Richard Shelby: “I rise tonight to give to the Senate the status on the confirmation process in the Intelligence Committee of Anthony…”

“I rise tonight to give to the Senate the status on the confirmation process in the Intelligence Committee of Anthony Lake, who has been nominated by President Clinton to be the next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. As I have said on many occasions, I intend to treat the confirmation of Anthony Lake, President Clinton's nominee to be Director of Central Intelligence in a serious, thorough and fair manner. The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence community deserve a strong and independent leader to carry them into the 21st century. I believe that everyone in the Senate recognizes that. This leader must be able to guide the fine men and women that serve our country and keep watch on our adversaries, sometimes under the most trying and dangerous of circumstances. And, this leader must be deserving of the confidence of the President, the Congress, and the American people. This is a controversial nomination, we have known this from the beginning.”