Press Releases

Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement:

“The announcement that President Trump has removed Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State and intends to nominate CIA Director Mike Pompeo to replace him is the latest chapter in the Administration’s chaotic management of national security and foreign policy. The constant churn of key personnel has impeded the ability of the White House to formulate a coherent response to global challenges, and we have to hope that the removal of Secretary Tillerson provides an opportunity for the Administration to refocus at a crucial moment and empower a State Department which had been left to wither under Secretary Tillerson's leadership. 

“The exodus of experienced diplomats, as well as the failure to fill some of the most important jobs within the Department, has paralyzed American diplomacy at a time it is desperately needed. As the United States prepares for a momentous, but treacherous, diplomatic negotiation on denuclearization with North Korea, we need the dedicated men and women who make up the State Department to be at the forefront of preparing and executing a high-stakes summit.

“Director Pompeo and I have had our disagreements as Members of Congress, some of which have persisted through his service as CIA Director, but I have known him to be hardworking and intelligent and willing to hear different points of view. If he is to be successful in the role of Secretary of State where his predecessor was not, he will be wise to rely on the experience and talent within the State Department, allowing them to do their jobs. He will need to recruit and fill the many offices that have been left vacant. 

“Director Pompeo will also face an early test at the State Department as the President continues to threaten to withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement, a decision that would isolate us around the world. Director Pompeo has not always been willing to stand up to the President, particularly when Trump has questioned the intelligence community’s conclusions on Russia, and we will need the new secretary to be willing to speak hard truths to the President. 

“Finally, the announcement that the President has named Deputy Director Gina Haspel as Acting Director of the CIA should prompt important questions from Congress. Deputy Director Haspel has an impressive record as a CIA officer and is widely respected within the Agency, but it has also been publicly reported that she was directly involved in the decision to use enhanced interrogation techniques under the Bush Administration and in the subsequent destruction of taped evidence of these interrogations. Given the enthusiasm the President has evinced for the use of torture during the campaign, it will be vital that Deputy Director Haspel answer specific questions about her views and whether she would comply with an order to restart the Agency’s enhanced interrogation program.”