Senator Hassan Announces Opposition to Gina Haspel’s Nomination for CIA Director

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement on her opposition to Gina Haspel’s nomination to serve as CIA Director:

“I am deeply grateful to Gina Haspel for her service to our country, the sacrifices she has made to keep us safe, and her dedication to her colleagues at the CIA. But after meeting with her this week and reviewing her testimony as well as classified documents related to her tenure at the CIA, I agree with my colleague Senator John McCain that her record and her perspective on torture are disqualifying. Torture is an affront to our American values, it is unreliable and ineffective, and it puts our troops around the world at greater risk. Yet Ms. Haspel has still not fully acknowledged that torture is wrong.

“Anyone serving in the position of CIA director must not only seek to protect the agency, she must also recognize that the agency's actions have consequences and must be conducted in line with the values that make the United States the strongest country on earth. Ms. Haspel’s responses suggest that she does not recognize this responsibility. We can – and must – keep our nation safe while remaining true to our values, and I will continue working to ensure that the intelligence community has the support it needs to keep America safe, secure, and free.”

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