The FBI informed Congress last week that it “strongly” opposed a proposal to make the Office of the Director of National Intelligence the lead counterintelligence agency for the federal government, bringing into public view a rift among top national security officials.

The disclosure, made in a pointed and unusual letter obtained by The New York Times, underscored the broader concern at other agencies, including the FBI, over a House bill that would empower Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, to play a more prominent role in counterintelligence issues.

It also appeared to be an effort to undercut Gabbard, who planned to endorse the change in a separate letter, given that the bill would step into what has typically been the bureau’s purview.

The FBI letter was the lates

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