Saxby Chambliss: “I rise to pay tribute to the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Matt Olsen. Matt has announced his…”

“I rise to pay tribute to the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Matt Olsen. Matt has announced his intention to leave his position later this year after serving as Director of NCTC for over 3 years. Matt is one of the best and brightest public servants with whom I have had the pleasure to work. I wish to take a couple of minutes to thank him for a job well done. As vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I have had the opportunity to work very closely with Matt, as he served in a number of key positions in the intelligence community. Regardless of his position, Matt has served with integrity and has provided sound, honest counsel, which has benefited not only me but numerous other Members of this body. At NCTC Matt has overseen several key initiatives that have enhanced NCTC's ability to discover and prevent terrorist attacks, such as the Pursuit Group that was put in place after the failed attack on Northwest flight 253. Matt has been a strong advocate for NCTC's mission, striving to make sure NCTC has the right people and the right data to get the job done. He has done his part and has kept the Center acutely focused on terrorist threats to the homeland. I am certainly glad I supported his nomination and can attest that Matt is a man of his word. Before joining NCTC, Matt served as the National Security Agency's general counsel and as an Associate Deputy Attorney General at the Department of Justice.…”