Rep. John Ratcliffe vowed to speak “truth to power” if confirmed as the director of national intelligence, telling the Senate Intelligence Committee that he would be a leader of the intelligence community without bowing to any outside influence.
The Texas Republican’s opening statement to a near-empty and socially distanced Senate room amid the coronavirus pandemic sought to push back against any arguments that he would be a Trump loyalist if given the spy chief role. If confirmed, Ratcliffe, who was renominated by President Trump after dropping from consideration last year, would oversee and coordinate information from the nation’s 17 spy agencies, including the CIA, FBI, National Security Agency, and the intelligence arms of the Pentagon, State Department, and Department of Homeland Security.
“You have my commitment to deliver timely, accurate, and objective intelligence, and to speak truth to power, be that with Congress or within the administration,” Ratcliffe said. “Let me be very clear: regardless of what anyone wants our intelligence to reflect, the intelligence I will provide, if confirmed, will not be impacted or altered as a result of outside influence. Above all, my fidelity and loyalty will always be with the Constitution and the rule of law.”
“As the president’s principal intelligence adviser, I will ensure that all intelligence is collected, analyzed, and reported without bias, prejudice, or political influence,” he added.
Trump initially nominated Ratcliffe to replace former Sen. Dan Coats as the director last summer, but the congressman withdrew within days after some senators questioned his credentials, and he was accused of overstating his professional record regarding the prosecution of Hamas terrorists. Ratcliffe played a role in the high-profile Holy Land Foundation terrorism-financing case and the Pilgrim’s Pride illegal immigrant raids, though reports tried to cast doubt on the extent of his involvement. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused him of being “blindly loyal” to Trump.
Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said he had not yet decided on whether he would vote to confirm Ratcliffe, noting that his concerns from last year have not gone away.
“I have to say that, while I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt in this hearing … I’ll speak plainly: I have the same doubts now as I did then,” Warner said.
“Before we put the Senate’s stamp of approval and confirm a nominee to this critical position, senators must demand the qualities that the Senate specified when it passed the law creating the ODNI after 9/11, legislation which my colleagues like Sen. [Susan] Collins helped author,” Warner said. “We must expect and demand professionalism, a nonpartisan commitment to the truth, and a rock-solid dedication to defending those who defend us every day: the professional women and men of the nation’s intelligence agencies.”
Collins pushed Ratcliffe on whether he would provide unvarnished intelligence even if he knew Trump would be unhappy with it and that it would put his job at risk. “Of course,” the congressman replied.
“Whether you’re talking about the president, whether you’re talking about [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi or [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell, anyone’s views on what they want the intelligence to be will never impact the intelligence that I deliver. Never,” Ratcliffe said. “I won’t shade intelligence for anyone.”
During questioning by Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Ratcliffe said he had not been asked for loyalty from Trump, and stressed that “my loyalty is to the Constitution and to the rule of law, and I made that clear to the president.”
Ratcliffe later said he has spoken to “a lot of intelligence community members who have just expressed the sentiment that they want to do their job, they want to deliver the best intelligence, and they don’t want to be leveraged by anyone on any side of the aisle.”
Joseph Maguire became acting director of national intelligence after the departure of Coats and found himself in the middle of the Democrat-led Ukraine impeachment effort. When Maguire left in February, he was replaced by Richard Grenell, also still serving as the ambassador to Germany, and has made it clear that “I am not a seat-warmer — the president asked me to do a job, and I am going to the job to the best of my ability.”
In his few months in the position, Grenell has pursued key goals, including beginning to restructure the spy office by returning intelligence assets to their original agencies and the field as well as looking for ways to potentially leverage U.S. intelligence to assist the Trump administration’s initiative to decriminalize homosexuality worldwide.
Ratcliffe has been a key inquisitor for Republicans in Congress, including during last year’s impeachment hearings.
Under questioning from Ratcliffe during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in February, FBI Director Christopher Wray agreed that onetime Trump campaign associate Carter Page was surveilled illegally. The congressman has also been a leading voice in demanding accountability over allegations of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act abuses by the Justice Department and the FBI and said he was “absolutely” qualified for the position after being renominated in February.
During the confirmation hearing on Tuesday, the congressman briefly touched on what he saw as the greatest threats facing the country.
“I believe the immediate focus of the IC must be directed to the geopolitical and economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as its origins,” Ratcliffe said. “The American people deserve answers, and, if confirmed, I pledge that the IC will remain laser-focused on providing them.”
Ratcliffe pointed to threats from China related to fifth-generation wireless and espionage, from Russia related to election interference, from Iran related to its nuclear program and sponsorship of terrorism, and from North Korea related to its nuclear weapons. He also pointed to transnational issues such as terrorism and supply chain security.
The congressman also delivered some remarks that appeared to be directed toward the thousands of members of the intelligence community whom he may soon lead.
“I see the director of national intelligence as more than just a leader, a manager, an integrator. The DNI must at all times be an arrow-catcher, a problem-solver, an obstacle mover for the IC,” Ratcliffe said, adding: “I believe the immediate focus of the IC must be directed to the geopolitical and economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as its origins. The American people deserve answers, and, if confirmed, I pledge that the IC will remain laser-focused on providing them.”
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, speaking for former Attorney General John Ashcroft, who was not able to be there to introduce Ratcliffe, praised the congressman.
“I’ve known and worked with John for more than a decade, and I know of no person — no person — with a higher commitment to integrity,” the former Senate majority whip said, adding, “We need to be able to count on a leader to operate free from personal or political motivation, serving only with the safety and security of the American people in mind, and I believe John Ratcliffe is the person to do that job.”
