[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 75 (Wednesday, May 9, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2563-S2564]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Nomination of Gina Haspel

  Now, Mr. President, I would like to turn to another matter as 
President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate and as the longest serving 
Republican on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. I ask my 
colleagues to come together in voting to support Gina Haspel's 
nomination to serve as the next Director of the Central Intelligence 
Agency.
  I took to the floor just 2 weeks ago to speak on behalf of Secretary 
of State Mike Pompeo. While I am delighted we were able to get behind 
his nomination, I am shocked and embarrassed by the scale of 
partisanship and enmity that marked his confirmation process.
  On the day of Ms. Haspel's hearing, I am once again disappointed at 
how poorly a dedicated servant has been treated by the press and by 
some in this Chamber.
  This is someone who has served her organization faithfully for over 
three decades. She is one, among a very small group, who rose up 
through the ranks within the Directorate of Operations during the 
Agency's transition from the Cold War to the War on Terror.
  The job of the CIA operative--our Nation's first line of defense--is 
a thankless one. For generations, the American people will never know 
the length of the sacrifices these men and women make to keep us all 
safe. For these men and women, public service is not only a profession 
but a lifestyle--a commitment that often requires the sacrifice of 
family and loved ones as well. It is a life of constantly being on the 
frontlines, being in the arena in every sense of the expression.
  Ms. Haspel embodies all these qualities and has given of herself in 
ways we can never imagine or begin to do ourselves. In turn, she has 
not only acquired the needed experience and expertise for this job but 
has also gained the respect of men and women of the organization she is 
to head.
  She has also worked closely with Secretary Pompeo as his Deputy for 
the year during which he was Director--a level of trust that would be 
critical in her new role as Director working with the Secretary of 
State.
  It is worth pointing out to my colleagues on the other side of the 
aisle the words of praise offered for Ms. Haspel's nomination by 
security officials who served under President Obama.
  James Clapper, the former Director of National Intelligence, said: 
``I think the world of Gina; she is capable, smart, very experienced, 
well respected by the Agency rank and file, and a great person.''
  Leon Panetta, who served as both CIA Director and Secretary of 
Defense, said: ``I'm glad that they have a first woman as head of CIA, 
and I'm glad that it's Gina because frankly she is someone who really 
knows the CIA inside out.''
  John Brennan, who also served as President Obama's CIA Director, 
said: ``She will be able to provide that unvarnished, apolitical, 
objective intelligence input to Donald Trump and to others.''
  If these words do not represent a seal of approval, then I don't know 
what does. Never have I seen someone receive such widespread praise 
from such a distinguished and bipartisan group of seasoned authorities, 
and never did I think I would live to see the day that the CIA would 
receive its first female Director.
  I know we will all come together, ultimately, to vote to confirm Ms. 
Gina Haspel as Director of the CIA, but I would like to take this 
opportunity to again remind my colleagues in the Senate of the 
destructive nature of this partisanship. Two weeks ago, we were on the 
cusp of not having a Secretary of State all because we were more 
concerned with political loyalties.
  Today we see the same dynamic in play. We are again divided along 
party lines and, once again, on a candidate who is supremely qualified 
to lead the organization for which she was nominated. This type of 
partisanship is unprecedented in our history, and it is destructive for 
our future. It represents a true national security threat of the 
highest order.
  We can disagree about specific policies, we can have our political 
stakes, but let's keep those out of our first responsibility of serving 
the American people, whose physical well-being and safety should be our 
first priority. Who better understands this than Gina Haspel, a 
distinguished public servant who has kept our country safe during the 
most dangerous times in recent memory.
  I ask my colleagues to stop with this dangerous behavior. Enough of 
the partisan games. We will be able to hold Ms. Haspel, as other 
Cabinet members, accountable for specific policies, as is our job, but 
let's get them into their jobs first. Our Nation needs them, and our 
Nation needs us to behave as the representatives and stewards of our 
democracy that we ought to be.

[[Page S2564]]

  I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of Ms. Haspel's 
nomination.