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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 third open panel held by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in the 118th Congress.
I would also like to thank our panelists for their willingness to participate in today’s panel.
This event is the third in a series of open panels HPSCI has conducted this Congress to inform our agenda and includes five well-known former lawmakers who previously served on the House Intelligence Committee, including:
- Former Congresswoman Jane Harman, who during her time in Congress remained steadfast in her commitment to U.S. national security. Ms. Harman served as the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee in the 107thand 108thCongresses.She also chaired the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence and served as the President and CEO of the Wilson Center following her time in office;
- Former Congressman Frank LoBiondo, who earned a reputation in Congress as an advocate for the Intelligence Community’s work in some of the most remote and dangerous areas in the world, where he himself would travel;
- Former Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who made history as the first Hispanic, Republican woman and the first Cuban-American elected to Congress. Ms. Ros-Lehtinen was also a leader in advocacy for the U.S.-Israel relationship during her time in the House of Representatives;
- Former Congressman Peter King, who was known for his dedication to U.S. counterterrorism efforts. Mr. King previously served as Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee in the 109thand 112thCongress and he is a well-known commentator on national security and world affairs; and
- Former Congressman Jim Langevin, who was a leading voice on cybersecurity issues. Mr. Langevin chaired the Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence in the 116thCongress.
Thank you all for your service and for your appearance before the Committee today.
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.
Given this immense responsibility, in what appears to be a deteriorating global strategic environment, our Committee has returned its work exclusively to national security and oversight of the IC, and has done so in a bipartisan manner.
As we have undertaken this work, we found it particularly helpful to engage with a wide-ranging group of individuals with expertise in the most important topics in need of the Committee’s attention. Recent panels have included former national security officials and think tank leaders and while most of our work is done in a classified setting, we have engaged in these dialogues, like today, in public.
Today’s open panel provides our Committee, and the American people, with the rate opportunity to hear from former Members of Congress about the most critical threats facing our nation and what role HPSCI can undertake in addressing them.
Some of the goals of today’s hearing are to answer the questions of:
- What are the most critical threats facing our nation?
- What is the proper role of the Intelligence Community in our nation’s response to these threats?
- What was the unfinished business of this committee while these members served in Congress and on HPSCI and how can our oversight of the Intelligence Community today be enhanced?
- Specifically, could any of the investigations or initiatives undertaken during their time as a member of HPSCI be leveraged to address our current challenges?
- And finally, what advice or lessons learned can these former members provide to members of the Committee today?
Your advice, your recommendations, and your unique perspectives will play a vital role in helping the Committee continue its work toward keeping the American people safe through oversight of the Intelligence Community.This is a mission at which we cannot fail.The stakes are too high, and the world is watching.
The Committee looks forward to hearing you all expand on the thoughtful recommendations you provided in your opening statements about how we can continue to strengthenU.S.national security.
With that, I will now yield to my Ranking Member, Jim Himes, for any opening statement he might wish to make.
Read the full opening statement from former Congresswoman Jane Harman here.
Read the full opening statement from Congressman Frank LoBiondo here.
Read the full opening statement from former Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen here.
Read the full opening statement from former Congressman Peter King here.
Read the full opening statement from former Congressman Jim Langevin here.
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