Mark Warner

I believe in your testimony last week you saw great promise in it.

It seems like there is at the same time a rush to eliminate all of the things that pay for the ability of Americans to have those kind of services.

I understand your concerns with the Cadillac tax. I know there are concerns you and others have raised about the individual mandate.

I believe it is very important that we do not go backwards on these issues.

On Friday, January 20th, President Trump issued an executive order that says Federal agencies, especially HHS, should do everything they can to, quote, 'eliminate any fiscal burden on any State or any cost, fee, tax penalty, or regulatory…

Orderly liquidation authority under title II should continue to be available, even if the bankruptcy code is amended.

The absolutist approach, which never looks at revenues, leads us to the place where we are right now.

Many people come to the political process and get hired into this process by taking absolutist pledges on things like revenues.

I think both of us would perhaps from our business standpoint say that was high-risk capital and we ought to get a better return.

But do you then expect the President-elect, and then President, would continue to break all precedent and be willing to weigh in on these matters, unlike any prior President?

Clearly, if you get this role, words that you say and the President-elect will say will have consequences.

I think that is extraordinarily important. And those who somehow argue for prioritization--it would wreak havoc in the financial markets.

I have been very troubled by even some folks in elective office who have somehow said we can ignore the debt ceiling without consequences.

I want you to again affirm to this body that on a going-forward basis it will be your policy, as much as you can influence the President-elect, that we would never again question America's willingness to stand by its debt obligations.

I think there have been times--and we could debate those times--where clearly in the history of the Agency there have been examples where, whether it was through political pressure or otherwise, the Agency went over the edge and…

I think part of the responsibility of the Agency you may head is unique in that it is tasked with taking on covert activities and relies in many ways upon the oversight of this committee and, frankly, the trust of the American public to…

It's going to be an ongoing challenge. If confirmed, obviously I wish you the best. It's critically important.

Politics has no place in your new line of business.

It is important that all Americans fully understand the extent and the vulnerability and the implications of Russia's intervention.

Your job is to search out and follow the truth regardless of where it may lead.

This was not business as usual with Russia.

I will need your public assurance that you will always seek to provide unbiased, unvarnished, and timely intelligence assessments.

I have been critical of the tenor of some of the President-elect's comments about the workforce and the professionalism of the IC.

The CIA and the entire intelligence community has repeatedly and unfairly been subjected to criticism of its integrity.

My understanding, I was left with the impression that the reason you reached the conclusion that there was favoring of Trump over Clinton was because of the disproportionate releasing of information.