Dan Coats: “All right. I apologize. I did not know that. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Although consent has been given for larger blocks of…”

the warning lights are blinking red

I believe the top of the list will be to reinforce the prime imperative for our Nation's Intelligence Community: to find the truth and to speak truth to power, without fear of political retribution.

One of the first things you can do--at this hearing, even--is to make a strong statement of support for professionalism in the IC and pledge that you will not tolerate politics influencing the analytical process.

I can confirm that one of my staffers who was aware of the controversy requested that I modify that assessment, but I said no. No, we need to stick to what the analysts have said.