[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 33 (Monday, August 16, 2004)]
[Pages 1519-1520]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Announcing the Nomination of Porter J. Goss To Be Director of 
the Central Intelligence Agency

August 10, 2004

    The President. Thank you all for coming. I'm pleased to announce my 
decision to nominate Congressman Porter Goss as the next Director of the 
Central Intelligence Agency. Porter Goss is a leader with strong 
experience in intelligence and in the fight against terrorism. He knows 
the CIA inside and out. He's the right man to lead this important agency 
at this critical moment in our Nation's history.
    The work of the CIA is vital to our security. America faces 
determined enemies who plan in many nations, send trained killers to 
live among us, and attack without warning. This threat is unprecedented, 
and to stop them from killing our citizens, we must have the best 
intelligence possible. The men and women of the CIA must penetrate 
closed societies and secretive organizations. They must overcome 
challenges of language and culture and learn things that our adversaries 
don't want us to know. Because their work is secret, the men and women 
of the CIA receive little recognition, but they're protecting our 
country every day.
    Since September the 11th, our intelligence professionals have worked 
with great determination to stop another attack on America, and our 
country is grateful.
    Director George Tenet and acting Director John McLaughlin have 
served our Nation with distinction and honor. And now, with the 
agreement of the U.S. Senate, the CIA will have another strong leader in 
Porter Goss.
    I've given Porter an essential mission to lead the Agency for the 
challenges and threats of a dangerous new century. He is well prepared 
for this mission. Porter Goss brings a broad experience to this critical 
job. He's a former Army intelligence officer with a decade of experience 
in the CIA's clandestine service. He knows the agency, and he knows what 
is needed to strengthen it. He understands the importance of human 
intelligence. He was a CIA field officer on two continents. He'll make 
sure that the men and women of the CIA have the capabilities and skills 
they need to penetrate the hard targets and denied areas and to get to 
know the enemy firsthand. He also knows the importance of investing in 
technologies that allow us to look and listen better. And he will work 
to ensure the agency remains on the cutting edge of technological 
change.
    As Chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence since 
1997, and as a Member on the Commission on the Roles and Capabilities of 
the United States Intelligence Community, he has been a leading voice on 
intelligence and national security and terrorism. He's been a force for 
positive change. His experience on Capitol Hill will

[[Page 1520]]

serve him well at the CIA, because he's respected on both sides of the 
aisle and because he understands the important role Congress must play 
in the effort to improve our Nation's intelligence capabilities.
    Over 15 years of service, Porter Goss has built a reputation as a 
reformer. He'll be a reformer at the Central Intelligence Agency. I look 
forward to his counsel and his judgments as to how best to implement 
broader intel reform, including the recommendations of the 9/11 
Commission.
    I appreciate your many years, Porter, of service to our country. I 
appreciate your willingness to serve. I'm grateful that you've agreed to 
step forward and serve once again. Welcome.
    Representative Goss. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you 
very much, Mr. President. I'm obviously deeply honored, and I'm 
extremely grateful for the opportunity. You've outlined a very strong 
challenge.
    I think every American knows the importance of the best possible 
intelligence we can get to our decisionmakers. It is vital, as the 
President has well said. What many Americans don't realize is that we've 
got an awful lot of people around the globe doing very, very hard work--
long hours in dangerous situations. The essence of our intelligence 
capability is people. And we have some wonderful Americans doing a great 
job.
    I used to be part of them when I worked for CIA. I'm very proud to 
be associated with them again. And I look forward to the challenges of 
the future. I also look forward to the confirmation process with the 
Senate. As a Member right now on the Hill, I know the value of that and 
the importance of that.
    Thank you very much, Mr. President.
    The President. Good job. Thank you, sir.
    Representative Goss. Thank you, sir.

Note: The President spoke at 8:31 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to the Commission on Terrorist 
Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 Commission). The Office of the 
Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these 
remarks.