Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.)’s latest confirmation of Joshua Simmons to serve as the CIA’s general counsel continues his track record of quickly facilitating the confirmation of top officials who will serve in President Donald Trump’s intelligence community (IC).
The Senate Intelligence Committee, which Cotton chairs, has confirmed all of Trump’s selected nominees, even amid efforts from committee Democrats to delay and oppose the nominations.
Cotton commends “President Trump for nominating a strong slate of individuals to these important national security roles,” he told the Washington Reporter.
“The world is a dangerous place, and our adversaries have shown that they will not stand by while the President’s full national security team is put in place,” Cotton added. “I’m thankful for the hard work of my colleagues on the committee for getting these nominees confirmed, and I look forward to continuing to refocus our intelligence community on its core mission: stealing secrets to protect Americans.”
CIA Director John Ratcliffe, is glad that Cotton spearheaded Simmons’s confirmation, saying that he is “pleased to officially welcome Josh Simmons as CIA’s next General Counsel. Josh brings an impressive record and the expertise to advance the President’s priorities at the Agency. He will be a valuable asset to our leadership team, in addition to playing a key role in strengthening the CIA.”
A Senate source told the Reporter that “the Hill has noticed that under Cotton, the Senate Intelligence Committee has operated as a well-oiled machine: no drama, fast confirmations, and strong support for the President’s national security policies. What a contrast from the chaos when the Democrats were in charge.”
Other nominees who Cotton has helped clear confirmation hurdles include now-Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard, National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) Director Joe Kent, Principal Deputy DNI Aaron Lukas, Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg, Under-Secretary Matthew Kozma, National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) Director Wes Street, DNI General Counsel John Dever, Inspector General for the Intelligence Community (ICIG) Christopher Fox, CIA Inspector General Peter Thomson, and Assistant Secretary Peter Metzger.
Following Simmons’s confirmation, Cotton told the Reporter that he commends “President Trump for nominating a strong slate of individuals to these important national security roles.”
“The world is a dangerous place, and our adversaries have shown that they will not stand by while the President’s full national security team is put in place,” Cotton added. “I’m thankful for the hard work of my colleagues on the committee for getting these nominees confirmed, and I look forward to continuing to refocus our intelligence community on its core mission: stealing secrets to protect Americans.”
