Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I am in support of the nomination of Mr. David Buckley to be the next inspector general of the Central Intelligence Agency, CIA. On Tuesday, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence voted unanimously to recommend Mr. Buckley's nomination. So there is overwhelming, bipartisan support for Mr. Buckley. It is also important that the Senate act on this nomination before the upcoming recess. The position of the CIA inspector general has remained vacant since the retirement of John Helgerson in March 2009. The Senate Intelligence Committee has seen firsthand the importance of the CIA inspector general. Many of the reports and audits from this office remain classified, but have had a major impact on our committee's understanding of CIA programs and at times have led directly to major changes in those programs. Other reports have been made public, like the 2004 Special Review into the CIA detention and interrogation program. The report raised major questions about the program's legality and compliance and allowed the public to see some of what went wrong with the CIA program. The inspector general of the CIA plays a crucial role. The CIA is an agency that is charged with operating in secret in locations around the world, conducting covert actions and collecting intelligence. It shields its activities from the public, but it needs oversight.…”