washington top u.s. intelligence officer ask congress drop provision pending bill would create special committee combat russian efforts exert covert influence abroad say panel would duplicate current work hind cooperation foreign ally director national intelligence jam clapper lay objections u.s. intelligence community sept. letter chairmen top democrats house representatives senate intelligence committees charge part bill amount micromanagement intelligence community intelligence bill annual measure provide broad congressional authorization wide range u.s. intelligence activities agencies already approve intelligence committees house representatives backers senate marshal support bill hope approve next week official familiar matter say legislation would require creation interagency committee combat russian propaganda covert efforts influence people economic political decisions unite state elsewhere clapper letter see reuters say panel would duplicate work already do intelligence agencies could also damage u.s. agencies relationships foreign counterparts general matter many provision legislation go well beyond oversight micromanagement intelligence community write clapper appoint outgo democratic president barack obama bill would require multiple cabinet officer include national intelligence fbi directors secretaries state defense treasury energy well head intelligence community agencies appoint officials serve panel examine russian political interference western politics main mission would counter active measure russia exert covert influence people government expose falsehoods agents influence corruption human right abuse terrorism assassinations carry security service political elites russian federation proxies pending legislation say term active measure describe action kgb soviet intelligence agency whose officer include now-russian president vladimir putin unite state countries conduct similar campaign american ally intelligence agencies detect increase activities europe several years ago begin make cooperative efforts track combat senior u.s. intelligence official say thursday escalate russian campaign start well hack u.s. political institutions particular democratic party 2016 presidential election campaign say official decline name due sensitivity subject matter american officials trace hack russia kremlin deny involvement moscow campaign include hack overt covert finance far-right nationalist political group efforts influence powerful political economic figure propaganda spread government-controlled media outlets internet say u.s. european security officials u.s. intelligence analysts conclude campaign well-funded coordinate effort degrade discredit western-style democracy sow divisions internally within nato alliance direct high level russian government senior american intelligence official say objections clapper unrelated incoming administration republican president-elect donald trump clapper letter precede election nov. trump say seek improve tie moscow u.s. spy agencies fight congress plan probe covert russian influence campaign