Cornyn Votes to Confirm Haspel as CIA Director
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) spoke on the floor about the nomination of Gina Haspel to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) which was approved by the Senate today. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyns remarks are below and video can be found
here.
She will provide the agencys objective unbiased and unvarnished intelligence to the president and other policymakers in the federal government. Her loyalty of course is not to a political party after all because shes nonpartisan. But she owes her loyalty to the American people whose safety and security she has made her lifes work."
Those people who know Ms. Haspel best who have worked alongside her on a daily basis in undisclosed locations around the world doing the nations important work they like this woman and they admire her and they respect her."
I speak for many of them I hope and expect when I say that we appreciate Ms. Haspels willingness and desire to serve in this new and never easy capacity."
A number of Democratic senators supported President Donald Trumps choice of Deputy CIA Director Gina Haspel to run the agency she was easily confirmed Thursday afternoon. Haspel is the first woman to head the CIA.
The floor vote 54-45 came after Democratic and Republican lawmakers raised concerns during the nomination process about her role in brutal interrogations of suspected terrorists after the 9/11 attacks.
She displayed the talent and expertise that make her uniquely qualified to face Americas biggest national security challenges whether in the area of counterterrorism or renewed international competition amongst great powers. Out of the spotlight whether at Langley and deployed abroad Ms. Haspel has quietly earned the respect and admiration of those who matter most the men and women of the CIA and distinguished current and former intelligence community leaders" Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.
Much of the focus was on Democrats from states won by Trump in 2016 would vote but the vote ended up being more complicated.
