The Supreme Court ultimately room the statute to be unconstitutional. Watch landmark cases tonight on cspan three and anytime at cspan. Org. The Senate Intelligence committee met to consider the nominations of Christopher Miller to be the director of the National Counterterrorism center and peter to be the general counsel to the office of the director of National Intelligence. The two nominees were asked about Russian Election interference, interrogation tactics, the fisa application process and whistleblower protections. They were also questions related to the recent deployment of federal Law Enforcement agents and u. S. Cities experiencing ongoing protests. This hearing will enable the committee to have a thoughtful and deliberate consideration and qualifications for the position that you have been respected lee nominated to fill. The witnesses have provided wooden responses to questions from the committee, find admits members which you all will have and they will be able to ask any additional questions and hear directly from the nominees. As we will see missile or miller graduated from George Washington university in commission as an infantry officer in 1987, he has a masters in National Security studies and an arts degree from the Naval War College and also graduated at the Community Staff and army war college. His military career as an enlisted infantryman in the army reserve in 1983 and served in the district of Columbia National guard. In 1993 christopher transferred to special forces and served for the fifth special forces group, he participated in combat operations and iraq and retiring from the army in 2014 he worked as a defense contractor before serving as a special assistant to the president and senior director counterterrorism and transnational threats at the National Security council, he currently serves as the Deputy Assistants security defends for combatting operations and for combatting terrorism. He graduated and received his law degree from Stanford University in 2010. He then served as a law clerk on the United States court of appeals for the 11th circuit, thereafter he entered the private practice for several years before joining the u. S. Department of justice as an assistant u. S. Attorney for the Southern District of california. During this time, patrick served multiple roles here in washington that include, the time with doj, he served in multiple roles here in washington to include as a departments director of countertrans national crime. He currently serves as the associate Deputy Attorney general and chief of staff to Deputy Attorney general geoffrey rosen. Gentlemen, you have been asked to lead and to see in the oldie respectively as a time when we are engaged in a debate, or both debate about the Intelligence Community in our collection tools and authorities. At the same time, however, the nation continues to confront a growing array of threats from state and non state actors navigating this tension will require judgment, wisdom, integrity and i expect that you will both provide self sound counsel advice to the director of national in telegenic as he takes on these complex and at times defensive challenges. The satisfaction of this committees oversight mandate will times require transparency and responsiveness from your respective offices, should we confirm. You can except expect us to ants difficulty probably questions of you and your staff and internally will expect honest and timely actors. That said, we also want you to feel free to come to the committee with situations that necessitate our working in partnership with you. I look forward to supporting your nominations and ensuring their considerations without delay. I thank you both for being here for your years of service to our country and your willingness to continue in that service and i look forward to your testimony. I recognize the vice chairman. Well thank you mister chairman and i want to also join in welcoming mr. Miller was and the opportunity to talk with both of them prior to this hearing. Congratulations on your respective nomination to serve as director of National Counterterrorism center and general counsel for the office of dni. Both these positions are important positions in the Intelligence Community during a time of unprecedented National Challenge imperil. The National Counterterrorism center was with that huawei coming in already . His phone is going off. The National Counterterrorism center was created to prevent these kinds of efforts of the bad guys listening into our meetings. Was created in the wake of 9 11 to connect the dots. And ensure a terrorist attack never occurs on our soil. The general counsel is critical and ensuring the laws with the Intelligence Community abide by the laws of this country including protecting American Civil Liberties and privacy interests. The job of americas Intelligence Committee is to uncover and anticipate threats and to provide more to the nation. The community is first and foremost in americas eyes and ears of threats and you just as all of the professional men and women are mandated to be nonpolitical and speak truth to power making those difficult calls based not on what those in power wish to hear, but on the facts. Unfortunately, under this president , the men and women of the Intelligence Committee have increasingly come under attack not only from abroad but without justification. From within the leadership of our very own government. Those whove had the with all americans expected of them, simply to tell the truth, similarly dismissed, disparaged on twitter. And retaliated against because this president is so often finds the truth on welcome, hes fired the acting dni, the deputy, deputy dni, nic Inspector General, acting ntct director, a 40 year intelligence dismissed as the acting dni. Including those who risk their lives every day around the world must know that our countrys leaders have their backs. Instead, they have been subject to disrespect for. A significant period of this year, there was not a single Senate Confirmed senior official at the office of the dni. This alarms me and it should alarm the american public. The leadership roles youve agreed to undertake are challenging under the best of circumstances. Mr. Miller, but our terrorist average salaries have not simply dismay, though we know plots continue every day. American men and women deployed in harms way in syria, iraq, afghanistan and elsewhere are terrorist targets and some never made it back to their families. But i look forward to hearing from you today about how your thoughts as to how to confront the evolving increasingly sophisticated threat from isis and other rogue organizations were. You will take on this rule and how you will define success should you be concerned. In particular, id like to hear what you think about the role of the and ct see in confronting these threats and how do you plan to make sure the center is officially resourced to carry out its job. The general counsel advises the dni and the letters spirit of the law including the legal mandate to keep the Intelligence Committee fully uncurling informed and to ensure American Civil Liberties are protected. As we saw with ukraine whistleblower those who comply with their obligations to inform congress and face consequences. I expect to engage with you today on your perspective of what whistleblowers and particular your perspective on the involvement of the office of Legal Counsel at the department of justice. Unfortunately, because of how this administration has approached what youre already difficult response of responsibilities will be more challenging. In addition to asking how you will undertake these responsibilities today, i will also wish to hear how you will stand up to political pressure, how you will ensure that analysis is a political informed without fear or favor, how you reassure your workforce that you will not face consequences for simply doing their jobs and how you make sure that this committee is fully and currently informed. Former dni dan coats, a former member of this committee, set a high bar for telling truth and power, even in public when necessary for which he was eventually fired. Ei will want to understand how you plan to live up to his example. Thank you again both for agreeing to take up these challenging positions during the difficult time. I look forward to this hearing. Thank you mister chair. I understand the president what senator grassley is here to introduce and speak on behalf of mr. Miller. Senator grassley, please proceed. Thank you very much mister chairman and vice mister vice chairman for the opportunity to introduce to the committee was in my home state of iowa, mr. Christopher miller. I congratulate both of the nominees for their appointment. It is not every day that an iowa in with such a distinguished Service Record comes before the senate for consideration so its a special privilege for me to give this introduction. Chris is parents and much of his family still live in iowa city and or eastern iowa. Im sure his family is very proud that he will be testifying before this committee today and be recognized for his accomplishments and service to our country. Chris was raised in iowa city after graduating from city high school, he attended George Washington university where he majored in history and enrolled in the rotc program. He graduated from George Washington in 1987 and then he immediately accepted a commission in the u. S. Army as an infill tree officer. In the army, chris had an impressive and distinguished career. He served in afghanistan in 2001 and in iraq in 2003 and in the following years, like a lot of military people, he served on numerous additional deployments to both of those countries. On behalf of the people of iowa, we thank you and other people for your service to the country particularly in those difficult times. Following his time in the army, chris went on to become a Deputy Assistant secretary defense for special operations and combative terrorism where he is currently performing the duties of the assisted secretary of defense for special operations. Whether as a member of the armed forces or in Public Service, chris has given the best of himself for the American People in the defensive our country. Of course, that should be no surprise, after all hes got iowa routes. Im certain that this committee will find what give him a proper review of his record and his service and how that fits into his new position for. I believe he is fully qualified being nominated now as a director of National CounterTerrorism Center but also the direct of National Intelligence. So now, it is again, my pleasure to introduce to this committee mr. Christopher miller. Congratulations. Thank you, mister chair. Thank you senator grassley. So before we begin, mr. Miller and mr. Hovakimian, will you each stand and raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear to give this committee the truth, the full truth and nothing but the truth so help you guide . I do. I do. Thank you, please be seated. Gentlemen, before we move to your statements i want to ask and you need to answer the five standard questions that we ask of every nominee who appears before us that they generally require a simple yes or no answer the only reason why we need to hear is so it can be transcribed. For each of you, make sure your microphone is off. First question, and you agreed to pay before the committee here arent any other venues when invited . Yes. If confirmed, you agreed to send officials from your office to appear the committee and designated staff uninvited . Yes. Yes. Do you agree to provide documents or any other materials requested by the committee in order for it to carry on oversight and legislative responsibilities . Yes. Yes. Will you ensure your office and your staff provide such material to the committee when requested . Yes. Yes. Finally do you fully brief to the fully flicks extent possible, all members of this committee of intelligence activities and covert actions rather than only the chairman of the vice chairman . Yes. Yes. Thank you very much. We will now proceed your Opening Statements after which i will recognize members i believe will go by order of seniority today. Chris, if i understand, you are going to go first so the floor is yours. Thank you senator. I think i have it on. Thank you senator. I want to highlight why the thrill was for senator grassley to make those opening comments. I was a little bit worried but im sure my sister helped them out. My uncle floyd moved and at arlene i know who are smiling down who are huge supporters of senator grassley. When i was 14 years old i went to an event at their farm. It meant that i did not hear his remarks. That was on the fast line 40 might be begun but it was awfully special. Senator warner with the highest regards, i am now a citizen of commonwealth but when people ask me where i am from i proudly say that i am from iowa and words cant describe how honored i am in all the work that senator grassley has done for the state of iowa and by his leadership. Acting chairman rubio, vice chairman warner and distinguished members of the committee, thank you for taking the time of day to consider my nomination to be the director of the National CounterTerrorism Center. I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you. Its both humbling and surreal to sit before you today as the president s nominee for this position. I am grateful to have the support and confidence of the President Trump and the director of National Intelligence radcliffe. Along with the overwhelming privilege to lead and commanded americas sons and daughters in combat as an Army Special Forces officer being considered for this position is the distinct honor of my professional life. When al qaeda declared war in the United States 1997 september the 11th, 2001 i like many of my generations answer the call to fight and defeat them. It wasnt a war that we thought that the defense of this nation as we sacrificed our youth and our innocents. Many dear friends and comrades also sacrificed their health, their marriages and in some cases their been long. Our ef lives. We have no regrets. The war has been long. Our efforts have been remarkably successful. The commitment of tens of thousands of professionals has taken the fight to the enemy, protected the United States and developed a Global Network of partnerships that prevented another cataclysmic attack. When we set out on this journey as a country, we envisioned the campaign against violent extremist organizations and the generational war not a multi generational war. It would be in my view at the height of the responsibility to lead this conflict for our children to fight. It is my lifes goal whether confirmed for this position or in another capacity to defeat al qaeda and its affiliates, to transition the war to a sustainable effort laser focus on monitoring the terrorist threats in the United States, attacking those that generate the will and ability toand expanding relationships with likeminded partners around the world who are committed to the scourge to peaceful coexistence. I still see myself as a kids from iowa who wants nothing more than to serve the country and think their parents proud. My father believed strongly in the mobility of of Public Service, and i try everyday to follow in his footsteps. In addition to my mothers wisdom, an example of citizenship, that is what my sister and i aspire to emulate in all facets of our lives. Most importantly, i want to recognize my wife and our three children were here with me today. Kate stood fastely with me through this 32 year odyssey and raised over three children into magnificent adulthood. Their character optimistic to the future and motivation, they give me hope and continue greatness in this United States of america. If confirmed i will lead the patriotic men and women of the National Counterterrorism center with honor and integrity, advocate for the requirements of the counterterrorism enterprise and provide my frank, honest opinions and advice to the president , the dni, this committee and other policy makers and leaders in order to guarantee that we never again experience the indescribable loss of september 11, 2001. Mr. Acting chairman, mt. Vice chairman, members of the committee, thank you for your leadership in protecting the United States. I look forward to responding to the questions. Thank you. Mr. Hovakimian. Acting chairman rubio, v