Jack Reed: “I rise to oppose the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard to be Director of National Intelligence. In its first few days in…”

“I rise to oppose the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard to be Director of National Intelligence. In its first few days in office, the Trump administration has been remarkably cavalier and incompetent in its handling of our national security affairs--shutting off foreign aid; threatening Panama, Greenland, and Canada; calling for the mass deportation of Palestinians from Gaza. And just last week, it was reported that the CIA sent an unclassified email, listing all employees it had hired over the last 2 years, in order to comply with an Executive order from President Trump. One former Agency officer called this a ``counterintelligence disaster.'' The President's choices to lead our national security Agencies have also not inspired confidence. The Director of National Intelligence, or DNI, serves a critical role in leading the intelligence community and in collecting analysis so that the President, Congress, and decisionmakers across the U.S. Government have the best and most timely information for our national security. Indeed, the office was created after 9/11 to better coordinate analysis across the intelligence community. The position of DNI requires someone of great experience, character, judgment, and the confidence to speak truth to power, especially when the findings of the intelligence community differ from the policy objectives of the administration. While I respect Ms.…”