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Washington, D.C. – Today Congressman Mike Turner (R-OH), Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), held a full committee panel with former national security officials to discuss oversight of the intelligence community and intelligence committee reform in the 118th Congress. Joining the panel were former Central Intelligence Agency Director General David H. Petraeus, former Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Heather Wilson, former Commander of U.S. European Command General Philip M. Breedlove, and former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Sue M. Gordon.
This is the first in a series of public forums that Chairman Turner has scheduled for HPSCI prior to the traditional World Wide Threats hearing in March. A recording of today’s panel is available here.
The following is Chairman Turner’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:
I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME ALL OF THOSE IN ATTENDANCE, AND THOSE VIEWING THE BROADCAST, TO THE FIRST EVENT OF THE HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE IN THE 118TH CONGRESS, FOLLOWING THE COMMITTEE’S ORGANIZATION YESTERDAY.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK OUR PANELISTS FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN TODAY’S PANEL.
THIS EVENT IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF OPEN PANELS HPSCI WILL CONDUCT THIS CONGRESS IN AN EFFORT TO INFORM OUR AGENDA FOR THE 118TH CONGRESS AND INCLUDES FOUR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DISTINGUISHED IN THEIR FIELD AND ARE WELL-KNOWN IN THE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNITY.
GENERAL (RETIRED) DAVID PETRAEUS IS A FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, COMMANDER OF THE INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE, AFGHANISTAN, AND COMMANDER OF U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AND THE SURGE IN IRAQ.HE CURRENTLY SERVES AS A PARTNER AT KKR, AND IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE KKR GLOBAL INSTITUTE.
DR. HEATHER WILSON IS A FORMER MEMBER OF CONGRESS AND MEMBER OF THIS COMMITTEE AND SERVED AS THE 24TH SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE.SHE IS CURRENTLY THE 11TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO.
GENERAL (RETIRED) PHILIP BREEDLOVE IS THE FORMER COMMANDER OF U.S. EUROPEAN COMMAND AND THE 17TH SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER EUROPE.
AND, THE HONORABLE SUE GORDON IS THE FORMER PRINCIPAL DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.SHE SERVED NEARLY 30 YEARS IN THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING AS THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY AND IN SEVERAL EXECUTIVE POSITIONS AT THE CIA.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
AS WE MEET TODAY, THE UNITED STATES FACES UNPRECEDENTED STRATEGIC THREATS FROM CHINA AND RUSSIA.OUR ADVERSARIES ARE INVESTING HEAVILY IN THEIR NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAMS AND HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY AGGRESSIVE.THEY ARE TESTING OUR RESOLVE, PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF INTERNATIONAL NORMS, AND USING ALL ELEMENTS OF THEIR NATIONAL POWER TO DIVIDE AND DOMINATE WESTERN DEMOCRACIES—BOTH ECONOMICALLY AND MILITARILY.ALL DOMAINS – GROUND, AIR, SEA, SPACE, AND CYBER – ARE BEING CONTESTED.
IT IS THE CHARGE OF HPSCI TO CONDUCT OVERSIGHT TO ENSURE THE FUNDING AND AUTHORITIES NECESSARY ARE PROVIDED TO THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY SO THAT THOSE AGENCIES CAN DELIVER TIMELY INDICATIONS AND WARNINGS TO POLICYMAKERS AND THE MILITARY.IF THE IC FAILS IN THIS MISSION, THE MILITARY WON’T BE ABLE TO DEVELOP COUNTERMEASURES TO NEW WEAPONS SYSTEMS; ESPIONAGE IN THE U.S. WILL GO UNCHECKED; THE STATE DEPARTMENT WON’T BE ABLE TO EXPOSE MALIGN ACTIVITIES; AND OUR NATION WILL BE FUNDAMENTALLY WEAKER WHEN CONFRONTING ANY FUTURE CRISIS.
GIVEN THESE CHALLENGES, IT IS OUR INTENT TO RETURN THE COMMITTEE’S WORK EXCLUSIVELY TOWARD NATIONAL SECURITY AND THE OVERSIGHT OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.AND, OUR COMMITMENT IS TO DO SO IN A BIPARTISAN MANNER.
AS WE UNDERTAKE THIS WORK, WE FOUND IT PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT THAT WE SEEK OUT AND ENGAGE WITH MOST FORWARD-LEANING MINDS ON A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS ALIGNED WITH THE COMMITTEE’S FOCUS.WHILE MOST OF OUR WORK IS DONE IN A CLASSIFIED SETTING, WE ARE ENGAGING IN AN OPEN DIALOGUE WITH OUTSIDE GROUPS AS IT IS APPROPRIATE.THIS ENGAGEMENT BEGINS TODAY WITH THE NOTABLE PANELISTS BEFORE US AND WILL CONTINUE IN THE COMING WEEKS WITH PANELS FEATURING FORMER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, THINK TANK LEADERS AND MEMBERS OF ACADEMIA.THIS ENGAGEMENT WILL HELP SHAPE OUR AGENDA AND PRIORITIES AND WILL CULMINATE WITH OUR ANNUAL WORLD WIDE THREATS HEARING.
SOME OF THE GOALS OF TODAY’S HEARING ARE TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS OF:
- WHAT ARE THE MOST CONCERNING THREATS TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY?
- IS THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY ORGANIZED AND FUNDED APPROPRIATELY TO ADDRESS THESE CURRENT AND FUTURE THREATS?
- AND, WHAT CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE COHESION AMONG THOSE INVOLVED IN INTELLIGENCE AND HOW CAN CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT OF THIS WORK BE IMPROVED?
YOU ALL HAVE OFFERED THOUGHTFUL RECOMMENDATIONS IN YOUR OPENING STATEMENTS ON HOW WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THIS.SPECIFICALLY, RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE STRUCTURING OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY, INVESTING IN HUMAN CAPITAL, AND FOCUSING ON THE TECHNOLOGY AND SUPPORT THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY RECEIVES ARE ALL VITAL TO COMPETING AND WINNING IN THE MOST COMPLEX NATIONAL SECURITY LANDSCAPE OUR COUNTRY HAS EVER FACED.WE MUST LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED IN ORDER TO ADDRESS TODAY’S CHALLENGES SO THAT TOMORROW’S INTELLIGENCE ACHIEVEMENTS PROVIDE OUR NATION THE TIMELY INDICATIONS AND WARNINGS POLICYMAKERS AND THE MILITARY MUST HAVE, TO ENABLE OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.
WE HAVE A LOT TO LEARN FROM YOU, SO WITH THAT I WILL NOW YIELD TO THE RANKING MEMBER FOR ANY OPENING STATEMENT HE MIGHT WISH TO MAKE.
Read former CIA Director General David H. Petraeus's full opening statement here.
Read former Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Heather Wilson's full opening statement here.
Read former Commander of U.S. European Command General Philip M. Breedlove's full opening statement here.
The Honorable Sue M. Gordon did not submit a written statement for the record.
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