The public view. we address that liability by calling upon the president to nominate individuals with unwavering integrity and the senate approves only those who we are assured will lead this organization lawful, ethically and morally. gina haspel was born in kentucky, the oldest of five children, where she returned after attending high school in england. she originally told her father who served in the united states air force that she wanted to attend west point, only to be gently reminded that west point at the time did not admit women. that didn t delewd her sense of service and after graduating from the university of kentucky, gina went on to work as a contractor with the 10th special forces group. it was in ft. devon that gina learned about the cia, a place where she could serve along with other women doing clandestine work around the world. since her departure in 1985,
Be able to ask additional questions and to hear from ms. haspel in open and closed session. gina, you ve been asked to lead what i believe is one of our most treasured assets in this nation during a period of profound change. the central intelligence agency is one of the principled members of the united states intelligence community and its tasked with collecting foreign intelligence through human sources and by appropriate other means. the cia operates in the shadows. it s officers are often undercover and sometimes work in hostile and aus tear environments. it s not simply a job for many but it s a lifestyle. one that you have lived hon raably for more than 30 years. the nature of the agency s work, however, is both its greatest capability and its most challenging liability. as its activities are outside
Country, for your years of service and i look forward to your testimony. i now recognize the vice chairman for any comments he might make. thank you, mr. chairman. i d like to join you in welcoming ms. haspel. gina s, it s nice to see you again and congratulations on your nomination. the position of director of the central intelligence agency is one of the most important in our government. the cia director serves as a key figure in our intelligence community. he or she leads the premier human intelligence agency in the world. the largest all source analysis workforce in the intelligence community. the cia director is responsible for providing the intelligence that informs policy makers working on every national major security in foreign policy problem facing our country. as former director pompeo s recent trip to north korea demonstrated, the director can
Gina s developed an extensive overseas appearance and served in many locations. in washington she s held numerous senior leadership positions including deputy director, deputy director of national and clandestine services, gina, i ve reviewed the material provided by you and have spoken to you personally many times. i believe you re intellectual rigor, your honorable service make you a natural fit to lead the cia. i can assure you that this committee will continue to faithfully allow follow its charter and conduct vigorus and realtime oversight over cia s operations and activities. we ll ask difficult questions of you and your staff and we ll expect honest, complete and timely responses. the american people allow the cia to operate in the shadows because they have a trust in oversight and i take that
Responsibility seriously. now, some may seek to turn this nomination into a trial about a long shuddered program. i d like to set the record straight and make clear to those in attendance and the american people, that this hearing this hearing s about this hearing s not about programs already addressed by executive order, legislation and the court of law. it s about the woman seated in front of us. gina, i ve reviewed your records closely. i ve read your detailed and thoughtful answer to the committee s prehearing questions and i ve spoken with you many times over the years. you are without a doubt the most qualified person the president could have chosen to lead the cia and the most prepared nominee in its 70 year history. you have acted morally, ethically and legally over a distinguished 30 plus year