Watch Senator Rosen’s Full Remarks HERE.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) spoke on the Senate floor to oppose the confirmation of Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence. In her remarks, Senator Rosen emphasized Gabbard’s lack of qualifications to lead the U.S. Intelligence Community. She also voiced her serious concerns about Gabbard’s connections to America’s adversaries, including Vladimir Putin and other brutal dictators.
Below are excerpts of Senator Rosen’s floor remarks:
Every member of this body is sworn to protect our national security and safety and the well-being of the American people. There is no more important responsibility for Congress to fulfill than this.
Senators take an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
And when the American people go to sleep at night, they rest assured that our homeland will be kept safe.
[…]
At a time of rising global threats, having Tulsi Gabbard serving in this role would make America less safe. And I want to say that again – would make us less safe. Full stop.
Our allies are dumbfounded, and our adversaries, well, in Moscow, Beijing, Tehran, and all over the world – they’re laughing at us.
They’re laughing at the idea that the United States of America would weaken its national security by placing someone so deeply unqualified in such a critical role for our safety, for our security.
Our adversaries, well, they are overjoyed that they’re going to have an ally leading the American Intelligence Community.
And my concerns, they’re not political. After all, Ms. Gabbard and I used to serve in Congress together in the same caucus when she represented a district from Hawaii as a Democrat.
My concerns are that she not only lacks the qualifications needed, but that she has also peddled talking points straight from the Kremlin.
Think about it. Tulsi Gabbard has never worked in intelligence before. As a member of the House of Representatives, she didn’t even serve on the House Intelligence Committee.
During her time in the House, Ms. Gabbard actually voted against – she voted against – critical national security-related legislation, like increased funding for preventing terrorism in high-density, high-threat level urban areas like my city of Las Vegas. She voted against all of that security for Nevada.
This funding was actually pursued by former Nevada congressman Joe Heck, who’s a Republican, and it’s something I’ve continued working to secure in the Senate.
And yet, Tulsi Gabbard, she voted against [the] bipartisan proposal to protect our cities from terrorism.
And she was the only member of [the] House Armed Services Committee to vote against the National Defense Authorization Act every year during markup.
As concerning as her lack of experience and tendency to vote against our security is, Ms. Gabbard’s history of cozying up to America’s adversaries is far, far more troubling.
Her actions and words suggest that she has been directly influenced by foreign propaganda, whether that comes from Russia, from Syria, or other brutal dictatorships.
[…]
Just look at her justification of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, which she did not blame [on] Vladimir Putin, who, let’s be clear, is entirely responsible for the invasion.
Instead, Ms. Gabbard has parroted Putin’s talking points and placed blame on the United States and on NATO for Russia’s vile assault upon the Ukrainian people.
We can also look at her attempts to give cover to Syria’s former dictator Bashar Al Assad, who used chemical weapons on his own people, killing kids, killing babies – killing babies in his own attempt to hold onto power.
Ms. Gabbard even went to Syria to buddy up with Assad and then came back to the U.S. to defend his killing of innocent men, women, and children. Those babies he killed to hang onto power.
It’s sickening actually.
It’s a betrayal of our country’s values.
Time and time again, Ms. Gabbard has rejected the findings and conclusions of our own intelligence officials, and has instead chosen to, well, cozy up to dictators and our adversaries.
[…]
I urge my colleagues to review Ms. Gabbard’s recent hearing before the Senate […] Select Committee on Intelligence. In response to almost every question, Tulsi Gabbard avoided providing any real answer. Whether it came from a Democrat or a Republican, she simply dodged the questions over and over and over.
And that’s not leadership; this is not an example of someone who is qualified; and this is not a candidate who will keep America safe.
I urge my Republican colleagues to join me in listening to common sense, to thinking about our men and women who serve, to think about folks around the globe, to think about everyone here in America to reject this clearly unqualified and dangerous nominee.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Let’s have President Trump nominate someone else who we can agree is qualified for this critical and consequential role who has our nation’s best interests in their heart.
Tulsi Gabbard is not that person.
The safety and well-being of our country depend on having a qualified nominee.
Again, I urge my Republican [colleagues] to join us, to reject Tulsi Gabbard and put someone up who has the heart and experience to do this important job.
Thank you.
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