EXCLUSIVE: Why the House Intel Committee Chairman backs Tulsi Gabbard's NIC firings
THE LOWDOWN:
Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), caused a stir this week when she fired senior leaders of the National Intelligence Council (NIC) amid the broader reorganization of her office.
While the top Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Jim Himes (D., Conn.), opposed Gabbard’s move, the top Republican, Rep. Rick Crawford (R., Ark.) exclusively explained to the Washington Reporter why he’s supporting them.
Taking on the politicization of the intelligence community is something that Gabbard has prioritized since taking on her new role. Her latest organizational moves included moving both NIC and the presidential daily intelligence brief staff from the CIA to the DNI’s campus nearby.
The Reporter previously covered that Rep. Ben Cline (R., Va.), another member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, supports Gabbard’s reforms.
Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), caused a stir this week when she fired senior leaders of the National Intelligence Council (NIC).
The firings come amidst a broader reorganization of the DNI by Gabbard, who has also been aggressively countering politicized leaks from within the intelligence community — and has referred several for prosecution.
While the top Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Jim Himes (D., Conn.), opposed Gabbard’s move, the top Republican, Rep. Rick Crawford (R., Ark.) exclusively explained to the Washington Reporter why he’s supporting them.
“I have long expressed serious concerns about the National Intelligence Council’s inability to execute a process for developing intelligence assessments that effectively document and address all views,” Crawford said. “We have seen very high-profile examples of this utter failure to adhere to analytic standards and deliver assessments free of personal, political, institutional, or ideological bias, as is required by law.”
Taking on the politicization of the intelligence community is something that Gabbard has prioritized since taking on her new role. Her latest organizational moves included moving both NIC and the presidential daily intelligence brief staff from the CIA to the DNI’s campus nearby.
Crawford explained that problems with the NIC predate President Donald Trump’s second term, according to findings from his committee. “The Committee has noted these concerns on assessments such as anomalous health incidents and COVID-19, amongst others,” he said.
“Correcting the direction of a large ship will never be easy,” Crawford continued. “It’s bound to be laden with obstructions and those looking to undermine change. I believe Director Gabbard has done the right thing, as the Committee’s investigations have found significant issues with the NIC’s products. Politicization has no place in analysis that decisionmakers – both in the Executive and Legislative branches – depend on to be accurate and free of bias. I commend Director Gabbard for making the hard decisions and following through on her promises to increase accountability.”
The Reporter previously covered that Rep. Ben Cline (R., Va.), another member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, supports Gabbard’s reforms. “The politicization of our intelligence agencies is deeply troubling and undermines trust in the institutions tasked with protecting our national security,” Cline said.
These changes have quickly found support elsewhere in Congress too. Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah) is “here for this,” he said; Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R., Okla.) noted that “everything [Gabbard] does is to safeguard American citizens and provide the best possible intelligence to [Trump] and his team to make decisions for the American people”; and Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) said that the Deep State “gets no deeper than the NIC.”
