Chairman Feinstein, Vice Chairman Chambliss, and members of the Committee, let me start by thanking you all very much for considering my nomination to be the next Director of the National Counteterrorism Center.
As I conclude three years as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, I also want to express my deep appreciation to the Committee for its unflagging support of the men and women at the National Counterterrorism Center and our counterterrorism community, as a whole.
Chairman Carper and Ranking Member Coburn, thank you for the invitation to testify today on the ODNI’s oversight of Intelligence Community (IC) core contract personnel and their role in the intelligence enterprise. I appreciate the Committee’s interest in this issue. I trust the information provided to you today will strengthen your confidence in the efforts of the IC leadership to manage and oversee this critical component of our combined workforce.
NCTC Director Olsen and I don’t often testify in open hearings, and so we see today as an important opportunity to share our understanding of an evolving, dynamic terrorist threat with the Committee and with the American public.
Chairman Feinstein, Vice Chairman Chambliss, and distinguished members of the Committee we are very pleased to appear before you to express the Administration’s strong support for the USA Freedom Act, H.R. 3361, as recently passed by the House of Representatives. The Deputy Attorney General has provided an in-depth overview of the USA Freedom Act passed by the House last month, but I wanted to touch on a few key points in my remarks.