Mike Pompeo, a lawyer, 1986 West Point graduate, and tea party favorite who is serving his fourth term as a Republican Congressman from Kansas, was picked by Pr*sident-Elect Donald Trump 10 days after the November election to run the Central Intelligence Agency. He is being questioned today by the 15-member Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Pompeo has been a sharp critic of Hillary Clinton, especially regarding her role in the 2012 Benghazi attacks and use of a private email server. He favors stepped-up domestic surveillance and strongly opposes the Iran nuclear agreement, having said, “I look forward to rolling back this disastrous deal with the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism.” He has said that any Muslim leader who does not speak out against every instance of Islamic terrorism is “potentially complicit in these acts and more importantly still, in those that may well follow.”
The speechifying part of the hearing is underway.
CSPAN is reporting “technical difficulties.” We will be back when it is.
The hearing has been temporarily stopped because hearing room lost power.
Pompeo: Says he will have no problem operating outside of politics since he mostly has done during his life.
Will advocate for the CIA’s centrality in intelligence matters.
Pompeo acknowledges his opposition to Iran nuclear agreement, but says he will be rigorously objective on progress made under the Iran nuclear agreement.
Pompeo gets asked the first question on torture and says it would take a change in the law for there to be “enhanced interrogations” going beyond Army Field Manual. That’s a question that demands a follow-up since he doesn’t believe waterboarding is torture.
Senator Warner says he’s concerned about morale at CIA because of Trump’s attacks on it. Pompeo: Confident that the CIA and other intelligence agencies will play an important part in Trump administration providing in-depth information.
DiFi: Would you follow orders from the president to increase “enhanced interrogation”? He would not, he says, and wouldn’t expect to get such an order.
“I will always comply with the law.”
DiFi: How will you handle Trump’s refutation of CIA’s Russia involvement to hack and have an impact on U.S. democracy? Pompeo calls it “an aggressive action taken by senior leadership” of Russia.
DiFi: Noted several things Iran has done to meet requirements of nuclear agreement. She recalls a comment he made that he couldn’t think of a good thing that has come out of the agreement. Pompeo gives a bullshit response claiming his comment was more about other Iranian activities.
In response to Rubio question, Pompeo agrees that Russians have been engaged with meddling in U.S. and other countries’ activities. He is NOT asked whether he opposes U.S. meddling in other countries’ elections.
Rubio: Do you think Russians believe they have succeeded in creating chaos, etc., with their activities. Pompeo says we shouldn’t be surprised that what has happened might “redound to their benefit.”
Wyden: Recalls Op-Ed Pompeo wrote that U.S. should collect metadata about personal lives of Americans. “Are there any boundaries” to this? Pompeo: Legal boundaries that exist today. … I stand behind lawful data collection. Wyden stops the blah, blah, blah with a couple of interruptions of Pompeo’s answer. Wyden wants to see from him in writing what he thinks the limits on this surveillance should be.
Wyden flashes anger and takes umbrage at what he perceives as Pompeo’s implication that the senator might not take Americans’ security seriously enough. Pompeo apologizes for any “unintended” implication.
Pompeo is more personably pompous than Rex Tillerson.
Senator Collins asks about the quality of U.S. cybersecurity. Pompeo: Lots of work to do by CIA and many other government agencies. The dullness of the answers are in full resonance with the dullness of the questions, Wyden excepted.
Pompeo says Iranians are professional cheaters so will be closely watched.
Senator Heinrich: Asks another question about torture/”enhanced interrogation.” Pompeo again commits to follow existing law.
Pompeo: No intention of seeking changes in the U.S.A. Freedom Act.
Heinrich: Asks about Pompeo’s stance on “rolling back” the Iran nuclear agreement. … Another blah, blah response. Perhaps because he figures that Pr*sident Trump will do the rolling back and he won’t have to worry about dealing with it anymore.
“You have my assurance that I” will “encourage” CIA employees to obey the law. Wow.
King: Talks about intelligence that was tailor-made in the past to get certain policy outcomes and wonders if Pompeo will avoid that even under presidential pressure. Pompeo gives another unctuous assurance that he will.
Pompeo: Will pursue the facts “wherever they take us” on the issue of Russian meddling in U.S. elections and other issues.
Pompeo says he doesn’t consider Wikileaks a credible source despite a tweet that indicates the contrary. Even though he tweets rarely, he indicates he doesn’t quite remember that one and would have to go back and look at it again. Sheeeesh.
New thread here.