Strategic intelligence is a critical instrument that lawmakers use to evaluate U.S. domestic and international policies. Congress's proper role in strategic intelligence should be to manage the budget, oversee strategic intelligence activities, and ensure that the laws are followed to protect the people of the United States. Congress depends on the intelligence community for information and support. While intelligence agencies depend on Congress for adequate funding for their missions, projects, programs, and research, Congress plays a critical role in strategic intelligence oversight. This essentially placed the intelligence agencies in a democracy that this country is based on. Congress can essentially ensure that the intelligence community is doing its job and not abusing its powers. Congress and the intelligence agencies got off to a rocky start. At first, the intelligence services carried out various operations of which Congress was never aware. Intelligence agencies had been carrying out both legal and illegal operations for many years. However, the Watergate scandal was the culmination of events, and from there congressional organizations emerged. Rather than convening Congress, they created their own special committee to investigate domestic and foreign intelligence. The Church and Pike committee conducted its own investigation into the CIA and its two findings were "...evidence of spying on American citizens, illegal wiretapping, and cover-ups." As a result, Senate Resolution 400 in 1976 and House Resolution 658 in 1977 created the Intelligence Committees to prevent future abuses of power and maintain the...... middle of paper .... .. Congress can now and will continue to build support together. There will be obstacles along the way, but in the end, they will both come out better for it. The appropriate role in monitoring strategic intelligence activities should be to continue to ensure that they do not violate any rights or abuse their powers. Works Cited Erwin, Marshall C., and Amy Belasco. “Intelligence Spending and Appropriations: Questions for Congress.” Congressional Research Service. Np, September 18, 2013. Web. February 16, 2014. Rosenbach, Eric. "Congressional Oversight of the Intelligence Community" Congressional Oversight of the Intelligence Community. Belfer Center, July 2009. Web. February 16. 2014. .