members of the Senate Committee on Armed Services spoke the most, with major proponents being Senators Lodge (R-MA), Saltonstall (R-MA), Baldwin (R-CT), Morse (R-OR), Tydings (D-MD), Maybank (D-SC), and Hill (D-AL).[4] Arguments in support of the bill included Senator Gurney's reasoning that there were "personnel problems in the Army and Navy, including the Air Forces" and that "the unification bill is a sincere and earnest attempt to put into effect by legislation a security organization which is adequate, effective, modern – and yet economical."[18]

Senator Robertson (R-WY) was a staunch opponent of the bill, arguing that the bill would cost the country too much considering it would not be able to make the armed services any more efficient, and that the secretary of defense would have too much power.[4]

Senator Robertson offered three amendments during debates, all of which were defeated by voice vote.[4] Senator McCarthy (R-WI) offered an amendment that stipulated that the "existing status of Marine Corps and Naval Aviation not to be altered or diminished; their existing functions not to be transferred to other services"; the Senate debated this amendment the most until it was defeated by a 52–19 roll call vote.[4] The only amendment that passed (by voice vote) in the Senate was offered by Senator Taft (R-OH) in which the National Security Council was to only be focused on national security matters.[4]

House of Representatives Edit

During the July 15, 1947, and July 19, 1947, debates in the House of Representatives, major proponents of the National Security Act of 1947 included Representatives Wadsworth (R-NY), McCormack (D-MA), and Manasco (D-AL), who were all on the Expenditures Committee as high-ranking members, and the House Armed Services Committee Chairman Walter G. Andrews (R-NY).[4]

Opponents of the bill in the House included Representatives Cole (R-NY), Sheppard (D-CA), Rogers (R-MA), and Taber (R-NY).[4] Representatives Cole, Sheppard, and Rogers argued that the Navy did not have enough protections under the bill, while Representative Taber argued against the budgetary aspect.[4]

Minor amendments were passed during debates in the House. Some of Representative Cole's amendments protecting the Navy and limiting the Secretary of Defense's powers were passed by voice vote (though others he offered were defeated).[4] Representatives Judd (R-MN) and Brown (R-OH) were able to pass amendments by voice votes that required the Director of Central Intelligence to be appointed by the president from civilian life and confirmed by the Senate, and Representative Judd passed an amendment allowing the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Atomic Energy Commission to conduct secret operations without the inspection of the Director of Central Intelligence.[4] Amendments offered by Representatives MacKinnon (R-MN), Case (R-NJ), Mitchell (R-IN), Clason (R-MA), and Owens (R-IL) were defeated.[4]

Enactment Edit

The National Security Act of 1947 was signed into law by President Truman on July 26, 1947.[19] The bill signing took place aboard Truman's VC-54C presidential aircraft Sacred Cow, the first aircraft used for the role of Air Force One.[11] The president was traveling to be at the bedside of his dying mother and delayed his departure until the bill was signed.[19]

The majority of the provisions of the act took effect on September 18, 1947, the day after the Senate confirmed James Forrestal as the first secretary of defense.[2] His power was initially limited and it was difficult for him to exercise the authority to make his office effective.[citation needed] This was later changed in the amendment to the act in 1949, creating what was to be the Department of Defense.[20]

Provisions Edit

The legislation's definition of covert action was vague, limiting oversight over the CIA's activities. It was only in the 1990s that Congress attempted to regulate covert action by prohibiting certain forms of it and enacting substantive and procedural rules for covert action.[21]

Title I – Coordination for National Security Edit

Title I worked to establish the National Security Council, an advisory council to the president for matters relating to national security in the realm of "domestic, foreign, and military policies" with the intent of allowing for the military departments to communicate with more efficiency.[3] It also established the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) under the National Security Council, led by the Director of Central Intelligence.[3] The role of the Director of Central Intelligence, and the CIA as a whole, is as an advisory unit to the National Security Council and as a coordinator of intelligence.[3] Finally, Title I worked to establish the National Security Resources Board, an advisory board to the President on matters relating to "the coordination of military, industrial, and civilian mobilization."[3]

Title II – The National Military Establishment Edit

Outlined the establishment of the National Military Establishment (NME), which consists of the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and is led by the secretary of defense.[3]

Designated the Department of War to be renamed the Department of the Army, led by the secretary of the Army.[3]

Established the Department of the Navy and outlined it to consist of the United States Marine Corps, the United States Navy, and the United States Coast Guard.[3] The role of the United States Marine Corps was further outlined.[3]

Established the DAF, led by the secretary of the Air Force, and allowed the secretary of defense to designate any and all functions that they deem fit to be under the DAF.[3]

Created the United States Air Force as an agency of aviation offense and defense under the DAF, led by a Chief of Staff, United States Air Force, who in turn is directed by the Secretary of the Air Force.[3] The Chief of Staff, United States Air Force, was designated as having equal authority as the Chief of Staff, United States Army, and the Chief of Naval Operations.[3]

Established the War Council as an advisory council to the Secretary of Defense within the NME.[3] The War Council consists of the Secretary of Defense, the Secretaries of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force, the Chief of Naval Operations, and the Chiefs of Staff of the United States Army and the United States Air Force.[3]

Title II established the Joint Chiefs of Staff within the NME as consisting "of the Chief of Staff, United States Army; the Chief of Naval Operations; the Chief of Staff, United States Air Force; and the Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief, if there be one" with the role of being "the principal military advisers to the President and the Secretary of Defense."[3] It also created a Joint Staff under the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[3]

Created a Munitions Board within the NBE, which replaced the Joint Army and Navy Munitions Board, led by a Chairman and consisted of under secretaries or assistant secretaries from the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force.[3]

Established a Research and Development Board within the NME, which replaces the Joint Research and Development Board, and that consists of a Chairman with two representatives from each military department.[3] The Research and Development Board acts as an advisory unit on matters relating to and the conducting of military research.[3]

Title III – Miscellaneous Edit

Designated compensation for each of the positions created under the act, designate relative classification statuses, and specify the transfer of funds and resources. [3]

Defined "function" as including "functions, powers, and duties", and defines "budget program" as "recommendations as to the apportionment, to the allocation and to the review of allotments of appropriated funds".[3]

Specified separability and established the timeline of when provisions of the act would be in effect.[3]

Amended the July 18, 1947, Presidential Succession Act[22] to remove "Secretary of the Navy" and to replace "Secretary of War" with "Secretary of Defense".[3]

Gallery Edit

See also Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ "Letter from James Forrestal to Chan Gurney". Committee on Armed Services, Records of the U.S. Senate. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. March 4, 1947.
  2. ^ a b Historical Office. (n.d.). James V. Forrestal. Office of the Secretary of Defense. Retrieved November 14, 2021
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa National Security Act of 1947, Pub. L. No. 80-253, 61 Stat. 495 (1947). https://catalog.archives.gov/id/299856
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Congressional Quarterly, inc. (1948). Unification of the armed forces. In Congressional quarterly almanac (v. 3, pp. 457–463). Congressional Quarterly, inc.
  5. ^ a b "Text of the President's Proposal for a National Defense Establishment, as Sent to Congress". The New York Times. February 28, 1947. ProQuest 107802651.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Congressional Quarterly, Inc. (1948). Unification of armed services. In Congressional quarterly almanac (v. 3, pp. 53–56). Congressional Quarterly, inc.
  7. ^ a b National Defense Establishment (Unification of the Armed Services) Part 1: Hearings before the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, 80th Cong. (1947). https://congressional.proquest.com/legisinsight?id=HRG-1947-SAS-0003&type=HEARING=(subscription required)
  8. ^ a b c d e f National Defense Establishment (Unification of the Armed Services) Part 2: Hearings before the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, 80th Cong. (1947). https://congressional.proquest.com/legisinsight?id=HRG-1947-SAS-0007&type=HEARING(subscription required)
  9. ^ a b c d e National Defense Establishment (Unification of the Armed Services) Part 3: Hearings before the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, 80th Cong. (1947). https://congressional.proquest.com/legisinsight?id=HRG-1947-SAS-0008&type=HEARING(subscription required)
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i Legislative Insight. (n.d.). National Security Act of 1947. ProQuest. https://congressional.proquest.com/legisinsight?id=PL80-253&type=LEG_HIST(subscription required)
  11. ^ a b Fact Sheets : National Security Act of 1947 : National Security Act of 1947 January 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ a b c d Kurtz, James H.; Crerar, John H. (March 2009). Military Roles and Missions: Past Revisions and Future Prospects. Institute for Defense Analyses. DTIC ADA519426.[page needed]
  13. ^ First War Powers Act of 1941, Pub.L. No. 77-354, 55 Stat. 838 (1941). https://govtrackus.s3.amazonaws.com/legislink/pdf/stat/55/STATUTE-55-Pg838.pdf
  14. ^ a b c Stuart, Douglas (2000). "Present at the Legislation: The 1947 National Security Act". Organizing for National Security. Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College. pp. 5–24. JSTOR resrep12044.5.
  15. ^ Lee, Gus C. (1949). "The Organization for National Security". Public Administration Review. 9 (1): 36–44. doi:10.2307/972661. JSTOR 972661.
  16. ^ The Associated Press. (June 15, 1946). "President's program to unify the services, with Army-Navy views". The New York Times. ProQuest 107793495
  17. ^ "ARMY-NAVY DISPUTE BACK AT WHITE HOUSE". The New York Times. June 1, 1946. ProQuest 107493837.
  18. ^ Debated in Senate. (July 7, 1947). ProQuest. Retrieved October 29, 2021, from https://congressional.proquest.com/legisinsight?id=CR-1947-0707-PL80-253-S&type=CONGRESSIONAL_RECORD(subscription required)
  19. ^ a b Hulen, Bertram D. (July 27, 1947). "UNIFICATION SIGNED; President Acts in Plane Just Before Take-Off for Mother's Home CONFIRMATION IS SPEEDY Senate Upholds Nomination by Truman, by Voice Vote, Just Before Quitting FORRESTAL NAMED DEFENSE CHIEF". The New York Times. ProQuest 107857035.
  20. ^ Kinnard, Douglas. "The Secretary of Defense in Retrospect." The Secretary of Defense. Lexington: University of Kentucky, 1980. 192–93. Print.
  21. ^ Haas, Melinda (2022). "Origins of Oversight: Covert Action Amendments to the National Security Act of 1947". International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence: 1–22. doi:10.1080/08850607.2022.2119446. ISSN 0885-0607. S2CID 252612436.
  22. ^ Presidential Succession Act, Pub. L. No. 199, 61 Stat. 380 (1947). https://congressional.proquest.com/legisinsight?id=PL80-199&type=LEG_HIST(subscription required)

Further reading Edit

  • McFarland, Keith D. (1981). "The 1949 Revolt of the Admirals". Parameters. 11 (1): 53–63. doi:10.55540/0031-1723.1257.
  • Stevenson, Charles A. (First Quarter 2008). "Underlying Assumptions of the National Security Act of 1947" (PDF). Joint Force Quarterly (48): 129–133. ISSN 1070-0692.
  • Stevenson, Charles A. (May–June 2008). "The Story Behind the National Security Act of 1947" (PDF). Military Review. LXXXVIII (3): 13–20. Professional Bulletin 100-08-5/6.
  • Trager, Frank N. (November–December 1977). "The National Security Act of 1947: Its Thirtieth Anniversary" (PDF). Air University Review. XXIX (1): 2–15. ISSN 0002-2594.

External links Edit

  • National Security Act of 1947 as amended (PDF/details) in the GPO Statute Compilations collection
  • Information at the Department of State
  • Bibliography of sources relating to the act, including many links to online, public-domain sources
  • National Security Act of 1947. Enrolled Acts and Resolutions of Congress, compiled 1789 - 2008. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. July 26, 1947.

October 23, 2023
national, security, 1947, stat, enacted, july, 1947, enacting, major, restructuring, united, states, government, military, intelligence, agencies, following, world, majority, provisions, took, effect, september, 1947, after, senate, confirmed, james, forrestal. The National Security Act of 1947 Pub L 80 253 61 Stat 495 enacted July 26 1947 was a law enacting major restructuring of the United States government s military and intelligence agencies following World War II The majority of the provisions of the act took effect on September 18 1947 the day after the Senate confirmed James Forrestal as the first secretary of defense 1 2 National Security Act of 1947Long titleAn Act to promote the national security by providing for a Secretary of Defense for a National Military Establishment for a Department of the Army a Department of the Navy a Department of the Air Force and for the coordination of the activities of the National Military Establishment with other departments and agencies of the Government concerned with the national security Enacted bythe 80th United States CongressEffectiveSeptember 18 1947CitationsPublic lawPub L Tooltip Public Law United States 80 253Statutes at Large61 Stat 495CodificationTitles amended50 U S C War and National DefenseU S C sections created50 U S C ch 15 401Legislative historyIntroduced in the Senate as S 758 by Chan Gurney R SD on March 3 1947Committee consideration by Armed Services CommitteePassed the Senate on July 9 1947 Passed the House of Representatives on July 19 1947 Signed into law by President Harry S Truman on July 26 1947United States Supreme Court casesGreene v McElroy 360 U S 474 1959 Central Intelligence Agency v Sims 471 U S 159 1985 Webster v Doe 486 U S 592 1988 The act merged the Department of the Army renamed from the Department of War the Department of the Navy and the newly established Department of the Air Force DAF into the National Military Establishment NME 3 The act also created the position of the secretary of defense as the head of the NME 3 It established the United States Air Force under the DAF which worked to separate the Army Air Forces into its own service 3 It also protected the Marine Corps as an independent service under the Department of the Navy 3 Aside from the unification of the three military departments the act established the National Security Council and the Central Intelligence Agency the latter of which is headed by the Director of Central Intelligence 3 The legislation was a result of efforts by Harry S Truman beginning in 1944 4 President Truman proposed the legislation to Congress on February 26 1947 5 The bill was introduced in the U S House of Representatives on February 28 1947 and in the Senate on March 3 1947 6 Senator Chan Gurney was the bill s sponsor 6 Senator Gurney as chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services led committee hearings for the bill from mid March to early May 7 8 9 The bill passed in the Senate on July 9 1947 and in the House on July 19 1947 10 The Senate agreed to a related House resolution 80 H Con Res 70 on July 16 1947 10 The bill received bipartisan support and was passed in both chambers by voice vote 4 10 The National Security Act of 1947 was signed into law by President Truman on July 26 1947 while aboard his VC 54C presidential aircraft Sacred Cow 11 Contents 1 Background 2 Legislative history 2 1 Congressional hearings 2 2 Debates 2 2 1 Senate 2 2 2 House of Representatives 2 3 Enactment 3 Provisions 3 1 Title I Coordination for National Security 3 2 Title II The National Military Establishment 3 3 Title III Miscellaneous 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksBackground EditBefore World War II congressional committees oversaw the Cabinet level War Department and Navy Department and while each department was separate from the other both were able to obtain aircraft 12 During this time the President had a level of authority over the departments 12 After the attack on Pearl Harbor Congress passed the First War Powers Act which authorized the sitting president to make such redistribution of functions among executive agencies as he may deem necessary provided that it is only in matters relating to the conduct of the present war and that these authorities will expire six months after the termination of the war 12 13 During World War II then chief of staff of the Army George Marshall brought the idea of unification of the armed services to President Franklin D Roosevelt but he was routinely rebuffed on the grounds that a substantive discussion of this option while the country was at war might undermine the war effort 14 On August 26 1944 future president Harry S Truman who was a senator at the time wrote that under such a set up of unification another Pearl Harbor will not have to be feared in his article Our Armed Forces Must Be United 14 Military problems apparent during World War II that turned attention to the need for unification were a lack of preparedness a lack of attention to logistics in war and a lack of coordination among the services 15 In the years following the war President Truman had been pushing for the unification of the armed services until the passing of the National Security Act of 1947 having research conducted on the topic since 1944 4 and having expressed his desire for Congress to act on the issue as early as April 6 1946 14 He stated in a letter to Congress on June 15 1946 that he consider s it vital that we have a unified force for our national defense 16 President Truman had worked closely with the Army and the Navy to establish a consensus but the departments struggled to come to an agreement until 1947 12 17 Legislative history EditOn February 26 1947 President Harry S Truman sent a bill proposal to Congress detailing the creation of a National Defense Establishment 5 Representative Clare E Hoffman R MI introduced the bill as H R 2319 to the House of Representatives on February 28 1947 it was then referred to the Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments 6 Senator Chan Gurney R SD introduced the bill to the Senate as S 758 on March 3 1947 6 Due to conflict over which committee the bill was to be referred to as well as the focus the Senate had on the legislative budget at the time the bill was not able to be introduced in the Senate sooner 6 Congressional hearings Edit On March 18 1947 then Chairman Senator Gurney held congressional hearings in the Senate Committee on Armed Services on the bill that would become the National Security Act of 1947 6 The hearings were held in three parts Part 1 hearings were held on March 18 March 20 March 25 March 26 and April 1 3 1947 7 Part 2 hearings were held on April 8 April 9 April 15 April 18 April 22 April 24 and April 25 1947 8 and Part 3 hearings were held on April 30 May 2 May 6 May 7 and May 9 1947 9 The witnesses at the hearings largely spoke in support of the bill either overall or with adjustments Major witnesses of the bill who spoke in support were United States Army Chief of Staff General Dwight D Eisenhower Secretary of the Navy James V Forrestal Secretary of War Robert P Patterson Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Chester W Nimitz 6 Under Secretary of War Kenneth C Royall Representative Walter G Andrews R NY Senator Henry Cabot Lodge R MA two colonels from the Reserve Officers Association of the United States Director of Central Intelligence Hoyt S Vandenberg Director of the Bureau of the Budget James E Webb and president of General Electric Co Charles E Wilson 8 9 Assistant Secretary of the Navy W John Kenney spoke in support but expressed concerns about appropriations while United States Army Surgeon General Norman T Kirk expressed concern about the role of medical services 8 Former Senator Thomas C Hart R CT opposed the bill and proposed changes to the areas concerning the Navy and the Marine Corps 8 The president of the Marine Reserve Officers Association Melvin J Maas stated that 95 of the Association opposes the bill and requests adjustments as it comes to the Marine Corps role 8 The president of the Reserve Officers of the Naval Services RONS John P Bracken stated that the organization opposed the bill due to the lack of input they were allowed to give 9 Representatives from the National Guard Association opposed the bill as it stood and said that the role of the National Guard needed to be improved 9 Debates Edit On July 7 1947 the National Security Act of 1947 was debated for the first time in the Senate two days after the Senate Committee on Armed Services reported the bill to the Senate 4 On July 9 1947 the Senate continued debates and with an amendment to the title passed the bill by a voice vote 10 On July 15 1947 having already been passed in the Senate the National Security Act of 1947 was debated in the House of Representatives 10 The House introduced Resolution 80 H Con Res 70 on the same day 10 The Senate agreed to the Resolution on July 16 1947 10 The House debated and passed the National Security Act of 1947 along with 80 H R 4214 on July 19 1947 10 The conference report 80 H rp 1051 was agreed to in the Senate on July 24 1947 and was agreed to in the House on July 25 1947 10 The recorded votes on the bill itself drew strong bipartisan support 4 Senate Edit During the July 7 1947 and July 9 1947 debates in the Senate members of the Senate Committee on Armed Services spoke the most with major proponents being Senators Lodge R MA Saltonstall R MA Baldwin R CT Morse R OR Tydings D MD Maybank D SC and Hill D AL 4 Arguments in support of the bill included Senator Gurney s reasoning that there were personnel problems in the Army and Navy including the Air Forces and that the unification bill is a sincere and earnest attempt to put into effect by legislation a security organization which is adequate effective modern and yet economical 18 Senator Robertson R WY was a staunch opponent of the bill arguing that the bill would cost the country too much considering it would not be able to make the armed services any more efficient and that the secretary of defense would have too much power 4 Senator Robertson offered three amendments during debates all of which were defeated by voice vote 4 Senator McCarthy R WI offered an amendment that stipulated that the existing status of Marine Corps and Naval Aviation not to be altered or diminished their existing functions not to be transferred to other services the Senate debated this amendment the most until it was defeated by a 52 19 roll call vote 4 The only amendment that passed by voice vote in the Senate was offered by Senator Taft R OH in which the National Security Council was to only be focused on national security matters 4 House of Representatives Edit During the July 15 1947 and July 19 1947 debates in the House of Representatives major proponents of the National Security Act of 1947 included Representatives Wadsworth R NY McCormack D MA and Manasco D AL who were all on the Expenditures Committee as high ranking members and the House Armed Services Committee Chairman Walter G Andrews R NY 4 Opponents of the bill in the House included Representatives Cole R NY Sheppard D CA Rogers R MA and Taber R NY 4 Representatives Cole Sheppard and Rogers argued that the Navy did not have enough protections under the bill while Representative Taber argued against the budgetary aspect 4 Minor amendments were passed during debates in the House Some of Representative Cole s amendments protecting the Navy and limiting the Secretary of Defense s powers were passed by voice vote though others he offered were defeated 4 Representatives Judd R MN and Brown R OH were able to pass amendments by voice votes that required the Director of Central Intelligence to be appointed by the president from civilian life and confirmed by the Senate and Representative Judd passed an amendment allowing the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Atomic Energy Commission to conduct secret operations without the inspection of the Director of Central Intelligence 4 Amendments offered by Representatives MacKinnon R MN Case R NJ Mitchell R IN Clason R MA and Owens R IL were defeated 4 Enactment Edit The National Security Act of 1947 was signed into law by President Truman on July 26 1947 19 The bill signing took place aboard Truman s VC 54C presidential aircraft Sacred Cow the first aircraft used for the role of Air Force One 11 The president was traveling to be at the bedside of his dying mother and delayed his departure until the bill was signed 19 The majority of the provisions of the act took effect on September 18 1947 the day after the Senate confirmed James Forrestal as the first secretary of defense 2 His power was initially limited and it was difficult for him to exercise the authority to make his office effective citation needed This was later changed in the amendment to the act in 1949 creating what was to be the Department of Defense 20 Provisions EditThe legislation s definition of covert action was vague limiting oversight over the CIA s activities It was only in the 1990s that Congress attempted to regulate covert action by prohibiting certain forms of it and enacting substantive and procedural rules for covert action 21 Title I Coordination for National Security Edit Title I worked to establish the National Security Council an advisory council to the president for matters relating to national security in the realm of domestic foreign and military policies with the intent of allowing for the military departments to communicate with more efficiency 3 It also established the Central Intelligence Agency CIA under the National Security Council led by the Director of Central Intelligence 3 The role of the Director of Central Intelligence and the CIA as a whole is as an advisory unit to the National Security Council and as a coordinator of intelligence 3 Finally Title I worked to establish the National Security Resources Board an advisory board to the President on matters relating to the coordination of military industrial and civilian mobilization 3 Title II The National Military Establishment Edit Outlined the establishment of the National Military Establishment NME which consists of the Department of the Army the Department of the Navy and the Department of the Air Force DAF and is led by the secretary of defense 3 Designated the Department of War to be renamed the Department of the Army led by the secretary of the Army 3 Established the Department of the Navy and outlined it to consist of the United States Marine Corps the United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard 3 The role of the United States Marine Corps was further outlined 3 Established the DAF led by the secretary of the Air Force and allowed the secretary of defense to designate any and all functions that they deem fit to be under the DAF 3 Created the United States Air Force as an agency of aviation offense and defense under the DAF led by a Chief of Staff United States Air Force who in turn is directed by the Secretary of the Air Force 3 The Chief of Staff United States Air Force was designated as having equal authority as the Chief of Staff United States Army and the Chief of Naval Operations 3 Established the War Council as an advisory council to the Secretary of Defense within the NME 3 The War Council consists of the Secretary of Defense the Secretaries of the Army the Navy and the Air Force the Chief of Naval Operations and the Chiefs of Staff of the United States Army and the United States Air Force 3 Title II established the Joint Chiefs of Staff within the NME as consisting of the Chief of Staff United States Army the Chief of Naval Operations the Chief of Staff United States Air Force and the Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief if there be one with the role of being the principal military advisers to the President and the Secretary of Defense 3 It also created a Joint Staff under the Joint Chiefs of Staff 3 Created a Munitions Board within the NBE which replaced the Joint Army and Navy Munitions Board led by a Chairman and consisted of under secretaries or assistant secretaries from the Department of the Army the Department of the Navy and the Department of the Air Force 3 Established a Research and Development Board within the NME which replaces the Joint Research and Development Board and that consists of a Chairman with two representatives from each military department 3 The Research and Development Board acts as an advisory unit on matters relating to and the conducting of military research 3 Title III Miscellaneous Edit Designated compensation for each of the positions created under the act designate relative classification statuses and specify the transfer of funds and resources 3 Defined function as including functions powers and duties and defines budget program as recommendations as to the apportionment to the allocation and to the review of allotments of appropriated funds 3 Specified separability and established the timeline of when provisions of the act would be in effect 3 Amended the July 18 1947 Presidential Succession Act 22 to remove Secretary of the Navy and to replace Secretary of War with Secretary of Defense 3 Gallery Edit nbsp Seal of National Military Establishment 1947 1949 which was later renamed the Department of Defense nbsp Seal of the Department of the Air Force established by the National Security Act of 1947 nbsp President Truman signs the National Security Act Amendment of 1949 Secretary of Defense Louis A Johnson leans over the desk Behind him is Admiral Louis Denfeld General Omar N Bradley and General Hoyt Vandenberg nbsp The first page of the National Security Act of 1947 nbsp The last page of the National Security Act of 1947 Signed by Speaker of the House of Representatives Joseph W Martin Jr R MA President of the Senate pro tempore Arthur H Vandenberg R MI and President Harry S Truman nbsp President Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947 on board this VC 54C Presidential transport the first aircraft used for the role of Air Force One See also EditGoldwater Nichols ActReferences Edit Letter from James Forrestal to Chan Gurney Committee on Armed Services Records of the U S Senate U S National Archives and Records Administration March 4 1947 a b Historical Office n d James V Forrestal Office of the Secretary of Defense Retrieved November 14 2021 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa National Security Act of 1947 Pub L No 80 253 61 Stat 495 1947 https catalog archives gov id 299856 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Congressional Quarterly inc 1948 Unification of the armed forces In Congressional quarterly almanac v 3 pp 457 463 Congressional Quarterly inc a b Text of the President s Proposal for a National Defense Establishment as Sent to Congress The New York Times February 28 1947 ProQuest 107802651 a b c d e f g Congressional Quarterly Inc 1948 Unification of armed services In Congressional quarterly almanac v 3 pp 53 56 Congressional Quarterly inc a b National Defense Establishment Unification of the Armed Services Part 1 Hearings before the U S Senate Committee on Armed Services 80th Cong 1947 https congressional proquest com legisinsight id HRG 1947 SAS 0003 amp type HEARING subscription required a b c d e f National Defense Establishment Unification of the Armed Services Part 2 Hearings before the U S Senate Committee on Armed Services 80th Cong 1947 https congressional proquest com legisinsight id HRG 1947 SAS 0007 amp type HEARING subscription required a b c d e National Defense Establishment Unification of the Armed Services Part 3 Hearings before the U S Senate Committee on Armed Services 80th Cong 1947 https congressional proquest com legisinsight id HRG 1947 SAS 0008 amp type HEARING subscription required a b c d e f g h i Legislative Insight n d National Security Act of 1947 ProQuest https congressional proquest com legisinsight id PL80 253 amp type LEG HIST subscription required a b Fact Sheets National Security Act of 1947 National Security Act of 1947 Archived January 14 2012 at the Wayback Machine a b c d Kurtz James H Crerar John H March 2009 Military Roles and Missions Past Revisions and Future Prospects Institute for Defense Analyses DTIC ADA519426 page needed First War Powers Act of 1941 Pub L No 77 354 55 Stat 838 1941 https govtrackus s3 amazonaws com legislink pdf stat 55 STATUTE 55 Pg838 pdf a b c Stuart Douglas 2000 Present at the Legislation The 1947 National Security Act Organizing for National Security Strategic Studies Institute US Army War College pp 5 24 JSTOR resrep12044 5 Lee Gus C 1949 The Organization for National Security Public Administration Review 9 1 36 44 doi 10 2307 972661 JSTOR 972661 The Associated Press June 15 1946 President s program to unify the services with Army Navy views The New York Times ProQuest 107793495 ARMY NAVY DISPUTE BACK AT WHITE HOUSE The New York Times June 1 1946 ProQuest 107493837 Debated in Senate July 7 1947 ProQuest Retrieved October 29 2021 from https congressional proquest com legisinsight id CR 1947 0707 PL80 253 S amp type CONGRESSIONAL RECORD subscription required a b Hulen Bertram D July 27 1947 UNIFICATION SIGNED President Acts in Plane Just Before Take Off for Mother s Home CONFIRMATION IS SPEEDY Senate Upholds Nomination by Truman by Voice Vote Just Before Quitting FORRESTAL NAMED DEFENSE CHIEF The New York Times ProQuest 107857035 Kinnard Douglas The Secretary of Defense in Retrospect The Secretary of Defense Lexington University of Kentucky 1980 192 93 Print Haas Melinda 2022 Origins of Oversight Covert Action Amendments to the National Security Act of 1947 International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence 1 22 doi 10 1080 08850607 2022 2119446 ISSN 0885 0607 S2CID 252612436 Presidential Succession Act Pub L No 199 61 Stat 380 1947 https congressional proquest com legisinsight id PL80 199 amp type LEG HIST subscription required Further reading EditMcFarland Keith D 1981 The 1949 Revolt of the Admirals Parameters 11 1 53 63 doi 10 55540 0031 1723 1257 Stevenson Charles A First Quarter 2008 Underlying Assumptions of the National Security Act of 1947 PDF Joint Force Quarterly 48 129 133 ISSN 1070 0692 Stevenson Charles A May June 2008 The Story Behind the National Security Act of 1947 PDF Military Review LXXXVIII 3 13 20 Professional Bulletin 100 08 5 6 Trager Frank N November December 1977 The National Security Act of 1947 Its Thirtieth Anniversary PDF Air University Review XXIX 1 2 15 ISSN 0002 2594 External links EditNational Security Act of 1947 as amended PDF details in the GPO Statute Compilations collection Information at the Department of State Bibliography of sources relating to the act including many links to online public domain sources National Security Act of 1947 Enrolled Acts and Resolutions of Congress compiled 1789 2008 U S National Archives and Records Administration July 26 1947 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title National Security Act of 1947 amp oldid 1178251634, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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