President Trump’s pick to lead the intelligence community told Congress on Tuesday that the country must approach the threat from Russia “with eyes wide open.”
Former Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee for his confirmation hearing to serve as the director of national intelligence.
In listing the top threats facing the country, he named cybersecurity, radical Islamic terrorism, China, North Korea and Russia.
“Russia’s assertiveness in global affairs is something I look upon with great concern, which we need to address with eyes wide open and a healthy degree of skepticism,” he said in his opening statement.
Trump has repeatedly clashed with the intelligence community, questioning its findings that Russia had interfered with the 2016 presidential election and blaming it for leaks to the press.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and ranking member of the Senate panel, said one of Coats’ key jobs, if confirmed, will be to support the committee’s investigation into Russia’s involvement in the election, including any inappropriate contact between former national security adviser Mike Flynn and Russian officials.
“I will not accept any process that is undermined by political interference,” Warner said.
In response to questions from Warner about providing information and documents to help with the committee’s investigation, Coats said it is the community’s “responsibility to provide you access.”
Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., focused his round of questions on Coats’ belief about the use of torture in interrogating detainees. Warner asked Coats if he would agree that it would require a change in law for the intelligence community to bring back enhanced interrogation techniques such as waterboarding.
“I follow the law that’s there and I ensure that the IC follows the law and the answer to your question is absolutely,” Coats said.
However, he said it was “at least worth a discussion” as to what would happen in a situation where the intelligence community had information that an attack was imminent and did not have the time to use the process in the Army Field Manual to get information from a detainee on how to stop it.
Trump said on the campaign trail that he would like to bring back waterboarding, but other top officials in his administration, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, are against the use of torture.
Warner also called on Coats to help boost the morale of the intelligence community, which some say has suffered under Trump’s administration because of the contentious relationship with the White House.
“You’ll have an incredibly important role to make sure brave men and women who serve us often in anonymity, you’ll have their back and make sure morale of great men and women is increased and respected,” Warner said.
It’s an effort Coats said he will support.
“I intend to be a champion for the hardworking men and women of the IC,” he said.
