Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo, who has been nominated to be secretary of state, will say during his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday that the U.S.’ “soft policy” responding to Russia’s aggression abroad is over, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks.
“Russia continues to act aggressively, enabled by years of soft policy toward that aggression,” Pompeo will say in his remarks. “That’s now over.”
Pompeo will say the U.S. is “rebuilding our already strong military and recapitalizing our nuclear deterrent.”
Additionally, he will talk about the U.S. recently expelling 60 Russian diplomats in response to the poisoning of a former Russian spy in the United Kingdom last month.
“The actions of this administration make clear that President Trump’s national security strategy, rightfully, has identified Russia as a danger to our country,” he will say. “Our diplomatic efforts with Russia will prove challenging, but as in previous confrontations with Moscow, must continue.”
Altogether, Western nations have kicked out a total of 151 Russian officials following U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision to expel 23 Russian diplomats in response to the March 4 attack, which the U.K. determined Russia was behind. Russia has denied any involvement.
While Trump has recently heated up his rhetoric on Russia, including warning the country about its support of Syrian President Bashar Assad following an apparent chemical weapons attack, he has long been dogged by critics who say he is soft on the country and its leader, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump’s 2016 campaign is currently being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller for possible collusion with the Kremlin.
Pompeo will also touch on a number of other national security concerns for the U.S. during his hearing Thursday.
Regarding North Korea, Pompeo will address efforts underway to pressure the rogue nation to give up its nuclear weapons and missile programs, including international sanctions.
“First, diplomatic efforts are underway to rid the world of a nuclear North Korea. There is no higher diplomatic task for the State Department team than solving this decades-in-the-making threat to our nation,” Pompeo will say. “The stakes are high for everyone, but I believe them to be the highest for the North Korean regime.”
Although Pompeo will acknowledge that the sanctions have had a “profound impact,” he will also say there is more to be done before Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Last month, it was revealed that Trump was planning to meet with Kim, after receiving an invitation, to discuss permanent denuclearization.
“But there is much diplomatic work left to do, including supporting the President’s intent to meet with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un,” Pomeo will say. “That meeting will take place against a backdrop of commitment by our President to achieve denuclearization and prevent America from being held at risk by a North Korean arsenal of nuclear weapons. I have read the CIA histories of previous negotiations with the North Koreans, and am confident that we will not repeat the mistakes of the past. President Trump isn’t one to play games at the negotiating table — and I won’t be either.”
Additionally, Pompeo will say he plans to attempt to fill positions that have been vacant at the State Department — a nagging issue that stems back to the leadership of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Pompeo will say he has met with hundreds of leaders and officers at the State Department who have said that the vacancies are “demoralizing.”
“They also shared how demoralizing it is to have so many vacancies and, frankly, not to feel relevant,” Pompeo will say. “I’ll do my part to end the vacancies, but I’ll need your help. And I will work every day to provide dedicated leadership and convey my faith in their work — just as I have done with my workforce at the CIA.”
Trump revealed last month that Tillerson was being fired from his post and Pompeo would be nominated to take his place.
It’s uncertain whether the Senate will confirm Pompeo, even though Republicans maintain a 51-49 majority in the Senate. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has opposed his nomination, and it’s uncertain if Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will vote as he is currently undergoing treatment for brain cancer in Arizona, which could create a difficult situation for Pompeo if the Democrats vote in a bloc against him.
Pompeo did receive some Democratic support when he was confirmed to be CIA director in January 2017.
Read the other excerpts from Pompeo’s prepared remarks below:
On Working Closely with the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations:
“Should I be confirmed, the regular contact we’ve established throughout this process will continue. I’ll do my best to pick up your calls on the first ring, and I’ll be a regular visitor to the Capitol. Your counsel and support will, if I’m confirmed, be critical to my leadership of the Department of State.”
On Serving Alongside the Men and Women of the CIA:
“To the men and women of the CIA: To say that it has been an honor, a privilege, and a joy doesn’t do justice to the gratitude I feel to have served as your leader. I’ve demanded much over the last 15 months, setting expectations high. I’ve pushed responsibility and authority through the organization to every officer and, along with that, the required accountability. And you, the warriors of the CIA, have delivered — for America, for President Trump, and for me.”
On Strengthening the Workforce Culture and Communication at the State Department:
“The State Department’s workforce must, by necessity, be diverse in every sense of the word — in terms of race, religion, background, and more. I’ll work to achieve that diversity, just as I have successfully done at CIA, by focusing on mission and demanding that every team member be treated equally and with dignity and respect.
“But there is one more ingredient critical to our success — and that is listening to and working alongside each of you and your staffs. I have used, at CIA, the model former Director Panetta suggested to me: fewer hearings, more cups of coffee; shorter conversations, more frequently. I found it most useful with your colleagues on SSCI and hope that you, too, will find it valuable.
“All of this — listening, leveraging differences, unleashing talent, teamwork — will become the fabric of a State Department culture that finds its swagger once again. We will be effective, expeditionary, diverse, and successful in fulfilling our mission.”
On Pompeo’s Sense of America’s Duty to Lead:
“Make no mistake: America is uniquely blessed, and with those blessings comes a duty to lead. As I have argued throughout my time in public service, if we do not lead the calls for democracy, prosperity, and human rights around the world, who will? No other nation is equipped with the same blend of power and principle.”
On Being Labeled a “Hawk”:
“I know firsthand the painful sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. So when journalists, most of whom have never met me, label me — or any of you — as “hawks,” “war hardliners,” or worse, I shake my head. There are few who dread war more than those of us who have served in uniform. And there is a great deal of room between a military presence and war. War is always the last resort. I would prefer achieving the President’s foreign policy goals with unrelenting diplomacy rather than by sending young men and women to war.
On Iran’s Dangerous Behavior and Fixing the Egregious Flaws in the JCPOA:
“Iran, meanwhile, has been on the march and has paid too low a price for its dangerous behavior. Our administration has developed a strategy to counter Iran that will raise that cost. The issues surrounding Iran’s proliferation threat are real and we, along with our allies, must deal with the long-term risk that its capability presents. But we cannot let the nuclear file prevent us from acting against Iran’s cyber efforts or its attempts to provide missiles to the Houthis to attack Saudi Arabia and Americans who travel there. Iran’s activities in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon threaten the very existence of Israel, and the global reach of Hezbollah threatens us right here in the homeland. Iran freed American hostages for the sake of a deal and then turned immediately to holding still more. I will work for their freedom every day.
“President Trump is prepared to work with our partners to revise the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to fix its most egregious flaws. If confirmed, it will be an immediate personal priority to work with those partners to see if such a fix is achievable. The stakes are high for everyone, but especially Tehran. If confirmed in time, I look forward to engaging key Allies on this crucial and time-sensitive topic at the G7 Ministerial Meeting on April 22nd and the NATO Ministerial Meeting later that week.”
On Working Diplomatically with China toward a More Productive Bilateral Partnership:
“Even while America has re-established a position of strength in our diplomatic relationship, China continues its concerted and coordinated effort to compete with the U.S. in diplomatic, military, and economic terms. For years, through IP theft and coercive technology transfer, China has exploited weak U.S. trade policy and leeched wealth and secrets from our economy. Militarily, it continues its provocation in the South and East China Seas, in cyberspace, and even in outer space. This administration is determined to work diplomatically with the Chinese government in an effort to develop a more productive bilateral partnership. We have been pleased with China’s support of our efforts to apply pressure on the North Korean regime, but it must do more. The State Department must be at the center of formulating and executing our China policy.”
