Special access program

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Special access programs (SAP) and special access budgets (SAB) are the Pentagon's terminology when used to refer to black programs and black budgets, respectively.[1] The terms were devised and put into circulation in the late 1980s during Ronald Reagan's presidency when Californian Democratic Representative Ronald V. Dellums wearied of voting against "black programs"/"black budgets" and constantly explaining that these programs referred to covert projects and accounting rather than programs for African-Americans. He succeeded in persuading his colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee's Research and Development Subcommittee to adopt the SAP and SAB phrases in their stead.[1] The Pentagon and the NSA followed suit.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c “A Revision in Jargon”, The New York Times: 12, 1989-02-28 
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