Foreign policy & defense
Gang of Eight
The eight members of Congress briefed on the most sensitive intelligence: the leaders of both chambers and the chairs and ranking members of the intelligence committees.
In full
For covert action and the most sensitive collection, the law permits notification limited to these eight rather than to the full committees. The arrangement trades breadth of oversight for security, and it is criticized because eight members cannot consult staff or colleagues about what they have been told.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.