[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 15, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S1811]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will 
proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following 
nomination, which the clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read the nomination of Daniel Coats, of 
Indiana, to be Director of National Intelligence.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the time until 10 
a.m. will be equally divided in the usual form.
  The Senator from North Carolina.
  Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I rise today to support Senator Dan Coats, 
our former colleague and a friend, as the President's nominee to be the 
next Director of National Intelligence. Dan Coats has been asked to 
lead our Nation's intelligence community of over 100,000 individuals 
during, I think, the most profound period of threats and change. Let me 
say to my colleagues, it is a job that Dan Coats is well prepared to 
do.
  After graduating from Wheaton College, Dan served honorably in the 
U.S. Army before serving the State of Indiana as a House Member, as a 
Senator, and for not only Indiana but this country as Ambassador to 
Germany.
  While in the Senate, Dan was engaged and was a valuable member of the 
Senate Intelligence Committee. He dedicated countless hours to 
understanding and overseeing the intelligence community--in essence, 
one of 15 people who certified for 85 others and for the American 
people that we do everything we can to keep America safe but we do it 
within the parameters of the rule of law. He is well versed in the 
operational capabilities and authorities. He understands the threat we 
are facing at home and abroad. He understands that we need to improve 
our ability to collect against our adversaries, and Dan will be a 
forceful advocate for intelligence collection but, again, never 
jeopardizing that line of what is legal and what is not.
  Dan's legislative experience also translates to his understanding and 
his appreciation of the need for transparency with the appropriate 
oversight committees and, more importantly, with the Congress and the 
American people.
  Dan's intellect, his judgment, his honorable service, and his 
commitment to the workforce make him a natural fit as Director of 
National Intelligence. I have absolute trust that he will lead the 
community with integrity, and he will ensure that the intelligence 
enterprise operates lawfully, ethically, and morally.
  So today I rise in this austere body to urge my colleagues to support 
the President's nominee for Director of National Intelligence. We are 
now in March. We have gone from January until March with one of the 
most important posts of this administration unfilled. Congress must act 
quickly, and it is my hope that Members, before the end of this day, 
will make sure we have a Director of National Intelligence in place.
  I urge my colleagues to support this nomination.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cotton). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.