John Ratcliffe, the nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the CIAtold senators at his confirmation hearing Wednesday that the country’s top spy agency must do a better job of staying ahead of global threats posed by Russia, China and other adversaries.
Ratcliffe, who served as director of National Intelligence during Trump’s first term, told lawmakers that if confirmed in the role, he would push the agency to do more to harness technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, by time that would expand the use of human intelligence gathering.
“We are not where we should be,” Ratcliffe told the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Ratcliffe noted that he sees China as the United States’ biggest geopolitical rival, while Russia, Iran, North Korea and drug cartels, hacking gangs and terrorist organizations also pose challenges to national security.
Republicans praised Ratcliffe’s experience, but Democrats and the panel’s lone independent senator took a more skeptical tone, asking whether his loyalty to Trump would conflict with his duty to follow intelligence wherever it leads. Ratcliffe assured lawmakers that he would put the CIA’s mission first.
“Will you or any of your subordinates impose a political litmus test on CIA employees?” asked Senator Angus King, an independent senator from Maine.
“No,” Ratcliffe responded.
Ratcliffe told lawmakers he supports the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a government spy program that allows authorities to collect, without a warrant, the communications of non-Americans located outside the country. If those people communicate with Americans, those conversations may also be collected, a fact that has raised questions about violations of personal rights.
Ratcliffe said the existing rules are designed to ensure Americans’ privacy is protected.
”Is it perfect? No,” Ratcliffe said. “It is critical, it is essential.”
Ratcliffe, a former federal prosecutor, also served in Congress as a representative of a Texas district. He was a fierce defender of Trump in his first impeachment trial in the House of Representatives.
After two hours of questions, the commission continued Ratcliffe’s confirmation hearing behind closed doors to discuss sensitive or classified intelligence matters.
The hearing is part of a weeklong marathon in which the Republican-led Senate is working quickly to have some of Trump’s nominees ready for confirmation by the full chamber by Monday, the day of the takeover.
Ratcliffe’s experience as Director of National Intelligence, and his Senate confirmation for that position, are expected to boost his chances in the Senate this year, especially compared to Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. (ODNI, for its acronym in English).
Gabbard, a former congresswoman from Hawaii, has faced criticism from both parties for comments made previously in support of Russia and for meeting in 2017 with former Syrian President Bashar Assad.
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