Thune: Tulsi Gabbard Will Protect All Americans, Safeguard Our National Interests
“The intelligence community needs to refocus on its core mission - collecting intelligence and providing unbiased analysis of that information.”
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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:
Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):
“Madam President, this week the Senate will be considering its 14th nominee for President Trump’s Cabinet: Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence.
“Ms. Gabbard is a patriot.
“She’s someone who’s motivated by service.
“And she’s been serving her country and community since she was 21 years old when she was elected to the Hawaii state legislature.
“Like many Americans of her generation, she felt called to serve her country after the attacks of September 11th.
“And after her first session in the Hawaii legislature, she enlisted in the Army National Guard.
“The following year, she dropped her reelection campaign to volunteer to deploy to Iraq – the first of three deployments that she’s made.
“And it was after her second deployment – now as an officer and platoon commander – that she set her sights on making an impact on national and global issues, eventually being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Madam President, Tulsi Gabbard has worn the uniform of our country for the last 22 years, leading American soldiers in some of the most dangerous parts of the world.
“She also served eight years in Congress, including service on the Homeland Security, Foreign Affairs, and Armed Services committees.
“By her own count, she’s taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States at least eight times.
“Madam President, as both a military officer and policymaker, Ms. Gabbard has been a consumer of intelligence.
“She knows that good decisions depend on having the best information.
“And she knows that the cost of bad information is measured in lives lost.
“Madam President, in recent years there have been some significant intelligence failures.
“And these failures aren’t confined to one agency or one part of the world.
“The intelligence community needs to refocus on its core mission – collecting intelligence and providing unbiased analysis of that information.
“That’s what Tulsi Gabbard is committed to ensuring if she is confirmed to be DNI.
“And I believe she has the knowledge and leadership capabilities to get it done.
“Madam President, I’m also grateful that Ms. Gabbard has expressed a willingness to right-size the office of the DNI.
“When this position was created by Congress in the wake of 9/11, it was designed to be a sort of quarterback, if you will, for the intelligence community.
“It was designed to be a lean organization focused on coordination and ensuring all the elements of the intelligence community are communicating and working together toward a common purpose.
“But it quickly became much larger than intended and it has become a bureaucracy unto itself.
“So I am glad that Ms. Gabbard plans to focus on identifying and eliminating redundancies and inefficiencies to restore the office to what it was originally designed to be.
“I was also very pleased to hear Ms. Gabbard say at her hearing that section 702 is, and I quote, ‘essential for our national security.’
“This foreign intelligence collection program is a key tool used to identify threats to Americans at home and abroad, and I was glad to hear Ms. Gabbard acknowledge its importance.
“I was also pleased that Ms. Gabbard intends to prosecute leakers to the full extent of the law.
“In a day and age when anything and everything ends up on the internet, it is essential that we have zero tolerance for those who deliberately compromise classified information, and we must safeguard our sensitive sources and intelligence collection methods.
“Madam President, Tulsi Gabbard is a patriotic American.
“She believes strongly in the mission with which she’ll be tasked: keeping America safe.
“And you don’t have to take my word for it.
“Take it from Americans who have served alongside Ms. Gabbard during her 22 years in uniform.
“From the people who have put their lives in her hands.
“As one wrote, and I quote, ‘Her exceptional qualifications, coupled with a proven track record of leadership and unwavering commitment to safeguarding our national interests, render her the unequivocal choice for this critical position.’
“And from another, and I quote again, ‘I know Tulsi will be fully committed to protecting ALL Americans during this pivotal moment in American history.’
“Well, Madam President, sounds like what we need in a director of national intelligence.
“And I look forward to confirming Ms. Gabbard this week.”
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