[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 19286]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   NOMINATION OF THE HONORABLE PORTER GOSS TO BE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL 
                              INTELLIGENCE

  Mr. SANTORUM. Madam President, I regret that I was unable to vote 
yesterday afternoon on the nomination of Porter Goss to be Director of 
the Central Intelligence Agency. Yesterday, I was surveying the 
significant flood damage in Pennsylvania with President Bush. As my 
colleagues know, the remnants of Hurricane Ivan wreaked havoc in my 
home State. Parts of Allegheny County received eight inches of rain in 
a 24-hour period. A member of my Pittsburgh staff lost everything he 
owned in the flood. A total of 41 counties in Pennsylvania have now 
been declared Federal disaster areas. I was pleased that President Bush 
took the time to visit with my constituents and bring a message of hope 
and aid to Western Pennsylvania.
  On the nomination of Porter Goss, I would like to add my voice to the 
others that have expressed confidence in his abilities to lead the CIA 
in these difficult times. Congressman Goss' experience as a former Army 
intelligence officer and as a CIA field officer will serve him well as 
we undertake the awesome responsibility of guiding and improving the 
CIA.
  The need for a coordinated and comprehensive intelligence system for 
this country is imperative. I am pleased that President Bush has 
nominated a capable candidate to take on the difficult challenge of 
improving not only our level of human intelligence, but also the 
ability of our intelligence community to provide our policy makers with 
better intelligence products.
  I ask that the Record reflect that, had I been here, I would have 
voted in favor of the nomination of Porter Goss to be Director of the 
Central Intelligence Agency.

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