[国会记录:2007年2月7日(参议院)][第S1706-S1707页]提名约翰·麦康奈尔为洛克菲勒先生总统先生，今天参议院确认了对海军上将迈克·麦康奈尔的提名，他将出任下一任国家情报总监。我很难想象还有比麦康奈尔上将更好的人选。2007年1月22日，参议院情报特别委员会收到了麦康奈尔上将接替约翰·内格罗蓬特的提名。他完成了所有必要的文件，委员会在2月1日与麦康奈尔上将举行了听证会。委员会于2月6日开会，投票一致同意将提名报告给参议院。我感到高兴的是，参议院已迅速采取行动，对这一建议采取行动。我认为，对提名的迅速考虑是对这一职位的重要性和对麦康奈尔海军上将资格的承认。正如我的同事们所知，国家情报总监一职是根据《2004年情报改革和防止恐怖主义法案》设立的。从国会立法借鉴的建议和委员会的报告在9/11恐怖袭击,参议院情报委员会报告伊拉克战前情报,联合调查的报告由众议院和参议院情报委员会的活动9/11,和许多其他的ReportsReports推荐佣金和评论了50年。 The creation of the DNI was an important step. We now have, for the first time, an individual whose primary job is to run the intelligence community as a whole. Until the creation of the DNI, the old Director of Central Intelligence wore two hats--as the head of the Intelligence Community and as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. But this structural change, while important, was only the first step to reforming intelligence. The DNI must make the 16 agencies of the intelligence community work as one toward a common goal. Director Negroponte has started the community down that path. It is going to be up to Admiral McConnell to move us further along. A quick review of his resume will show even the casual observer that Admiral McConnell is incredibly well qualified for this critical position. He retired from the Navy as Vice Admiral after 29 years of service. Most of his service during this distinguished career was as an intelligence officer. While on active duty he served as Director of Intelligence on the Joint Staff during the Persian Gulf War. This made him the principal intelligence advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, GEN Colin Powell. He went on to become the Director of the National Security Agency, our Nation's largest intelligence agency. Upon retiring from the Navy, Admiral McConnell went to work for Booz Allen Hamilton where he has been a senior vice president for intelligence and national security. He also is currently chairman and chief executive officer of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, an industry group that works with the Government looking for ways to solve some of our complex intelligence problems. He has the requisite Government experience supplemented by a decade in the private sector. In his appearance before the Intelligence Committee last week I think it is fair to say that he impressed all members of the committee with his knowledge of the issues and the difficulty of the task ahead. But I was particularly encouraged by his answers to questions about the relationship with Congress. It is no secret that I have not always been happy with the level of access the intelligence committee has had to materials it needs to do its job. On some of the most important and sensitive programs in the Intelligence Community, we have been frustrated in our attempts to do oversight because we have [[Page S1707]] not been able to get documents and other information critical to understanding and therefore evaluating these programs. In other cases the administration has placed burdensome and unwarranted limits on access by Senators and staff. Vice Chairman Bond and I are making a concerted bipartisan effort to deal with these questions. And we are making headway. One issue that we both raised with Admiral McConnell at his hearing has now been resolved. We also have seen movement, if not complete satisfaction, in other areas. Admiral McConnell's answers convinced me that he will be an ally in this area. It is my view that the intelligence community needs to view Congress as a partner in supporting intelligence activities that protect America and I think he will do that. I thank all of my colleagues for supporting support the confirmation of Admiral McConnell and I look forward to working with him in his new role as Director of National Intelligence. ____________________