WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after voting against advancing Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination out of the Intelligence Committee.
“Time and again, Ms. Gabbard has elevated conspiracy theories, parroted dictators’ talking points, and repeatedly undermined our country’s national security. Her poor judgment and lack of national security experience make her wholly unqualified to keep Americans safe as our Director of National Intelligence. Ms. Gabbard’s responses during her nomination hearing made this clear, refusing to call Edward Snowden a traitor and, in response to my questions, falsely denying knowledge of comments by a Syrian cleric she met with in 2017 who threatened to unleash suicide bombers in the United States.
“Put plainly, Tulsi Gabbard is a national security risk. She appears to trust information from every other source but the Intelligence Community. Yet as the Director of National Intelligence, she would be entrusted with providing the most sensitive intelligence to the president and determining what intelligence to share with our allies.
“As I continue to carry out my constitutional duty, I will remain vigilant to ensure that every nominee is properly vetted and has the qualifications to serve.”
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