Dianne Feinstein: “I certainly will. I thank the Senator from West Virginia. I know General Hayden will be a four-star general very…”

“I certainly will. I thank the Senator from West Virginia. I know General Hayden will be a four-star general very shortly. I think that is very good news. So we will have the first Director and Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence. I believe these are both excellent nominees. They will provide strong new overall management and leadership to the intelligence community as it finally adapts to post-Cold War realities. Ambassador Negroponte has served with distinction, both in Washington and around the globe. He served as United States Ambassador to four nations and to the United Nations. As Deputy National Security Adviser, Ambassador Negroponte was intimately involved in the formation and use of intelligence. He is well suited to overseeing the collection of vital intelligence needed for the United States to protect itself. Ambassador Negroponte comes to this new position without strong ties or bias to any specific intelligence agency. That is an enormous strength, and I believe he will be an honest broker and manager for the community. He has pledged that he will be a neutral and apolitical provider of intelligence to Government policymakers. Although General Hayden's nomination is not before us at this time, I wish to say I hold him in the highest regard. He is a skilled manager and an expert in the workings of our Nation's intelligence apparatus.…”