Many years ago, he testified, an understanding had been reached between the reconnaissance office and a handful of Congressional staff members.

The new complex is to house about 3,000 contractors and Federal workers connected to the reconnaissance office.

The existence of the reconnaissance office was itself a state secret, though badly kept, until 1992.

Despite the disclosure last month, the reconnaissance office continues to maintain its secrecy.

But others say deeper changes are in store for the reconnaissance office and its intelligence brethren.

This apparently was the case with the reconnaissance office.

The reconnaissance office also spent more than $300 million on a new headquarters outside Washington in the early 1990's.

The committee also said the reconnaissance office was having a hard time "reorienting its collection priorities from the cold war to new and different challenges."

But taking money from the reconnaissance office to help pay for more B-2 bombers is irresponsible.

The reconnaissance office still operates in the deepest secrecy of any Government agency.