I call this hearing to order. This hearing will be a little bit different. It is perhaps the first congressional hearing during the extenuating circumstances of the pandemic. We have a sparse crowd reflecting the committees inherence to the rules put forth by the attending physician. Staff forthank patience and understanding as we work through the logistics involved in holding this hearing, which is a critical part of the committees ongoing oversight of the Intelligence Committee community. Afternoon, we move to a closed session. Aeir absence now is not reflection on the importance they place on this matter. We have asked members to watch as much as they can of the hearings from their offices, only coming into the hearing room to ask questions. I would also like to think the press corps for your accommodation of the restrictions we are placing as we seek to fulfill our requirements to hold this nomination hearing in an open setting, or at least as open as current circumstances allow. Media in the room today are representatives for the Broader Media community, and i know they will ensure qwik and andrnished fast unvarnished dissemination of what is discussed in this hearing. I am sure this will feature prominently in media coverage. I know the media will be focused on the important intelligence oversight and Community Management issues that will be discussed. Finally, i want to thank the nominee, who has patiently waited for this hearing. I know he is ready to get work leading the Intelligence Community, which has continued to do its vital work under increasingly difficult conditions. These intelligence professionals are our eyes, our ears. Thatfollow developments so they see the headlines and developments most of us will toer see from terrorists foreign Intelligence Officers looking to steal research. Countries around the world have locked down, but those threats have not stopped. Our Intelligence Community, as always, remains on watch, joining their uniformed brothers and sisters joining a grateful it perhaps distracted nation. They deserve and the country needs the certainty of a Permanent Senate confirmed director of National Intelligence. After that extended introduction, i would like to formally welcome our witness, congressman John Ratcliffe, trumps nominee to be the next director of national of intelligence director of National Intelligence. I would also like to welcome your wife and daughters. I know they would also like to be here. But i send them my appreciation via cspan. I think them for their willingness to go on this journey with you and for their support. Today, we will consider congressman ratcliffes qualifications. The congressman has already provided written responses to more than 125 questions presented by committee members. Todays proceedings allow for further in person discussion. Congressman ratcliff was elected in november of 2014 to the house of representatives from the Fourth District of texas. He serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on intelligence, the house judiciary committee, and house ethics committee. Prior to his service in congress, mr. Ratcliff was a partner any law firm. During his tenure at the department of justice, he served antiterrorism for texasstern district of during that time, mr. Ratcliff also served as mayor for the city of heath, texas. He received his undergraduate degree from the university of notre dame. He received his law degree from Southern Methodist university. You have been asked to leave the Intelligence Community at a time of profound threat and challenge. Given your experience, we expect you will lead the Intelligence Committee with integrity, serve as a forceful advocate for the professionals in the Intelligence Community, and make sure it operates ethically. Im sure this will commence in you this will continue to operate ethically. We will ask a difficult and probing questions of you and your staff. We expect honest, complete, and timely responses. I want to thank you for being here for your years of service to our country and i look forward to your testimony. Before i turn to the vice chairman, i would like take a moment i would like to take a moment to honor the passing of coburn. Nd mr. He cared deeply for the men and women of the Intelligence Community. He understood the importance of the mission of this committee. His counsel and friendship will sorely be missed. I utilized it no less than a month and a half ago. Some might wonder why my face looks a little hairy. This is the only way i could think of doing a tribute to tom coburn. To do what tom did when things were confusing and we lacked understanding as to what direction to go, tom would not shave for six months until things were squared away. I am not sure i will wait until things are squared away, but i will wait until toms memorial service. I recognize the vice chairman for any opening remarks he might have. Thank you, mr. Chairman. It is good to see you and my other colleagues. Let me start where you left off. Yearsebody who has spent with tom coburn on a weekly basis with the illfated gang of tomsfort, i got to know intelligence, integrity, occasionallyre pain in the what ever, but i share with you that he will be missed. Any time i tried to grow bea rd, i am probably doing better tribute by just saying things about him. I note these i know these are postlly things where, counting, your spouse to see the impression in the whites of your eyes. I am not sure i am going to be able to make that kind of judgment from here with my slightly aging eyes. I get the general sense of you. I can see a smile. If it turns to a grimace at times, we will know. It is great to have you here. It. Preciate unfortunately, as the chairman note that i must these are unprecedented times. Challenge to a our lives and security that we have not had for over half a century. It is during such trying times that we all recognize the value of nonpartisan expertise throughout our government. Nowhere is this clearer than in the apolitical Intelligence Committee community. The ice collects intelligence on imminent threats, analyzes them passionately, and presents its best estimates without fear or favor to our nations leaders. This is essential so that policymakers can craft a timely and Effective Response to protect america. Nowhere is the need for andetence, a political aPolitical Leadership clear th an and the director of National Intelligence in the director of National Intelligence. Unfortunately, everything we have seen from the president since he came to office is an unrelenting and undeserved attack on the professional men and women. Of our intelligence agencies this is not because of our our Intelligence Committee is undeserving of these attacks. Nor are they part of some deep state conspiracy to undermine our political leaders. President eve the attacks our intelligence agencies for one supple reason embellishedand on analysis are not welcome in this white house. What we have seen over the last year has been especially dangerous. Anyonetematic firing of at the odm height i who has the temerity to speak truth to power sue gordon, acting acting director of counterterrorism, to michael atkinson. And forcedgs departures from the leadership of the Intelligence Community have left the odni without a single senateconfirmed leader at the helm. Acting a an acting dni been appointed to oversee americas intelligence enterprise. S individual prompted instituted a hiring freeze whose purpose has not been committed communicated to the intelligence Oversight Committees. Fired seniorly leaders with decades of experience. We have begun to hear reports that intelligence professionals have been inappropriately pressured to limit the information they share with congress. Now, mr. Ratcliffe, the president has nominated you to this critical position of National Security and intelligence leadership. I have to say, that while i am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt during this hearing, i do not see what has changed since last summer, when the president decided not to proceed with your nomination over concerns about your inexperience, partisanship, and past statements that seemed to embellish or record. Some particularly damaging remarks about whistleblowers, which has long been a bipartisan cause on this committee. I will speak plainly. I still have some of the same doubts now as i had back in august. That yoursuggested main qualification for confirmation to this post is that you are not ambassador grenell. Frankly, that is not enough. Stamp we put the senates of approval and confirm the nominee to this position, senators must demand that the specifiedthe senate after creating the office after 9 11. We must expect in demand professionalism and nonpartisan commitment to the truth and a rocksolid dedication to defending those who defend us every day, the professional men and women of our nations Intelligence Community. I hope we can get a sense of your ability to adhere to that requirement. I look forward to the questioning into this opportunity. And to this opportunity. Thank you. John ashcroft was scheduled to be here to introduce representative ratcliffe. Given the circumstances, he could not attend. He sent us his remark and senator corman has agreed to represent attorney general ashcroft today. The four floor is yours. Thank you, mr. Chairman. It is always good to be with my colleagues on the Senate Select committee on intelligence. It is my honor to introduce John Ratcliffe, the nominee for the director of National Intelligence. As the chairman said, we have a letter from the former attorney general. It is rather lengthy. I will not read all of it, but i excerpts. To some i asked consents that it be made part of the record following my remarks. The reason why think it is so important for the committee and the senate to hear from former attorney general ashcroft is because of his intimate knowledge of the professional qualifications of the nominee as well as the personal qualifications. Let me start by reading an excerpt from attorney general ashcrofts letter. He said integrity is the indispensable imperative for intelligence, the best friend of National Security. National security is the singular portfolio most allergic to the infection and devaluation that results from inaccuracy and distortion. For high quality decisionmaking, sound intelligence must never be contaminated by personal bias or political predisposition. General ashcraft goes on to say i have known and worked with john for more than a decade and i know of no person, no person, with a higher commitment to integrity. I have seen him speak the unvarnished truth to those he works with and works for, whether senior government officials or corporate ceos. Point,s the important and he did in my conversation with him yesterday at his farm in missouri, that over the last 15 years congressman ratcliffe has served and crucial roles as both the developer and consumer of intelligence, a role that i think speaks to his background and qualifications for this job. Tosaid it is committed forging and Intelligence Community that delivers the most insightful intelligence possible. Decisionmakers with fulsome, transparent information to keep our citizens safe. Comingirman, i know that to this nomination as a member of congress, that congressman ratliff, as any member of congress might, people may wonder does he really understand the difference between being in adversarial atmosphere of and thatongress, especially speaks to our oversight responsibilities. As someone who has had the privilege of serving in all three branches of government, now is a legislator, i can tell has the John Ratcliffe integrity and intelligence to be the to understand difference between being a legislator and the director of National Intelligence. Different roles to be played while discharging our government responsibilities. That is something you might want to ask you more about. I have known john personally for 10 years. I am proud to support his nomination. To give you my strongest personal recommendation. The chairman has mentioned his experience on the house intelligence and judiciary committees as well as the ethics committee. As well i believe that as a former attorney and a current member of the house Intelligence Committee, he understands the vast threats our country is facing and the challenges which lie ahead. We need to be able to count on a leader to operate free of personal or political motivation, serving only with the security and safety of the American People in mind. I believe John Ratcliffe is the person to do that job. Do continueto the legacy of outstanding leadership we have come to expect from the dni and i expect him to serve as a steadfast advocate of the Intelligence Community. Memberirman, ranking warner, i appreciate your careful consideration of my friend and fellow texan John Ratcliffe. Thank you. Senator cornyn, thank you. Congressman ratcliffe, if you would rise and raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear to give the committee the truth, the full truth, and nothing but the truth so help you god . I do. Please be seated. Before we move to your statement, i will ask five standard questions the committee poses to each nominee. They just require a simple yes or no answer. Do you agree to appear before the committee here when invited . Yes. Do you agree to send officials from your office before the committee . Yes. Do you agree to provide documents or materials requested by the committee to carry out its oversight responsibilities . Yes. You will assure that provide those materials when requested . Yes. Theo you agree to brief committee to the fullest extent possible, rather than only the chair and vice chair . Yes. Thank you. It is my intention to move to a Committee Vote on this as soon as possible. Any member who wishes to submit questions for the record after todays hearing, please do so quickly. We will now proceed to your opening statement, after which i will recognize members by seniority for five minutes. As discussed earlier, members will have the opportunity to ask followup questions in the blocks designated. Let me say for members, we have 30 minute blocks. There is time allotted in that block for additional questions. There is not time and that block for everybody to have five minutes of additional questions. End of 30 minutes, regardless of where we are in that block with those senators, i will cut it off. We have a dead stop at 12 00. I think every member for their accommodations. With that, congressman ratcliffe, the floridas years. The floor is yours. Rep. Ratcliffe i am honored to appear today. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the committee staff, my own staff, and officers at the director of National Intelligence who helped us get here today. I appreciate their dedication in making today possible. I would also like to share a few thoughts on the times we face today. Cutcovid19 pandemic has short the lives of over 60,000 americans. It has sickened over one million americans and has impacted everyone of us. My deepest sympathies are with those we lost. The efforts of those on the front lines, including the intelligence professionals reporting for duty and carrying out their mission. These are trying times and your courage, honor, and sacrifice will not be forgotten. I would like to begin by thanking trump for his Incredible Opportunity for me to serve our nation and for his confidence in me. I would like to thank John Ashcroft for his gracious and humbling statement. I am forever grateful for your faith in me. I also want to recognize and thank senator cornyn for his kind words and my fellow texans for their support. It has been the privilege of my life to represent the constituents of texass fourth Congressional District. I cannot be with you today without the encouragement and support of my family. I would like to thank my wife, michelle, our wonderful ghters, my mom kathy, mi5 and my five brothers and sisters. Watching from above, i am sure, is my late dad robert ratcliffe. My career is a direct reflection of my familys selflessness, sacrifice, their enduring love of country and for me. I do not have doors to attic lee express my gratitude. Today has been a mixture of Public Service and private sector experience. I graduated college at 20, law school at 23, and tried my first case at 24. A decade later, i was managing partner of my own law firm and was successful, but something was missing. As the son of two schoolteachers, i was taught from an early age the virtues of Public Service and self sacrifice. Reflecting back, i realized it was those values that pushed me to a higher calling, one of service to the American People. 9 11, whent came on the first plane struck i was sitting on the 35th floor of a highrise Office Building in dallas that looked like a whole e dish looks like a whole in dallas that looked a whole lot like the ones in new york. Ofinspired me to take s