[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 19 (Monday, May 15, 2006)]
[Pages 883-884]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Announcing the Nomination of General Michael V. Hayden as 
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

May 8, 2006

    The President. Good morning. Today I'm pleased to nominate General 
Mike Hayden as the next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. 
Mike Hayden is supremely qualified for this position. I've come to know 
him well as our Nation's first Deputy Director of National Intelligence. 
In that position, he's worked closely with our Director of National 
Intelligence, John Negroponte, to reform America's intelligence 
capabilities to meet the threats of a new century.
    Mike has more than 20 years of experience in the intelligence field. 
He served for 6 years as Director of the National Security Agency and 
thus brings vast experience leading a major intelligence agency to his 
new assignment. He also served as Commander of the Air Intelligence 
Agency, as Director of the

[[Page 884]]

Joint Command and Control Warfare Center, and as Deputy Chief of Staff 
of the United States and U.N. Forces in Korea.
    He's held senior positions at the Pentagon, the U.S. European 
Command, the National Security Council, and served behind the Iron 
Curtain in our Embassy in Bulgaria during the cold war.
    Mike knows our intelligence community from the ground up. He has 
been both a provider and a consumer of intelligence. He's overseen the 
development of both human and technological intelligence. He has 
demonstrated an ability to adapt our intelligence services to the new 
challenges of the war on terror. He's the right man to lead the CIA at 
this critical moment in our Nation's history.
    It's my honor to welcome Mike's wife, Jeanine, and their family to 
the Oval Office. I want to thank them for their willingness to support 
Mike Hayden in his long service to the United States.
    With the agreement of the Senate, Mike will succeed a great patriot 
in Director Porter Goss. Under Porter's leadership, the CIA launched a 
5-year plan to strengthen the Agency's human intelligence capabilities. 
This plan involves increasing the number of operatives and sources in 
the field and building up the Agency's analytical capabilities, so the 
hard-working men and women of the CIA have the resources they need to 
penetrate closed societies and secretive organizations.
    Porter also played a vital role in shaping the new relationship 
between the CIA and the new Director of National Intelligence. And this 
process benefited greatly from the decades-long friendship between him 
and Director Negroponte.
    Porter took on a critical job at a critical moment in our Nation's 
history. He instilled a sense of professionalism in the CIA and 
maintained the high standards of this vital agency at a time of 
transition and transformation. Throughout his public life, Porter Goss 
has been a man of accomplishment and integrity, and America appreciates 
his service.
    I'm confident that Mike Hayden will continue the reforms that Porter 
has put in place and provide outstanding leadership to meet the 
challenges and threats of a dangerous new century. Mike Hayden was 
unanimously confirmed by the Senate last year for his current post, and 
I call on the Senate to confirm him promptly as the Director of the 
Central Intelligence Agency.
    The work of the CIA has never been more important to the security of 
the American people. America faces determined enemies who struck our 
Nation on September the 11th, 2001, and who intend to attack our country 
again. To stop them we must have the best possible intelligence. The men 
and women of the CIA are working around the clock and around the world 
in dangerous conditions to gain information that is vital to securing 
our Nation. I appreciate their dedicated service, and so does Mike 
Hayden.
    In Mike Hayden, the men and women of the CIA will have a strong 
leader who will support them. He will ensure they have the resources 
they need to do their jobs. He will enforce the secrecy and 
accountability that are critical to the security of the American people.
    Mike, I appreciate your many years of service to our country. We're 
grateful that you've agreed to step forward and serve once again. Thank 
you very much.

[At this point, Director-designate Hayden made brief remarks.]

    The President. Congratulations, Mike. Thank you very much. 
Appreciate it.
    Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 9:31 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. The transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also 
included the remarks of Director-designate Hayden.