Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Cotton’s Opening Remarks at Confirmation Hearing for Intelligence Officials

Good afternoon. This hearing will come to order. I'd like to welcome you all to today's hearing to consider the nominations of Mr. Peter Metzger to be the assistant secretary for intelligence and analysis at the Department of the Treasury and Mr. Joshua Simmons to be the general counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency.

I would like to remind all those in attendance that while you are welcome to observe today's hearing, Vice Chairman Warner and I agree that we will not allow disruptions by the audience. Audience members may not verbally or physically distract from the hearing, including by shouting, standing, raising signs, or making gestures that block the view of other members of the audience. Put simply, we came here to hear from Mr. Metzger and Mr. Simmons, not from you. If I have to have anyone removed from this hearing, I will take further action to have you barred from the committee's future proceedings coming within a country mile of the committee's rooms and spaces in the Capitol and barring you from the Capitol.

Our goal in conducting this hearing is to enable the committee to begin consideration of the nominees' qualifications and to allow for our members' thoughtful deliberation. Each nominee here has provided substantive, written responses to dozens of questions presented by the committee. Today, of course, members will be able to ask additional questions and hear from the nominees.

Let me first begin by thanking both of the nominees for their willingness to-once again- answer the call to public service. I'd also like to recognize and thank their families and loved ones, many of whom are sitting right behind them, for offering their encouragement and support.

Throughout their careers, both nominees before the committee have given their time and talents to our nation.

Many of those on this committee have had the pleasure to work with Mr. Metzger, who currently serves as a professional staff member on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. As a designee to Senator Rounds, Mr. Metzger has spent his time with this committee covering issue areas including the CIA, FBI, covert action, counterintelligence, the Middle East, and Africa.

Mr. Metzger, as assistant secretary for intelligence and analysis at Treasury, you will be expected to support the U.S. government with timely intelligence on economic security concerns, financial intelligence matters, and the implementation of economic statecraft tools. This is a critical position, especially as Communist China wages an economic and technological war to dominate emerging technologies and works to displace the United States as the predominant economic and military power in the world.

Next, we have Mr. Simmons, who is currently the principal deputy legal adviser at the U.S. Department of State. During his time at the State Department, Mr. Simmons has worked on foreign policy and national security matters, including intelligence sharing, covert action, and the law of armed conflict. Mr. Simmons also previously spent time in private law practice, where he handled international arbitration disputes pertaining to national security.

Mr. Simmons, as CIA general counsel, you will be expected to provide timely and efficient legal guidance in support of ongoing, worldwide intelligence operations. The work of the general counsel's office touches every aspect of the agency's business, including the procurement of resources, handling personnel matters, facilitating lawful intelligence collection, and conducting presidentially authorized covert action.

This committee is committed to ensuring our intelligence agencies and operatives return to the core mission of collecting clandestine foreign intelligence. After years of misplaced priorities allowed bureaucratic bloat, risk aversion, and political judgment masquerading as legal advice to creep into America's intelligence apparatus, it is time to right the ship.

With this in mind, I look forward to hearing from our nominees how they plan to approach their respective roles. Again, thank you both for being here and once again answering the call to public service. I now recognize the distinguished Vice Chairman for any opening remarks.

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