Tom Cotton Questions DNI Nominees on CCP Threats and Terrorism

ODNI's Original Mission and Bureaucracy

• 🎯 Congress created the ODNI to eliminate intelligence stovepipes and ensure integration across intelligence elements.
• 💡 The nominee commits to working with the committee to restore the ODNI to its original intended purpose.
• ⚠️ The nominee acknowledges that the ODNI has grown over the years, sometimes without regard to its original mission, and agrees it may be becoming just part of the bureaucracy it was meant to eclipse.

Intelligence Community and Department of Defense Collaboration

• 🤝 The nominee agrees that the relationship between the Intelligence Community (IC) and the Department of Defense (DoD) is critical.
• 🗣️ He expresses willingness to work with the committee to examine the need for formal processes or procedures to ensure coordination between the DNI and the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security.
• 🗓️ Currently, there is a weekly sync between the director's advisors for military affairs and OSD INS, and the nominee would expect regular communication with that office if confirmed.

Threat Posed by Communist China

• 🇨🇳 The annual threat assessment states that China stands out as the actor most capable of threatening US interests globally.
• 🇺🇸 There is bipartisan support for preventing the Chinese Communist Party from replacing the United States as the world's dominant economic and military superpower.
• 📊 The nominee has seen the IC assess China as a key adversary and prioritize collecting and analyzing information regarding China's plans and intentions.
• 💰 If confirmed, a priority would be to ensure that IC agencies are adequately resourced and focusing resources on areas related to China.

Ongoing Threat of Terrorism

• ⚠️ While China is the most serious long-term threat, the threat of terrorism remains serious and ongoing.
• ⚡ Terrorists are interested in harming Americans now, with many already inside the United States and others overseas plotting attacks.
• 💬 The nominee agrees with the sentiment that Americans need to understand that terrorism is still interested in them, even if they are not interested in terrorism.