▶ 0:19:40>> annual worldwide threat assessment hearing. Let me begin by welcoming our esteemed panel of witnesses. The director of national intelligence, tulsi gabbard. Cia director, john ratcliffe. The fbi director, kash patel. The acting director of the national security agency, lieutenant william hartman. And the dia director, james adams. Thank you for your parents and your service.
▶ 0:20:11I also want to offer a special thanks to general hartman, who is about to enter a well-deserved retirement. On behalf of the committee, thank you for your lifetime of service. I would first like to take this opportunity to commend the thousands of men and women in our intelligence agencies, whom our witnesses represent. Our intelligence professionals are second to none. Because of their service and sacrifice americans are safer at home around the world -- and around the world.
▶ 0:20:40Because of the nature of their work, grateful americans do not buy their lunch at restaurants or have a chance to say thank you. Let me simply say, thank you. I want to make two basic points this morning. First, the world is always a dangerous place. Especially for america. But thanks to your agencies and president trump's leadership the world is not quite as dangerous for americans as it was a year ago.
▶ 0:21:05Thanks to the efforts of our military and intelligence personnel, including my fellow arkansans, who are now serving in the middle east, the iranian revolutionary regime that terrorize the world is finally knocked on its back foot. Last summer we devastated iran's nuclear facilities. In recent weeks we have eliminated iran's top leadership, sunk its navy, destroyed its missiles, and left its economy reeling.
▶ 0:21:34After 47 years of indecision and timidity america is -- has finally put our foot down. I'm also pleased to report that things have improved a lot in our own backyard now that venezuela' has legitimate dictator is rotting in a new york prison. Only the united states could execute a military and intelligence operation of this difficulty without a single american life lost. Our military is awesome.
▶ 0:22:03But these operations were not have succeeded and they probably would not have been tried without timely, accurate, and fact-based intelligence from your agencies. These successful operations are a testament to our intelligence professionals' ability to expose and uncover critical details about america's enemies. Let this be a warning to those who wish america harm. We leave no stone unturned and there is no one more no thing close to you that might not betray you.
▶ 0:22:35Today's hearing is an opportunity for the american people hear an unvarnished account of the remaining threats we face from communist china, north korea to the east, to narco terrorist cartels here at home. These threats span the globe. For my second point, your agencies have improved over the last year thanks to reforms that has gotten them back to basics. Of course, like two points are related.
▶ 0:23:03When our intelligence agencies returned to their core mission, stealing the secrets of our adversaries to deliver timely intelligence, america is safer for it. These efforts are already bearing fruit. For example, last year the cia increased its foreign intelligence reporting by 25%. This year the cia is on track to hire and deploy more officers than at any point in the last quarter century. While I am -- while I am encouraged, more remains to be done.
▶ 0:23:32We must always equip our intelligence personnel with the tools they need to do their jobs well and execute their missions. That is why I fully support president trump's request for clean reauthorization of fisa, and it is why I expect a healthy intelligence budget request in the administration's appropriations will last to fund operations against iran and norco terrorists. No doubt we need to supplement a funding.
▶ 0:24:00Our intelligence agencies needed just as badly. I urge all of you to make personnel and institutional reforms that will cement these changes and foreclose a return in the future. The bureaucratic bloat, lyrical bias and excessive caution within your services. When I became chairman I promised real reform across the entire intelligence community.
▶ 0:24:23Our first intelligence authorization act set the foundation for more efficient intelligence community by, for example, reorganizing the odni, improving the security of cia installations, and directing resources toward foreign intelligence collection and covert action. Sheer I'll look forward to going further.
▶ 0:24:43Namely, by growing our cadre of collectors, aching generational investments in capabilities, providing new capabilities to defend space assets and codifying reforms to guard against any future return of loaded and biased bureaucracy. I look forward to working with you towards these ends. I now recognize the vice chairman.
▶ 0:25:02Sen. Warner: Thank you, Mr. chairman. Let me offer a good morning to our witnesses. Me also join you, Mr. chairman, and begin by thinking literally the tens of thousands of men and women across america's intelligence community who work every day to keep our country safe. Their work is, by necessity, secret. That is the nature of intelligence. But that is also why hearings like this one matter so much.
▶ 0:25:31Sen. Warner: Over the past year we have seen a series of developments that raise serious concerns about the erosion of safeguards that protects both our democracy and our security. And nowhere is that more worrying than when it comes to the integrity of our elections.
▶ 0:25:53Sen. Warner: For decades now how intelligence community has warned that foreign adversaries, including russia, china, and iran, are actively seeking to shape the outcome of american elections. These efforts have included cyber intrusions, disinformation campaigns, and covert influence operations designed to divide americans and undermine our confidence in our democratic institutions.
▶ 0:26:21Sen. Warner: Protecting our elections from these threats should be one of the intelligence community's highest priorities. The dni is supposed to be in -- supposed to be coordinating intelligence on foreign election interference. Warning the american people about adversaries seeking to undermine our democracy, ensuring that federal, state, and local officials have the information they need.
▶ 0:26:47Sen. Warner: Congress even required the creation of a foreign malign influence center in the office of the dni. To coordinate the intelligence community's response to foreign election interference and ensure that these threats are properly shared across the government.
▶ 0:27:10Sen. Warner: While foreign adversaries are actively probing our democratic institutions, the dni has eliminated the foreign malign influence center, and does not have a designated official coordinating the response to election threats. And for months the committee has reportedly -- has repeatedly requested briefings from the icy. -- ic.
▶ 0:27:42Sen. Warner: On threats a threat to the midterms. That silence should concern every member of the committee, because it demonstrates the dni is not interested in protecting american democracy by combating foreign influence. Instead, unfortunately we have seen the dni involve ourselves in purely domestic matters.
▶ 0:28:04Sen. Warner: Last month we saw director gabbard personally participate in a law-enforcement rate raid to seize election ballots and voting machine records in fulton county, georgia. A raid tight to an election that the president lost six years ago. When the war and supporting the raid was unsealed it showed something deeply troubling. There was no foreign connection. Justify the involvement of our nations top spy.
▶ 0:28:37Sen. Warner: Instead, the predicate for the warrant was a slop of debunked conspiracy theories that had already been rejected repeatedly by courts, by independent investigators, and even by georgia's own republican secretary of state. Yet the nation's top intelligence official was personally involved in this operation. This raises one very serious question.
▶ 0:29:04Sen. Warner: If the intelligence community is not being deployed to mobilize against foreign threats, lies it being deployed at all on a domestic issue? The dni's appearance as well as their involvement in seizing voting machines from puerto rico suggest something that should also alarm every american. I believe an organized effort to misuse her national security powers to interfere in domestic politics.
▶ 0:29:35Sen. Warner: And potentially provide a pretext for the president's unconstitutional efforts to seize control of the upcoming elections. Don't take my word for it. The president has repeatedly pushed for the nationalization of our elections. Calling for federal government to override the state election laws and "takeover voting" while continuing to make fall state -- full statement about election fraud. And we have heard troubling rhetoric from senior officials that reinforce these concerns.
▶ 0:30:08Sen. Warner: As former homeland security secretary kristi noem said publicly, we have been -- and this is a quote -- we have been proactive, trying to make sure we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country. At the same time, the administration has broadened the government individuals promoting conspiracy theories about our elections.
▶ 0:30:35Sen. Warner: The so-called white house director of election security and integrity, kurt olsen played a key role in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Now, Mr. olson holds a position inside the federal government, with the authority to refer criminal investigations, and access our most sensitive security information. All supposedly witchhunts around elections.
▶ 0:31:03Sen. Warner: According to the court filings he helped trigger, the fbi seizure of the ballots in fulton county, so it is worth asking why someone whose career has been devoted to undermining the legitimate results of a democratic election now operating from within the federal government, with access to law enforcement, and intelligence authorities, what exactly has he been empowered to do?
▶ 0:31:30Sen. Warner: As numbers of our committee no, this committee was created in the aftermath of the unconstitutional abuses exposed after watergate. The guardrails had been built around our intelligence and law enforcement agencies over the past several decades and exist for a reason. Without them america begins to look more like adversaries, -- adversaries emphasized in this years threat assessment.
▶ 0:32:00Sen. Warner: China, russia, iran, north korea. And less like a democracy. Confronting these very clear and present threats to american security requires experienced professionals and intelligence agencies that are focused squarely on their mission. Instead, over the past year we have seen actions that only serve to weaken them.
▶ 0:32:24Sen. Warner: But -- politically-motivated purges at the fbi have resulted in the exodus of hundreds of agents and the reassignments of hundreds more, from key national security areas, like counterintelligence, antiterrorism, and cyber, and where have they been redeployed to? Immigration enforcement. In one troubling case agents working on a task force focused on threats from iran. Clearly something that is important right now.
▶ 0:32:56Sen. Warner: They were dismissed because they had previously participated in the investigation of the president's mishandling of classified information. Elsewhere the bureau's budget is being slashed. Last year a coat over $500 million, with the largest decreases from cyber, counterterrorism, and counterespionage.
▶ 0:33:21Sen. Warner: Scarce resources are being squandered and things like a $60 million jet for the director's personal travel so he can go golfing in scotland or parting with athletes in milan. According to whistleblower accounts those flights became so frequent they even delayed the bureau's response to major incidents like the charlie kirk assassination or the shooting at brown university. Edible reports indicate that highly-trained fbi agent's from elite swat units have been reassigned. To show for his girlfriend.
▶ 0:33:53Sen. Warner: An unprecedented use of personnel whose training are actually intended for hunting violent criminals and neutralizing terrorists. Unfortunately this dysfunction has not been limited to the fbi. Both the national security agency and defense intelligence agency -- and this is no flexion on the two gentlemen sitting in front of us -- were both left leaderless for months after the president fired the directors.
▶ 0:34:19Sen. Warner: One at the behest of a 9/11 conspiracy theorist, and the other for providing a fact-based assessment that contradicted the president's claims about obliterating iran's nuclear program. Clearly if the program had been truly obliterated the president would not be bombing again right now.
▶ 0:34:43Sen. Warner: Again, more than one third of the personnel create a by congress to protect critical infrastructure like power, water, and election systems has -- have been forced out. That seems like a real mistake as we grapple with the intrusion and the recent iranian cyberattack. We are now seeing in real time the cost to the state department.
▶ 0:35:11Sen. Warner: Dozens of american citizens were trapped in a literal war zone with little assistance from their own governments. For time those calling the state department hotline for assistance were greeted with a prerecorded message that said, "please do not rely on the U.S. government for assisted departure evacuation. This was a foreseeable security crisis.
▶ 0:35:34Sen. Warner: When you start a war of choice, when there was no imminent threat, you should be able to prepare to get americans onto the war zone. That same attitude, pushing some of our closest friends into the arms of our most capable foes, has profound consequences.
▶ 0:35:57Sen. Warner: Two of our most significant allies, canada and the u.k., or working to sign trade deals with china because they no longer believe the united states is a dependable partner. That is a remarkable statement in 2026.
▶ 0:36:13Sen. Warner: And in the president's war of choice with iran, a war that has already killed 14 servicemembers, cost american taxpayers billions of dollars, and scrambled supply chains from oil to fertilizer to aluminum, nobody and should the call when the president asked our allies to reopen the strait of hormuz.
▶ 0:36:37Sen. Warner: As the president's own cover -- counterterrorism chief acknowledged in his resignation yesterday, iran posed an imminent threat to the united states. Unfortunately, our allies have been alienated and distracted by the administration's unilateral -- much like invading greenland -- and the result is clear. Americans have been left more exposed, in an already-dangerous conflict.
▶ 0:37:04Sen. Warner: Now, when I say when I outlined is quite a list, it is a partial one. We have a full list we would like to share. What does this all mean? It matters, because I believe the warnings contained in this year's annual threat assessment. I believe our ic, when they say the global security environment is becoming more complex and that armed conflict is becoming more global.
▶ 0:37:32Sen. Warner: And I also agree with the assessment when it says that to succeed we must think prudently and prioritize our efforts. On the topic of the annual threat assessment and want to close where I began, by noting that since the first time since 2017, in the aftermath of russia's intervention in our 2016 elections, the annual threat assessment includes nothing -- nothing -- about
▶ 0:38:04Sen. Warner: Adversary attempts to influence american elections. I don't believe this means the threat has disappeared. It means the intelligence community is no longer being allowed to speak honestly about it. And it raises serious questions. I will be asking about your priorities, director gabbard, and jews -- in terms of what you are choosing to prioritize. Thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 0:38:28Chair Cotton: Before we go, the witnesses know we have a critical mass of members. We'll handle questions as we did last day. Seniority at the time of the gavel, and alternating between democrats and republicans. We will have one round of questions, seven minutes per round. I will not entertain questions after the seven minute time has expired. I expect to convene the closed session in our location promptly 30 minutes after the open session begins.
▶ 0:38:58Chair Cotton: Director gabbard, the floor is yours.
▶ 0:39:02Chair Cotton: Thank you, chairman cotton, members of the
▶ 0:39:06Dir. Gabbard: Committee. I'm here to present dir.
▶ 0:39:08Gabbard: To 20 26 annual threat assessment, joined by the directors of the cia, fbi, dia, and nsa. Before I continue, on behalf of the intelligence community, I wanted to extend our thanks to general hartman for his 37 years of service in uniform. And closing out his 37 years with tremendous leadership of the nsa. This briefing is being provided in coordination with odni statutory responsibility.
▶ 0:39:39Gabbard: What I'm briefing here today conveys the intelligence community's assessment of the threats facing american citizens. Not my personal views or opinions. We are following the structure parodies that were laid out in the president's national security strategy, starting with threats to our homeland and shifting to global risks.
▶ 0:40:02Gabbard: The defense of our homeland is of the upmost importance to the american people, and efforts by this administration have shown over the last year the results of bolstering homeland defense in the security of the american people. For example, the strict enforcement at the border have served as a deterrent, just reducing illegal immigration.
▶ 0:40:27Gabbard: Based on customs and border patrol data january 2026' us monthly encounters are down 83.8% compared to january 2025. Encounters declined to 79% compared to 2024. The drivers of migration are likely to continue.
▶ 0:40:44Gabbard: Attentional worsening instability in countries like cuba and haiti risk surges, and smugglers who have long operated as kamil organizations continue to view chaos as an opportunity for profit. And will continue to look to profit from illegal immigration flows. These transnational criminal organizations pose a daily indirect threat to the health and safety of millions of U.S.
▶ 0:41:11Gabbard: Citizens, primarily and directly by producing and trafficking in illegal drugs. Under president trump's leadership fentanyl overdose deaths have seen a 30% decrease from september 2024 to september 2025. President trump's aggressive efforts to directly and actively target these organizations and reduce the inflow of fentanyl precursors has already had a significant impact which is likely to continue.
▶ 0:41:42Gabbard: We have seen fentanyl potency decrease, likely due to disruptions in the supply chain. U.S. efforts to work with china and india to halt the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals to north america are demonstrating some improvement, but there is more work to be done, as sadly there are tens of thousands of fentanyl-related deaths in america every year.
▶ 0:42:06Gabbard: Mexico-based tco's like the sinaloa cartel dominate the production and smuggling of fentanyl, heroin, meth, and cocaine into the united states. Colby-based tco's and armed groups like the armed forces of colombia and the national liberation army are responsible for producing and trafficking large volumes of cocaine to the usa and european markets, with some indicators of attempts to expand their market to the asia-pacific region.
▶ 0:42:36Gabbard: Columbia remains the world's largest producer of cocaine and colombian criminal groups have expanded the trafficking relationships with neighboring ecuadorian and brazilian gangs. As you know, ms 13 is well-established in cells within the united states and uses violence to intimidate the salvadoran ds burke, engaging in murder, extortion, trafficking, and prostitution, fueling violence and instability.
▶ 0:43:04Gabbard: These and other tco's present a very tangible and individualized risk of violent crime to everyday americans and contribute to regional instability. As the president increases his focus on capital-drug and counter-cartel, they are likely to seek ways to adapt their operations, including shifting production locations and trafficking routes and methods.
▶ 0:43:28Gabbard: The united states continues to face a complex and evolving threat landscape that a diverse group of islamist actors seek to harm americans, even as al qaeda and isis remained weaker today than they were at their respective peaks.
▶ 0:43:46Gabbard: The spread of islamist ideology in some cases led by individuals and organizations associated with the muslim brotherhood poses a fundamental threat to freedom and the foundational principles that underpin western civilization. Islamist groups and individuals use this ideology for recruiting and financial support, for terrorist groups and individuals around the world. And to advance their political objectives of establishing an islamist caliphate which governs based on sharia.
▶ 0:44:16Gabbard: There are -- there are increasing examples of this in european countries and president trump's designation of certain muslim brotherhood chapters as terrorist organizations is a method to secure americans against this threat. In response to setbacks to their capabilities of conducting large-scale, complex attacks islamist terrorist groups have shifted toward focusing on executing information operations to spread propaganda and inspire or enable individuals located in or with access to the west.
▶ 0:44:47Gabbard: U.S. counterterrorism efforts primarily in iraq, somalia, yemen, and syria in 2025 were instrumental in removing terrorist leaders and upper -- and operatives, to quickly reconstitute its leadership and plan large-scale attacks against the homeland and U.S. interests abroad.
▶ 0:45:11Gabbard: Increased deportations of individuals with suspected links to islamist terrorists have reduced access to the homeland and move some potential sources of future terrorist attacks. Since january U.S. officials have only had a handful of encounters at our borders with individuals associated with terrorist groups. This is a positive trend, however our intra-agency coordinated efforts to identify and remove known or suspected terrorists who may already be in the united states continues with vigilance.
▶ 0:45:43Gabbard: In 2025 there were at least three islamist terrorist attacks in the united states. Law enforcement disrupted at least 15 U.S.-based islamist terrorist plotters. Roughly half of last year's disrupted plotters had some online contact with islamist terrorists inspired by islamist foreign terrorist organizations abroad. For example, in the recent attempt to attack a synagogue in michigan the individual had ties to a hezbollah leader.
▶ 0:46:12Gabbard: Al qaeda and isis pose threats to U.S. interests overseas. Isis in south asia and isis in syria are among the most likely groups conduct external plotting.
▶ 0:46:29Gabbard: Isis in syria is likely seeking to rebuild its ranks, expand support networks, and solicit funds by re-engaging with and recruiting from the hundreds of isis detainees and thousands of isis-linked women and children who were either released or escaped from prisons and displaced -- in displaced person camps that were run by the syrian democratic forces.
▶ 0:46:54Gabbard: The present a risk broader in scope by seeking new capabilities in connecticut and cyber warfare. Continues to ensure safety can strategic threats. However, some of your intelligence community assesses that china, north korea, iran, and pakistan have been researching and developing novel, advanced, or traditional missile systems with conventional and nuclear payloads that put within range.
▶ 0:47:25Gabbard: The ic assesses that threats to the homeland will expand to more than 16,000 missiles by 2035. The current assessed figure of more than 3000 missiles. The ic assesses that china and russia are developing advanced delivery systems meant to be capable of penetrating or bypassing U.S. missile defenses. North korea's icbms can already reach U.S. soil and the ics -- ic assesses that it is committed to expanding its nuclear arsenal.
▶ 0:47:55Gabbard: Pakistan's -- pakistan's missile development could include icbms, with a range capable of striking the homeland. The ic assesses that iran has previously demonstrated space launch and other technology. It could use to developed a viable icbm by 2035, should tehran ascent to pursue that capability.
▶ 0:48:16Gabbard: However, these assessments will really be updated as the full impact of operation epic fury's devastating strikes on iran's missile production facilities, stockpiles and launch stockpiles are determined. These nations will likely seek to understand U.S. plans for advanced missile defense for the homeland. Rubble be for the purpose of shaping their own missile development programs and assessing U.S. intentions regarding deterrence.
▶ 0:48:42Gabbard: Shifting to the cyber domain the ic assesses that china, russia, iran, north korea and ransomware groups will continue to seek to compromise U.S. government and private sector networks as well as critical infrastructure to do -- to collect intelligence, create options for future disruption, and for financial gain. The ic assesses that china and russia present the most persistent and active threats under continuing their r&d efforts. North korea's cyber program is sophisticated and agile.
▶ 0:49:14Gabbard: Bumble 2020 five north korea's cryptocurrency heist probably still too billion dollars, which the ic assesses is helping to fund regime and include further develop meant of its strategic weapons programs. Financially or ideologically motivated non-state actors are becoming more bold, with ransomware groups shifting to faster, high-volume attacks that are harder to identify and mitigate. Innovation in the field of intelligence will likely accelerate these threats in the cyber domain.
▶ 0:49:42Gabbard: The ic assesses it will increasingly shape cyber operations with cyber operators and defenders using these tools to improve their speed and effectiveness. Example, in august 2025 cyber actors used an ai tool to conduct a data extortion operation against international government, health care, and public health emergency service sectors, as well as religious institutions.
▶ 0:50:08Gabbard: Moving to the arctic, the ic assesses that russia into a lesser extent china and to strengthen their presence in the region through increased maritime trade, natural resource extraction and military activity. Russia, which has the longest coastline in the arctic, has long -- long-sought recognition of its polar great power status and is deploying more military forces in building new permanent infrastructure. China, though not an arctic country, is engaged in more limited efforts to advance its own strategic and economic interests.
▶ 0:50:42Gabbard: The ic assesses that china is the most capable competitor in the field of artificial intelligence. The ic assesses that ai capabilities are rapidly advancing and changing the threat landscape. As this is a defining technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human learning comprehension, problem-solving, get to pity, and autonomy it will be critical to ensure that humans remain in control of how ai is used and of the machines that may threaten to violate the interests of the american people across all
▶ 0:51:12Gabbard: Domains. Ai adoption at scale across the spectrum of usage poses serious risks. Ai has the potential to aid in weapons and systems design has been used in recent conflicts to influence targeting and streamline decision-making, underscoring the risk and threats can manifest on the battlefield.
▶ 0:51:34Gabbard: Early developers in the quantum computers will give countries an extraordinary technological advantage over others to quickly process national security information and break current encryption methodology used to protect sensitive finance, health care, and government information. The global security landscape is volatile and complex, with armed conflict growing more common and posing potential threats against U.S. interests.
▶ 0:52:02Gabbard: Strategic competition in regional and small powers are more willing to use force to pursue their interests, heightening the risk of conflict. The ic assesses the space domain is becoming increasingly contested, with china and russia developing counterspace capabilities to challenge U.S. space efforts. The threat of nuclear proliferation and advancing chemical and biological warfare capabilities continues to grow.
▶ 0:52:28Gabbard: I will turn out to our neighborhood in the western hemisphere, where flagging economies, high crime rates, pervasive organized crime, crime flows, narcotics trafficking, all of these present a spectrum of risks to U.S. interests and were strategic competitors seek to gain her influence in the region. The ic assesses that latin america and the caribbean almost certainly will see hotspots of volatility in the coming year.
▶ 0:52:55Gabbard: Since maduro's arrest the ic assesses a shift in venezuela's leadership towards cooperating with the U.S. to open its economy, to develop the country's oil and gas extraction capability and we have seen their movement in releasing political prisoners. U.S.-mexico-canada agreement review in 2026 will likely increase uncertainty in many latin american countries, especially those that rely on mexico as an export destination for intermediate goods and onward export to the U.S.
▶ 0:53:24Gabbard: New china, russia, and iran are likely seeking to sustain economic political and military engagement with latin america. The ic assesses that china's demand for raw materials is likely to continue to drive its economic outreach while russia likely wants to expand its current security and diplomatic ties with cuba and nicaragua.
▶ 0:53:46Gabbard: The ic assesses that china aims to elevate its political and technological power to increase its own regional position and global influence to fend off threats to their interests. While there are challenging areas where interests diverge, president trumps diplomatic engagements with president xi have enable progress where those interests align.
▶ 0:54:10Gabbard: The ic assesses that china continues to rapidly modernize its military forces across all domains in some -- in pursuit of its goal to achieve world-class status by mid century. This includes building a force with the aim of being able to deter forces in the region and to achieve their stated objective of developing the ability to seize taiwan by force, if necessary.
▶ 0:54:34Gabbard: The ic assesses that likely -- that china likely prefers to set the contention -- conditions for a peaceful reunion with taiwan, short of conflict. The ic assesses that a confident north korean regime remains a source of concern. It's weapons of mass destruction, its conventional military capabilities, illicit cyber activities, and willingness to use asymmetric capabilities poses a threat to the U.S. and its allies, particularly south korea and japan.
▶ 0:55:04Gabbard: With korea's partnership with russia is growing. And in 2025 kim took steps to improve ties with china. Still north korea's most important trading partner and economic benefactor. The ic assesses that north korean support for russia been with warned ukraine has increased north korea's capabilities as their forces have gained combat experience in 21st century warfare, along with equipment.
▶ 0:55:30Gabbard: In 2024 north korea deployed more than 11,000 troops to russia to support combat operations in kursk. Pyongyang continues to develop and expand its strategic weapons programs, including missiles that can evade U.S. and regional missile defenses. It is continuing to work to increase its nuclear warhead stockpile. And maintains biological and chemical weapons capabilities. Russia retains the capability to selectively challenge U.S. interests globally by military and nonmilitary means.
▶ 0:55:59Gabbard: The ic assesses that the most dangerous threat of -- imposed by russia is the potential of an escalatory spiral and an ongoing conflict such as ukraine, or a new conflict that led to hostilities, including a potential deployment of nuclear weapons. The ic assesses that prudent continues to invest in russia's defense industrial base, as well as novel capabilities that may pose a threat to the U.S. homeland and forces abroad that conventional weapons.
▶ 0:56:29Gabbard: Russia has advanced systems, hypersonic missiles, and undersea capabilities designed to negate U.S. military advantage. Moscow also relies on other tools to exert pressure using tactics to further its own goals and compete below the level of armed conflict. Russia is also building an extensive counterspace capabilities to contest U.S.-based dominance. Its development of a nuclear counterspace weapon poses the greatest single threat to the world's space architecture.
▶ 0:57:00Gabbard: During the past year the ic assesses that russia has maintained the upper hand in the war against japan. Negotiations between moscow and kyiv are ongoing. Until such an agreement is not moscow is likely to keep fighting a slow war of attrition. In the middle east conflict and instability will shape security, political and economic dynamics.
▶ 0:57:23Gabbard: The ic assesses that operation is advancing fundamental change in the region that began with hamas's attack on israel on october 7, 2020 three and continued with the 12-they were last year resulting in weakening iran and its proxies. The ic assesses the regime in iran appears to be intact but degraded, due to attacks on its leadership and military capabilities.
▶ 0:57:52Gabbard: Its conventional military power projection capabilities have largely been destroyed, leaving limited options. Run's strategic position has been significantly degraded. U.S. -- the U.S.-led maximum pressure campaign and snap back of sanctions added pressure to an already-bleak iranian economy, resulting in protests this year that tehran suppressed by killing thousands of protesters.
▶ 0:58:18Gabbard: Even if the regime remains intact the ic assesses that internal tensions are likely to increase as iran's economy worsens. Even so, iran and its proxies continue to attack U.S. and allied interest in the middle east. The ic assesses that if a hostile regime survives it will likely seek to begin a years-long effort to rebuild its military, missiles, and uav forces.
▶ 0:58:45Gabbard: Prior to operation epic fury the ic assesses iran was trying to recover from the damage to its infrastructure sustained during the 12 day war and continue to refuse to comply with its nuclear obligations with the iaea, refusing them access to key facilities. The ic assesses that china, russia, and north korea see the united states as a strategic competitor and potential adversary. Iran has long viewed the U.S. has an adversary and has engaged in active conflict with the U.S. as of today.
▶ 0:59:17Gabbard: These four countries are likely to continue their selective cooperation with each other, which could bolster their individual capabilities and threats to U.S. interests more broadly. However, currently these relationships are primarily bilateral, on selective issues, and depend on water circumstances, diversion interests, and in some cases concerns over directly confronting the united states. These factors are likely to constrain their relationships.
▶ 0:59:47Gabbard: Finally, conflicts on the continent of africa are likely to persist through 2026 due to poor governance, economic demands, and external support. Tensions continue between the -- between ethiopia and eritrea, which could accelerate to conflict. Contentious national elections in small air could distract the government away from counterterrorism operations against al-shabaab.
▶ 1:00:17Gabbard: The civil war in sudan continues, even as external negotiations occur. Isis in west africa have increased the intensity of their attacks against local security forces, expanding their areas of operation and moving closer to cities with a present. The ic assesses that african governments will likely use their wealth in critical minerals to seek partnerships with meaningful benefit. Conflicts and crises across the continent will put U.S.
▶ 1:00:46Gabbard: Citizens at risk and cause further instability. In closing, as the leaders of the intelligence community, we remain committed to providing the president and policymakers with timely, unbiased, intelligence to inform decision-making and ensure the safety and freedom of the american people. Thank you.
▶ 1:01:05Chair Cotton: Thank you. General adams, camden, arkansas is the home of brand-new production lines for the israeli missile defense interceptors. Could you explain how critical arrow and iron dome systems being built in camden are for not only israel's defenses, but the defense of hundreds of thousands of american citizens and troops in the region?
▶ 1:01:29Dir. Adams: Thank you for that question. I have to say, the arrow system and iron dome system are critical. Systems that prevent adversary power projection from impacting the targets in friendly areas in israel. The arrow system itself is the high altitude, primarily against him rb -- mrbm's.
▶ 1:02:02Dir. Adams: The iron dome is more of a closer end system, protecting against rockets. The combination of those two with U.S. systems creates a shield to prevent those attacks from the iranians impacting key areas in areas where they are protecting.
▶ 1:02:20Chair Cotton: Thank you, general adams. I was recently in camden with secretary hegseth as part of his tour. They are doing great work to keep our nations safe. Commander hartman, we have talked about part-time formations such as the arkansas national guard's cyberspace operations squadron are great way to grow the force.
▶ 1:02:46Chair Cotton: What recommendations do you have to grow the cyber protection teams and develop more capacity for local and national missions?
▶ 1:02:56Cdr. Hartman: Thank you for the question. I did hear about the great team in arkansas. I know 855 operates from there. Certainly looking at a number of initiatives. One, to ensure we can share all of the relevant top secret information, and other indications and warning the organizations need.
▶ 1:03:18Cdr. Hartman: But I will tell you, I'm an advocate for an ability to establish some joint reserve cyber organization so that at cyber, we can ensure that those organizations have all of the advanced training they need to ensure those organizations have access to all of the intelligence they need.
▶ 1:03:39Cdr. Hartman: And to ensure that we control some level of funding at cyber, and nsa that can be used to mobilize those personnel to handle the most difficult problems we are faced with. We have been working with congress on some of that language and we appreciate it.
▶ 1:03:53Chair Cotton: Thank you. As I said in my opening, we only have this one public hearing a year, even though the committee hears from each of the throughout the year in classified settings. We don't often have a chance to tell the american people what great work there intelligence professionals are doing for them.
▶ 1:04:14Chair Cotton: Director ratcliffe, could you take the opportunity to join in the excellent briefings that secretary hegseth and general caine have provided on a regular basis over the last couple of months on the military aspects of both the maduro raid and operation epic fury, to explain the cia's contributions to those operations?
▶ 1:04:33Dir. Ratcliffe: Thank you, senator. Last year when I was here in my confirmation I promised you all -- and you had all asked for -- a more aggressive cia. And that was focused on core mission. Getting back to the business of stealing secrets.
▶ 1:04:52Dir. Ratcliffe: To be able to provide our policymakers with a decisive strategic advantage that would allow an advance and contribute to foreign policy and national security successes. To the credit of the car workforce, the cia has delivered. Some of those successes have been very public.
▶ 1:05:15Dir. Ratcliffe: As you mention, senator, operation midnight hammer, operation absolute resolve, flawless military operations like that are hostage to a flawless intelligence picture and the cia, as you know from classified briefings, contributed in myriad ways to the success of that.
▶ 1:05:33Dir. Ratcliffe: What I would say to you is, those successes are just emblem attic of the phenomenal progress and success by every measure, every metric, every standard across every national security space with regard to the work of the cia. Senator, you mentioned some of it in your opening. The increase of our assets stable in our human sources, up by 25%. Our foreign intelligence collection, up by 25% overall.
▶ 1:06:07Dir. Ratcliffe: And in important categories like china, up 100%. In areas like tech and ai, up 45%. On the counter-narcotics front, up by 70%. With regard to counterterrorism, those are classified numbers I will share with you in the classified portion of this hearing, but they are off the chart -- off the charts good. I had a 32-year veteran of the agency retire this year and he said to me, I hate to go.
▶ 1:06:38Dir. Ratcliffe: I don't know if this is the best year the cia has ever had, but it is the best year I can never remember. I think that reflects the morale of the current cia. It is a workforce that knows it is doing a great job. It knows it is being allowed to do what they signed up to do, which is provide that decisive strategic exit -- advantage to our country for great success is that everyone can see. I think you for the opportunity to let me recognize the cia workforce.
▶ 1:07:05Chair Cotton: Thank you. Director ratcliffe, I want to address one specific threat from iran. The third of an intercontinental missile, which is the combination of two technologies. One, to get into space, and a reentry vehicle to get back to earth. Iran has always had a space launch program, which is flimsy cover for the first part of their program. I have not seen in -- any iranian national not in space lately. They already have missiles which have a reentry vehicle.
▶ 1:07:38Chair Cotton: If you crudely married those technologies together I have heard analysts say iran could have had a functioning intercontinental missile to threaten the united states in as few as six months. Would you agree with that assessment?
▶ 1:07:51You Are Dir. Ratcliffe: Right to be concerned about iran's development of ballistic missiles, senator. If iran were allowed to develop irbm ranges it would threaten most of europe, and as you mentioned, we know that iran is gaining experience in these larger, more powerful booster technologies through its so-called space launch vehicle program.
▶ 1:08:22You Are Dir. Ratcliffe: If left unimpeded, they would have the ability to range missiles to the continental U.S. new it is one of the reasons why degrading iran's missile production capabilities that is taking place right now in operation epic fury is important to our national security.
▶ 1:08:40Chair Cotton: Thank you. Vice chairman?
▶ 1:08:42Sen. Warner: Thank you, Mr. chairman. Director gabbard, the whole country knows that you were recently involved in an fbi operation to seize ballots in fulton county, georgia. Yet this was despite the fact that the warrants showed no foreign interference. As a matter of fact, the warrant was based entirely on conspiracy theories that have already been examined and rejected repeatedly.
▶ 1:09:13Sen. Warner: Where is the authority for you to involve yourself in a domestic law enforcement activity?
▶ 1:09:20Dir. Gabbard: Thank you, vice chairman. I appreciate the question. As you know, I have addressed every issue you have raised in detail in a letter but I am happy to do it in this form. As you stated, congress provided by statute, odni, with the responsibility of election security and counterintelligence. In 2021. Odni has purview --
▶ 1:09:44Sen. Risch: I know the history
▶ 1:09:46Very Well -- Sen. Warner: I know the history very well. Could you address it?
▶ 1:09:50Dir. Gabbard: Odni has purview over two domestic-related agencies. The department of homeland security and the fbi, both of which have purview over election security responsibilities to ensure the integrity of our elections. I want to correct one of your statements which is false. I did not participate in a law enforcement activity. Nor would I, because that does not exist within my authorities.
▶ 1:10:17Sen. Warner: You were present on the scene. Other photos of you on the scene false?
▶ 1:10:21Dir. Gabbard: I was at fulton county at the request of the president, and to work with the fbi to observe this action that had long been awaited. I was not aware of what was in the warrant are not in the warrant.
▶ 1:10:34Sen. Warner: Was the president's specific request for you to show up in fulton county?
▶ 1:10:40Dir. Gabbard: To go and observe the fbi's activities on this issue.
▶ 1:10:45Sen. Warner: Do you have the answer, why the president was knowing about this affidavit before was even served?
▶ 1:10:51Dir. Gabbard: I'm not aware that the president knew about the affidavit before was served.
▶ 1:10:56Sen. Warner: Then why was he sending you to fulton county?
▶ 1:10:59Dir. Gabbard: This happened the day the fbi had their warrant approved by a judge and they began to execute this. About the foreign's question, an order for us to better understand the vulnerabilities in our election systems that may exist today as we look at 2026 -- and we are very focused on trying to make sure the selection is one the american people have --
▶ 1:11:23Sen. Warner: I've got a number of questions. Let me ask my next question, please. You have not provided any of the wired reports or briefings to this committee on foreign interference. This is the first threat assessment since 2017. That did not even mention foreign interference last year, when you were already confirmed. It mentioned at a high level.
▶ 1:11:56Sen. Warner: You saying there is no foreign threat to our elections in the midterms this year?
▶ 1:12:00Dir. Gabbard: As a stated in the outset of my remarks this year's annual threat assessment matches the prioritization of threats --
▶ 1:12:07Sen. Warner: Please answer the question. Yes or no, is there foreign threat interference in our elections the show?
▶ 1:12:15Dir. Gabbard: Please allow me to answer the question. The intelligence community remains focused on any intelligent products --
▶ 1:12:22Sen. Warner: Ma'am, you are -- ma'am. So far there has been none then, because you have made no reports -- excuse me. If you want to ask the questions you should have stayed in congress.
▶ 1:12:35Please Dir. Gabbard: Dir.
▶ 1:12:35Gabbard: Answer the questions. I didn't ask you a question, sir.
▶ 1:12:37Sen. Warner: You are saying the failure to provide reports for the failure to have any mention of a foreign threat assessment, I would draw the conclusion there must be no foreign debt to our elections in 2026. That brings me a question I have for both you and director patel. There are reports that in 2020 the president was preparing an executive order, potentially to seize ballots or bring in federal forces.
▶ 1:13:07Sen. Warner: There is a published report that there is a similar eob being drafted right now about 2026, citing china. Dr. patel, do you have any knowledge of that draft eo?
▶ 1:13:18Dir. Patel: I do not, sir.
▶ 1:13:20Sen. Warner: Director gabbard, do you have any?
▶ 1:13:23Dir. Gabbard: No.
▶ 1:13:24Sen. Warner: Let me move to iran. I appreciate it, director gabbard, your comments about the president having sole authority in his bones to declare whether something is an imminent threat. I did not agree with your friend, Mr. kent, but I agreed with him yesterday on the fact that there was no imminent threat.
▶ 1:13:49Sen. Warner: I guess what I'm concerned about is, even in your printed testimony today, page six, and your last paragraph on page six, as a result of operation midnight hammer, missile programs obliterated, there has been no effort to rebuild their enrichment capability -- you omitted that paragraph from your oral opening. Was that because the president said there was an imminent
▶ 1:14:17Threat Two Dir. Gabbard: Weeks?
▶ 1:14:19Dir. Gabbard: I recognized that the time was running long and I skipped through some other portions --
▶ 1:14:23Sen. Warner: You chose to omit the parts that contradict the president. The president continues to say as well that, you know, he had no idea was shot -- that the iranians had moved to take over the strait of hormuz. Did you provide any intelligence that would say it would be -- that it was not likely the iranians would try to move on the strait?
▶ 1:14:51Dir. Gabbard: I'm not aware of those remarks and those of us here at the table can point to the fact that historically the iranians have always threatened to leverage their control --
▶ 1:15:00Sen. Warner: Why would the president say he was amazed? What about the comments the president made that he was surprised to get reports that iran struck the adjacent gulf states?
▶ 1:15:11Dir. Gabbard: I'm not aware of those remarks.
▶ 1:15:14Sen. Warner: Did you brief the president? Did you brief the president, if he starts a war of choice, that the likely result would be that iran would strike adjacent gulf nations and close the strait of hormuz? Did you brief him on those two facts, that if they have been consistently the assumptions of the intelligence community?
▶ 1:15:41Dir. Gabbard: I have not and will not divulge internal conversations. I will say, those of us within the intelligence community continue to provide the president with all of the best objective intelligence available to inform his decisions.
▶ 1:15:55Chair Cotton: Senator collins.
▶ 1:15:59Sen. Collins: Director gabbard, you have just testified that isis and al qaeda are significantly weaker. And reflecting that view, you have devoted declining budgets, personnel, and emphasis on countering terrorism.
▶ 1:16:26Sen. Collins: Yet the fact the fact is that isis is growing and active in somalia, afghanistan, syria, pakistan and iraq. Al-qaida is surge in afghanistan, the arabian peninsula and throughout central africa. The houthis in yemen and the rest of the iranian proxies remain a serious threat.
▶ 1:16:56Sen. Collins: Focusing as you have done on great power competitors seems to have diverted resources from the fight against terrorism, a fight that is very much still going on. As I have said repeatedly, it is terrorists who want and can kill americans today.
▶ 1:17:24Sen. Collins: We have just seen terrorists in michigan and attacking the synagogue. In addition it appears that we are stone piped effort to enter the intelligence committee has returned. How are you ensuring that americans are safe and that you are encountering counterterrorism threats to our homeland and U.S.
▶ 1:17:54Sen. Collins: Citizens abroad? >> thank you, senator collins for your questions and the opportunity to clarify. My reference to the size of isis and al qaeda organizationally is smaller and weaker than it was during its peak over a decade ago. However I completely concur with your remarks about the threat of isis, al-qaida and other terrorist groups around the world.
▶ 1:18:24Sen. Collins: And the threat that they posed to other service members and directed to the homeland. We have been at the forefront of ramping up and I believe it is more active today than it has been in a long time. We are dedicating every resource they asked for as well as the counterterrorism elements across the ic to make sure we are never taking our eye off of this persistent threat to the american people.
▶ 1:18:54Sen. Collins: The change in tactics is something we continue to be most concerned about. We are seeing less indicators of large-scale organized complex threats or attacks and instead efforts focused on individuals either who have been radicalized by islamist propaganda and may never have had contact with isis or al qaeda and others who have had contact with which we are able to have more indications of
▶ 1:19:27Sen. Collins: . This remains and will be and as we come to present our budgets to you a foremost and primary priority, the integration across the intelligence committee on the counterterrorism threat occurs every single day with teams working very effectively together to thwart terrorist attacks as we have over the last year.
▶ 1:19:49Sen. Collins: Director patel, I will follow up with you. I.c.e.'s targets on groups through social media, gaming platforms, encrypted messaging apps, isis even facilitated a network online to smuggle illegal immigrants into the united states since april of 2021.
▶ 1:20:15Sen. Collins: There have been more than 52 jihadists inspired cases across 30 states. What measures is the fbi taking to predict foreign terrorist organizations from recruiting or influencing americans while also ensuring the protection of individuals right to privacy?
▶ 1:20:47Dir. Patel: I think you said it best. They have transferred their capabilities to online recruitments which makes any terrorist organization including isis all the more powerful. What we have done is expanded resources to environments like the threat screening center which allows us to collect biometric capabilities from all over the world. We have had a double-digit increase in that it will intelligence production.
▶ 1:21:13Dir. Patel: What we have also done is expand the number of agents and intel analysts that go online and detect based on our biometric capabilities and intelligence we have in the regions and what that leads us to as we saw in december of last year where we at the fbi stopped four terrorist attacks, four in california, north carolina and pennsylvania, three of which were isis inspired.
▶ 1:21:41Dir. Patel: They were able to protect these individuals online and in-person using clover platforms and we shuttered a bombing campaign in southern california and two mass casualty events for new year's eve.
▶ 1:21:52Sen. Collins: Director gabbard, the intelligence community did not detect an extremely serious breach affecting our telecommunications industry due to the chinese salt typhoon encouragement for a very long time.
▶ 1:22:18Sen. Collins: In addition the chinese title in threat poses a terrible threat to U.S. critical infrastructure. Specific sectors throughout the united states have been overlooked and under protected.
▶ 1:22:34Sen. Collins: What are you doing to deal with the threat to critical infrastructure and the electric grid, our communications systems given this huge mess by our talented intelligence community?
▶ 1:22:52Dir. Gabbard: Thank you for the question. Working with our partners at nsa and others to detect these threats and how they may be involved or developing is something we are continuing to work on. Building strong partnerships with the private sector whether it be the telcom industry, the healthcare sector, the energy sector is something that I am rebuilding. We have seen some of these ongoing relationships falter over previous years.
▶ 1:23:23Dir. Gabbard: I have been astounded by some of the conversations I have had with leaders from these industries who are just as concerned about we are about these threats to our critical infrastructure and yet do not feel that they have the connectivity or the information to be able to secure their own infrastructure. In short, building those stronger partnerships, integrating and being able to share information intelligence where we can, is critical for us to be able to secure our country from these threats. >> thank you, senator collins.
▶ 1:23:55Dir. Gabbard: Senator wyden.
▶ 1:23:56Sen. Wyden: Thank you. Director gabbard last year your agency -- executing regional strikes, disrupting shipping particularly energy supplies through the strait of hormuz. In other words, every problem we are seeing now was not only foreseeable but was actually predicted by intelligence agencies.
▶ 1:24:27Sen. Wyden: Director, in the lead up to the start of this war three weeks ago, did the intelligence agency stick to their assessment that in response to an attack the iranians had the capability to shut down the strait of hormuz?
▶ 1:24:41Dir. Gabbard: Thank you, senator. The intelligence community has continued to provide the intelligence related to the operation in iran on an ongoing basis.
▶ 1:24:57Sen. Wyden: Right now we are in a global energy crisis. We are paying more for gas, the economy is in danger and it seems to me that there is a lot of hedging going on with respect to entirely forcing consequences of the war. That strikes me as what amounts to a historic mistake. My second question is did the intelligence agencies assess that the iranians could respond to a regime change attack from us by attacking U.S.
▶ 1:25:27Sen. Wyden: Forces and other americans in the region?
▶ 1:25:32Dir. Gabbard: The ic assessment has always taken seriously the threat of the iranian regime's missile capabilities and how our american troops in the region might be put at risk.
▶ 1:25:44Sen. Wyden: Again, it seems to me with americans dying in the war it is hard to see how you can sit here and say that the intelligence agencies cannot provide a clear warning that if attacked, the iranians would respond by attacking our people. On monday, madam director, donald trump was asked about iranian strikes on the gulf states.
▶ 1:26:10Sen. Wyden: He said, "nobody, nobody, no no no, the greatest experts, nobody thought they would hit the gulf states. You all are supposed to be the greatest experts." director gabbard, did the intelligence agencies assess that iran can conduct strikes on our own partners in the region?
▶ 1:26:27Dir. Gabbard: The intelligence community has continue to assess the potential threats to the region, the existing threats to the region and providing those assessments to the policymakers and decision-makers.
▶ 1:26:42Sen. Wyden: Let me move on to several others of you with respect to -- I will start with you. Congress reauthorized the section that included a provision that expanded the type of companies and individuals who could be forced to assist the government in spike in. Has this expansion resulted in any intelligence, general hartman?
▶ 1:27:07Gen. Hartman: Thanks for the question. This provision provided is an ability to collect foreign intelligence on personnel outside of the united states.
▶ 1:27:24Sen. Wyden: What is the major issue seven of two in terms of the expansion?
▶ 1:27:30Gen. Hartman: I prefer to talk to you about specifics in the closed session.
▶ 1:27:34Sen. Wyden: I am happy to do that. Let us understand this is a dangerously broad provision that could be used to robe in anybody with access to a cable box, wi-fi router or a server. It was jammed into the 2024 reauthorization bill at the last minute. Senators were told they had no choice but to support it. Now two years later we have just had testimony from a very respected individual who is saying so far it has had no value.
▶ 1:28:08Sen. Wyden: Colleagues, we are getting ready to have another discussion on this. This should be a warning to every senator that not every new spying power that is sold as urgent and critical actually is.
▶ 1:28:17Gen. Hartman: Senator, may I respond to that?
▶ 1:28:20Sen. Wyden: Of course.
▶ 1:28:22Gen. Hartman: I want to be clear, it provided us no additional authority that does not involve collecting intelligence on foreigners that are outside of the united states of america.
▶ 1:28:33Sen. Wyden: Fine. Director patel, an 2023 your predecessor testified that "to my knowledge we do not currently purchase commercial database information that includes location data derived from internet advertising." is that the case still and if so, can you commit this morning to not buying americans location data?
▶ 1:28:56Dir. Patel: Thank you. The fbi uses senator, thank you for the question, to do our mission. We do purchase commercially available information consistent with the constitution and the laws under the electronic communications privacy act. It has led to some valuable intelligence for us to be utilizing with private partners.
▶ 1:29:17Sen. Wyden: You are saying that the agency will buy americans location data? I believe that is what you have said in intelligence lingo and I just want to say start this debate, doing that without a warrant is an outrageous and run around the fourth amendment. It is particularly dangerous given the use of artificial intelligence to comb through massive amounts of private information.
▶ 1:29:44Sen. Wyden: This is exhibit a for why congress needs to pass our bipartisan bicameral bill, the government surveillance reform act. I have time for one more question. Three weeks ago you indicated you were dissatisfied by having your phone records subpoenaed. Should the government get a court order to collect phone records?
▶ 1:30:05Sen. Wyden: Director gabbard my experience -- the government does get warrants to obtain phone records.
▶ 1:30:16Sen. Wyden: One last question. General adams, is it still your agency's position that you can buy location data without a warrant and if so, are you still doing it?
▶ 1:30:30Dir. Adams: Thanks for the question. With regard to commercially and publicly available information, the purchase is that this agency, that my agency makes is in alignment with the constitution and protects U.S. persons information.
▶ 1:30:43Sen. Wyden: But you are buying location data, wrecked -- correct? We have no head that referred to twice and I don't think there is any question that you are doing it. -- we have now had dir. Adams: we are in complete compliance with the law.
▶ 1:31:13Sen. Wyden: >> the sectional to give the government authority to target any american with a cable box or a wi-fi router?
▶ 1:31:29Gen. Hartman: Nothing in seven o2 gives us the capability to communicate with a cable box or a wi-fi router. >> if any other person can buy it and the fbi can buy it and it helps them locate a depraved child molester or savage cartel leader, I hope the fbi is doing everything they can to keep americans safe.
▶ 1:31:56Gen. Hartman: It is not much different from long-standing supreme court precedent that says law enforcement can go to trash that you put on the side of the curb because you can no longer have a privacy interest in it. Senator cornyn.
▶ 1:32:07Sen. Cornyn: Thank you all for your service to our country and the people you represent. We are in debt to all of you. I want to ask directly, yesterday the head of the national counterterrorism center resigned, saying that iran did not represent an intimate threat -- imminent threat to the united states.
▶ 1:32:34Sen. Cornyn: Is there is anything to indicate that iran had ceased in its nuclear ambitions or desire to continue to build ballistic missiles capable of threatening american troops and allies in the middle east?
▶ 1:32:48Dir. Adams: No, that intelligence reflects the contrary. >> so you disagree with Mr. cap?
▶ 1:32:55Dir. Adams: I do. >> I would think any fair-minded assessment of the situation even best on the danger the iranian regime poses to the united states. Isn't it true they have been at war with the west since 1979 during the iranian revolution and have american bloods on their hands?
▶ 1:33:17Dir. Adams: That is correct. Iran has been a constant threat to the united states for an extended period of time and posed an immediate threat at this time.
▶ 1:33:27Sen. Cornyn: The threat assessment says that al qaeda and isis maintain the intent to launch operations targeting the U.S. but it is most likely to occur through U.S.-based lone offenders. I want to ask director patel. It seems like there has been a raft of incidents recently on march the first in austin, texas where I live.
▶ 1:33:59Sen. Cornyn: A lone gunman wearing a sweatshirt saying property of allah. The t-shirt he wore big head iranian flag, he killed innocent people and injured 12 more. We know in virginia the old dominion shooting. Somebody who unbelievably was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for attempting to support isis but then was released only to commit another terrorist attack.
▶ 1:34:28Sen. Cornyn: We are all familiar with what has happened in michigan, in new york. I applaud the important role that the fbi has played in stopping some terrorist attacks but obviously the fbi cannot be everywhere all the time.
▶ 1:34:47Sen. Cornyn: Would you please talk about your cooperation and collaboration with homeland security investigations in countering terrorist attacks against the united states?
▶ 1:34:58Dir. Patel: Absolutely. It is essential that the fbi cooperate with the entire interagency. As to your question about dhs specifically, what we have stood up around the country are 59 homeland security task force is in 59 separate locations.
▶ 1:35:14Sen. Cornyn: These are joint taskforces?
▶ 1:35:17Dir. Patel: The model was expanded so the fbi owns 66 joint terrorism task forces and on top of that we have 59 hstf's which are co-led by the fbi and dhs. That allows us to do things like we did down in new orleans over the holiday period where we serve for a six-week period of time and where we dropped the murder rate by double-digit points and also for the first time that mardi gras in its entire history that not one homicide.
▶ 1:35:47Dir. Patel: When you bring the powers of the homeland security folks, dhs and the fbi together, this is the purpose to get after, not just the terrorism threat but the violence and the criminal activity in our cities and that is why we are in 59 cities across the country and is working in places like memphis and every other city we have it.
▶ 1:36:03Sen. Cornyn: Are you aware of the fact that homeland security investigation has a major directorate within immigration and customs enforcement?
▶ 1:36:12Dir. Patel: Yes.
▶ 1:36:13Sen. Cornyn: Are you aware that senate democrats have uniformly voted not to fund the department of homeland security including homeland security investigations, tsa, fema and other functions of the department of homeland security?
▶ 1:36:33Dir. Patel: I'm aware that the employees of dhs are one month without pay.
▶ 1:36:39Sen. Cornyn: They are not being paid?
▶ 1:36:40Dir. Patel: Yes.
▶ 1:36:42Sen. Cornyn: We are all seeing what is happening at airports where people are having to wait hours at a time because of the fact that these tsa agents are overburdened. But what I want to do, focus on with you is the refusal to fund the functions of the department of homeland security including homeland security investigations, making americans less safe.
▶ 1:37:08Dir. Patel: Absolutely.
▶ 1:37:14Sen. Cornyn: Give us an example of some of the cooperation that u-haul -- that you all have engaged in, that the fbi has engaged in with the homeland security investigations.
▶ 1:37:29Sen. Cornyn: I am looking at an article that talks about the 100,000 -- 100 90,000 afghan nationals that were admitted to the united states unvented and there are examples of individuals within that 190,000 who committed terrorist attacks against the united states and against american citizens. Is that the sort of thing that you are investigating with hsi?
▶ 1:38:00Dir. Patel: That is one of the many things we are investigating with hsi and I.c.e..
▶ 1:38:06Sen. Cornyn: Give me some other examples of collaboration on other topics including an addition to terrorist attacks.
▶ 1:38:12Dir. Patel: What we are allowed to do with dhs partners is unable their massive workforce to supplement ours and what they are allowed to do is share intelligence on what you just talked about, about the 100,000 illegals who came in from afghanistan during the afghanistan withdrawal. Unfortunately they were not that it's early so what we are doing is going back with our dhs partners and vetting absolutely every single one of them to the best that we can.
▶ 1:38:39Dir. Patel: But unfortunately we are not able to go into the country and find everything a one of these individuals. But we need more than 12,000 fbi agents to do that job which is why we are utilizing the 100,000 or so that the department of homeland security to give us the information they have on their immigration records, from travel records, overseas and within the country and what we are able to do is remove these individuals off the streets in every single state across the country to include violent gang members, to include tren de aragua, I.c.e.
▶ 1:39:13Dir. Patel: Affiliated individuals and hopefully we do it before and not after like the tragedy that we witnessed in washington, D.C. where an individual from afghanistan was allowed to enter into our country and shot multiple members of our uniformed military service.
▶ 1:39:28Sen. Cornyn: I yield back.
▶ 1:39:32Sen. Kaine: Twice in the last two weeks as recently as last thursday senator patty murray appropriations put a bill on the floor that would have fully funded tsa, fema and the coast guard for the rest of the year, leaving the focus on the dispute that we had with the conduct of I.c.e.. In explicitly to me that bill was blocked by my republican colleagues.
▶ 1:40:03Sen. Kaine: It would have fully funded tsa, fema, coast guard and focused the intention on the situation with I.c.e.. We just want to be clear on who is blocking funding for those four agencies. I would like to ask director gabbard and director ratcliffe, both of you.
▶ 1:40:29Sen. Kaine: Were either of you in the room when the president was making the final decision about taking this action against iran on february 27th and february 28th? Was there an intelligence community present in those deliberations? Mr. ratcliffe, your response.
▶ 1:40:50Dir. Ratcliffe: Senator king, probably in dozens of briefings with the president, I don't know that there was a single meeting where there was a single time or a decision --
▶ 1:41:03Sen. King: Were those dozens of meetings during the lead up to this war? I know you have met many times but I'm talking about in the two weeks or so before the decision to go into iran.
▶ 1:41:17Dir. Ratcliffe: Again, countless meetings with the president.
▶ 1:41:21Sen. King: During that period?
▶ 1:41:23Dir. Ratcliffe: During that period.
▶ 1:41:25Sen. King: Director gabbard, were you present in those discussions?
▶ 1:41:30Dir. Gabbard: I was, yes.
▶ 1:41:31Sen. King: There seems to be a discrepancy between what the intelligence community has reported over the years and with the president has said in terms of this action. For example, senator wyden read the report from one year ago that strikes against neighboring states and action to close the strait of hormuz was predicted by the intelligence community. Yet the president says nobody knew. My question is, did you tell him?
▶ 1:42:01Sen. King: Anybody want to answer that question?
▶ 1:42:07Dir. Ratcliffe: I will answer the question. With regard to briefings, the president gets diversions constantly about intelligence. The comment that you talked about, I have not heard but what I can tell you is that iran had specific plans to hit U.S.
▶ 1:42:27Dir. Ratcliffe: Interests in energy sites across the region and that is why the department of war and the department of state took measures for force protection and personal protection in advance of operation epic fury. I think that is what is most important.
▶ 1:42:42Sen. King: Any prediction to the president about the strait of hormuz? All you have to do is look at a map and see the vulnerability of the strait of hormuz. Was that part of the briefing, director gabbard. ?
▶ 1:42:56Dir. Gabbard: Director radcliffe made the point here that this has long been an assessment of the ic that iran would likely hold the strait of hormuz as leverage.
▶ 1:43:08Sen. King: My question is was that communicated to the president?
▶ 1:43:13Dir. Gabbard: Because of that long-standing assessment that the ic has continued to report that the department of war took the print of planning measures that it did.
▶ 1:43:22Sen. King: My understanding is that they did not plan for the strait of hormuz. The president said who that was going to happen. Let's move on. Does the president to take a daily brief from the intelligence community? This is a yes or no question.
▶ 1:43:38Dir. Ratcliffe: Yes. The president, in my estimation on average I brief the president of the united states on intelligence probably on average 10 to 15 times per week where I have conversations with him about a specific discrete issue. Sometimes there are dedicated sessions that last hours in length. Sometimes I am briefing him on specific issues.
▶ 1:44:08Dir. Ratcliffe: Sometimes three or four times a day. I would say on average my interactions where I am briefing the president on important national security matters habits probably on average 10 to 15 times per week.
▶ 1:44:17Sen. King: Thank you. Could you update us on the intelligence on russia, intelligence sharing with iran and the current conflict? What do we know?
▶ 1:44:28Dir. Gabbard: Senator, if there is that sharing going on, that would be an answer that would be appropriate for a closed session.
▶ 1:44:38Sen. King: It has been in the public press. It is open that it is occurring. It? Is occurring. This is occurring? ?
▶ 1:44:49Dir. Gabbard: When I can tell you is that according to the department of war, in a support that iran may be receiving is not inhibiting their operational effects.
▶ 1:45:04Sen. King: Ok. That sort of the first cousin of a yes. . Can regime change or the elimination of the estimated 1000 pounds of highly enriched uranium be accomplished without boots on the ground?
▶ 1:45:29Dir. Adams: The discussion about the iranian nuclear capability we intend in the closed session to talk about that a great deal. With regard to revealing any information about the ability to do that, I would have to do for that to close session.
▶ 1:45:47Sen. King: I will see you in an hour. Finally, there was very little if anything in the report, the assessment about climate change and that has been in past reports. There is a lot of discussion about migration.
▶ 1:46:03Sen. King: The estimates are that climate migrants because of the changes in the climate and the atmosphere particularly in the equatorial area will range from 200 million to one billion people by 2050. Do you believe that is a national security threat that should be addressed?
▶ 1:46:27Sen. King: The ethereum refugees were about 6 million and they upset the politics of europe -- the syria refugees were about 6 million and they upset the politics of europe. That is something we should be discussing and the intelligence community should be assessing. Director gabbard?
▶ 1:46:43Dir. Gabbard: There are a number of drivers of things like migration. It was ding -- it would be an extensive assessment if we included every single one. This annual threat assessment is focused -- laid out by the president's national security strategy and on the effects that we can take action, operational action to protect U.S. interests.
▶ 1:47:10Sen. King: I would suggest combating climate change is something we can take action on. Thank you.
▶ 1:47:18Chair Cotton: On the matter of media reports about russian or chinese collaboration with iran, I would point out that media is not a classification authority. And that kind of story whether true or not might be better suited for the fbi to investigate on whether there has been unlawful disclosures of classified information. I would also say it sounds like something russia and china would do.
▶ 1:47:46Chair Cotton: Communist russia used to do it during the cold war and communist china has always done stuff like that. On the patty murray legislation that only would it have the fund and cbp, it would have also defended homeland security investigations which do critical work to protect our communities from financial crimes, creditors, transnational gangs as well so we would like to see the tsa and coast guard and other critical parts of homeland security as well. We do not want to defund the police.
▶ 1:48:15Sen. Moran: Thank you. I believe it is in the U.S. national interest, our security interest for ukraine to be successful in defeating the russian invasion.
▶ 1:48:29Sen. Moran: I am concerned with the consequences of operation epic fury on that ability of ukraine to succeed in defending its borders and general adams in broad terms, not classified terms, what are the consequences to the supply chain, to the capability of the united states to supply nato allies and ukraine as a result of operation epic fury?
▶ 1:48:59Sen. Moran: My question is that how do we do both, are we doing both? His U.S. support maintain or diminished as a result of epic fury?
▶ 1:49:13Gen. Hartman: Thank you for that question. We continue beyond epic fury to observe what is happening across the world in a crisis like russia and ukraine. Unfortunately for the situation there now, just based on the composition and the delta between the russian forces and ukrainian forces, the advantage is to the russians.
▶ 1:49:45Gen. Hartman: As we get into the classified hearing we could talk specifically about the items with regard to supply chain. With regard to the information that the defense intelligence agency collects, we look at the foreign threat and what the capabilities are from a multi-perspective. . We look less at friendly capabilities. I would defer questions with regard to U.S.
▶ 1:50:13Gen. Hartman: Supply chain limitations with regard to the logistics and the effort that the secretary of war is having with regards to trying to boost the U.S. defense industrial base, I would defer those to the department to discuss. >> general, be prepared for the classified session for me to continue to pursue this.
▶ 1:50:37Gen. Hartman: Supply chain issues are not classified in the sense that every hearing I am in has officials from the department of defense testifying about the need for further assistance. Really I am asking for the facts of what has happened as a result of operation epic fury in the last few weeks in our supply to ukraine and our nato allies who are supplying ukraine.
▶ 1:51:06Gen. Adams: Yes. The department is executing a comprehensive, in fact, around the nation to boost the defense industrial base. We know we have to increase our defense industrial base capability. Its impact based on the munitions expended during epic fury will be an impact but we need to boost it. Efforts are underway to boost it.
▶ 1:51:35Sen. Moran: I'm interested in helping accomplish that goal. Director ratcliffe, perhaps along the same line. Let me compliment you on your public service. I appreciate you. And that is not my usual townhall meeting when I get a town hall -- compliment from somebody who then follows it with a but. I am interesting in -- interested in being of help.
▶ 1:52:06Sen. Moran: In regard to your conversations on preparation for epic fury, I would be interested in knowing if the consequences to our ability to defend the united states against russia or china or other adversaries was taken into account. How is that diminished or increased by operation epic fury? Particularly in this instance about what it means with the conversation had about what it means to our ability to help ukraine defend itself. U.S.
▶ 1:52:35Sen. Moran: Support for ukraine includes military and other assistance. But also we have undertaken economic sanctions against russia for their invasion of ukraine. Epic fury has caused a significant increase in oil prices and the administration has waived sanctions against russian oil companies.
▶ 1:53:03Sen. Moran: Which are reported to say that russia is receiving $150 million per day additional dollars as a result of the waiver. What can you tell me about our plans or your understanding of what is transpiring as a result of operation epic fury in regards to those oil revenues that are now being generated in favor of russia and the lifting of sanctions for a temporary period of time?
▶ 1:53:39Gen. Hartman: I will start with a couple of things. The same military and intelligence professionals who delivered not just for the administration before the american people they follows intelligence picture and fall of military operations in operation midnight hammer and operation absolute resolve are the same folks involved with operation epic fury.
▶ 1:54:06Gen. Hartman: I hope that provides you some measure of comfort with regard to how detailed, how thoughtful the approach was the current operation -- to the current operation. That is why I think to mischaracterize it as it is being done in the media is a disservice to the folks involved in what is a very specific campaign that is different than the two I mentioned before. It is why the president came out and said this is not over in a matter of hours.
▶ 1:54:37Gen. Hartman: This is a four to six week campaign. That it would come at some cost. The goal of the president and the administration is to address a 47 year problem, the most destabilizing force in the middle east in the last 47 years, one that is frankly been watered, fed and nurtured by policies of prior administrations that have allowed them to become the
▶ 1:55:07Gen. Hartman: Threat that they have. I say all that in context to understanding that we have to address that but at the same time to your point on what is going on with regard to russia and ukraine, you mentioned the oil issue. Sometimes policymakers have to take steps that while they may benefit adversaries like russia or china, do so because they also think it will benefit U.S. citizens.
▶ 1:55:35Gen. Hartman: In this case with respect to keeping the economy on track and keeping oil prices low. What I can tell you is the intelligence has thoughtfully considered and I think the policymakers are taking dad and I am confident that -- taking that and I am confident that we can walk and chew gum at the same time, pursue objectives in the middle east and provide support with regard to the conflict in russia and the russian aggression in ukraine. >> thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 1:56:10Gen. Hartman: Director ratcliffe, you just described the specific campaign that the president is engaged in, the country is engaged in with respect to iran. I think the campaign has been one in my view without a specific rationale for the american people.
▶ 1:56:31Gen. Hartman: 90 days into president trump's unauthorized war with iran and by which I mean there has been no congressional approval, at least 13 american service members are dead and many others were injured. President trump has offered no credible justification for the imminent threat, no clear goals, no strategy or timeline. His message keeps changing. I think in really damaging ways.
▶ 1:57:00Gen. Hartman: President trump says iran is nuclear facilities have been "totally obliterated" in june 2025 but when he launched this latest war he said we need to eliminate the eminent nuclear threat of those "totally obliterated" nuclear facilities. President trump has threatened to seize iranian oil and demanded allies reopen the strait of hormuz. He said, "I am demanding these countries protect their own territory because it is their territory.
▶ 1:57:31Gen. Hartman: It is the place from which they get their energy." by the way, he was not just asking for allies to bail him out in the streets of -- in the strait of hormuz. He was asking for china to bail them out in the strait of hormuz . Then he said maybe we should not be here at all because we do not need it. We have a lot of oil. And he said we do not need the help of anyone. President trump has declared we have won the war. We won it in the first hour.
▶ 1:58:01Gen. Hartman: But then he said we are not leaving until the job is finished. He said that there is practically nothing left the ball. -- to bomb. Clifton threatened to bomb iran again, "just for fun." those words have never come out of a military leader in the history of the united states of america. It should not come out of the mouth of a civilian leader. President trump said he will end the war when I feel it in my bones.
▶ 1:58:30Gen. Hartman: And anytime I want to end it, it will end. But director, the war is not ending. It is escalating with thousands of U.S. marines reportedly sailing toward iran on an unclear mission, mission that has become less clear over days, not more clear. Air strikes wiped out iran's missiles and supreme leader. Nobody here and certainly me is shedding a tear for him. But the iranian people now live under martial law.
▶ 1:59:03Gen. Hartman: By the way, no surprise to our intelligence agencies that that is the case. And the first of a puppet leader chosen by the irgc. No surprise to anybody on the intelligence committee. Iran closed the strait of hormuz and is holding the global economy hostage. No surprise to anybody who knows anything about U.S. intelligence. Launching drones at our embassies and voluntary basis. No surprise.
▶ 1:59:36Gen. Hartman: Nobody who has looked at our intelligence is surprised. Iran's nuclear program is damaged, to be sure. But it still has a uranium stockpile. We heard today from the dni at the beginning of this conversation that the regime is in place and they will rebuild their military capabilities, the ones that we are destroying right now.
▶ 2:00:00Gen. Hartman: The question I is raised about your specific engage in -- the question I raised about your specific engagement is if it will become a perpetual war because iran will do exactly what they have always done and what the dni is saying they will do again. The intelligence community has been clear eu been clear eyed about what will happen in the strait of hormuz.
▶ 2:00:29Gen. Hartman: Has been clear eyed about our personnel in the region placed at risk and in harm's way even though the administration did very little to protect them. I know, director ratcliffe, that he warned president trump that if israel assassinated the supreme leader, the irgc would replace him with potentially a harder line puppet.
▶ 2:00:59Gen. Hartman: I think what was clear is that the likelihood was that it would be a hard line puppet. Do you disagree with that characterization of the intelligence?
▶ 2:01:07Dir. Ratcliffe: To that specific question, what we knew was first of all I have to address upfront so much of what you related there, the difference between political rhetoric --
▶ 2:01:22Sen. Bennet: It is not political rhetoric. I am quoting the president of the united states.
▶ 2:01:30Dir. Ratcliffe: The difference between that military and intelligence execution but here is the most important thing. You mischaracterize this by saying they are not clearly defined goals. The goals are very clear. Destroying the missile inventory, the drone inventory and degraded the military industrial base and the factories that produce that, degrade and destroy the irgc navy. These are all defined goals.
▶ 2:02:00Specifically. Sen. Bennet: , I have my time back, Mr. chairman. I cannot get a word in edge wise. He will not answer the question and he has taken a minute of my time.
▶ 2:02:11Chair Cotton: You are both being blaze and you can handle yourself.
▶ 2:02:16Sen. Bennet: I agree that you are and I appreciate what you are saying. My point is not what your characterization of the war is. My point is what the characterization of the commander-in-chief -- I'm not asking you anymore, director. I'm sorry because I'm out of time because of how you used the time. The complete lack of clarity should matter to everybody.
▶ 2:02:40Sen. Bennet: President trump most of all, he is the person that collected all the criticism -- that got elected on the criticism, that we had fought two wars in the middle east that had lasted for 20 years. Now we are hearing the testimony is to get their ballistic missiles, to not even get to the nuclear stuff. We will have to be in a perpetual war with iran. And I don't think that is where the american people are on this. This is a serious threat.
▶ 2:03:08Sen. Bennet: This is a serious threat to us and to israel. The question is how to handle it and president trump said we are not the policeman of the world. He ran on that. Now he has turned into the world's policeman, into its jury , into its judge, into its executioner and just because we have the most advanced military in the world, the question being that we should be in a perpetual
▶ 2:03:38Sen. Bennet: War all around the world.
▶ 2:03:40Chair Cotton: Senator rounds.
▶ 2:03:44Sen. Rounds: Thank you Mr. chairman. I would like to follow up a little bit with the same line of questioning what I want to do it in a different manner. I had the opportunity like all of the other members on this committee to see the threads that we discussed regularly in the classified settings. Also sitting on the armed services committee I had the opportunity to see what our capabilities are and what we have to do in order to respond to those threats.
▶ 2:04:12Sen. Rounds: Director ratcliffe, let me just begin. I think it has been very clear from the beginning that even though there were supposedly diplomatic activities going on, behind the scenes it was very clear and I just ask if you would disagree or agree with me on this, it was very clear that iran while they were talking, they had no intentions of following through diplomatically with eliminating any of their nuclear aspirations, correct?
▶ 2:04:40Dir. Ratcliffe: Senator, that is correct. In the classified section we can go into detail but you have characterized the ride. Diplomatically they were saying one thing. The intelligence was perfect in the quads worry -- the intelligence was reflecting the contrary.
▶ 2:04:59Sen. Rounds: A lot of their defensive capabilities have been taken now. Their air defenses have been taken out. The use of our aircraft in that area was safer because those defensive capabilities, most of them had been significantly refused -- significantly reduced meaning of our young men and women flying those aircraft were savored. Is it fair to say that they were rebuilding their defensive capabilities as well at that time?
▶ 2:05:25Dir. Ratcliffe: Yes. I will just comment on that. So much is being made. Any characterization that operation midnight hammer was anything but a wild success is wildly inaccurate.
▶ 2:05:44Dir. Ratcliffe: So as a result of operation midnight hammer, at the time of that in the preceding four years as is well documented, and admitted to by the iranians, they enriched uranium at least 440 kilograms at 60% for use that could be used and for weapons grade to deliver a nuclear weapon.
▶ 2:06:07Dir. Ratcliffe: As a result of operation midnight hammer, we sit here today with iran having exactly the same amount of enriched uranium to 60%. They have been unwilling and incapable of enriching uranium to 60% as a result of operation midnight hammer.
▶ 2:06:28Sen. Rounds: This is an important part of this. You also have to have a way of delivering a weapon. They have short-term and intermediate range ballistic missile availability today. Are they building additional short range and midrange ballistic missiles?
▶ 2:06:47Dir. Ratcliffe: Yes.
▶ 2:06:48Sen. Rounds: Where they continuing to develop them?
▶ 2:06:51Dir. Ratcliffe: Continuing to develop them and at rates that were alarming.
▶ 2:06:56Sen. Rounds: What about our ability to respond to those? We have very good defensive capabilities but it takes time for us to get on our defensive capabilities. Where they building their offensive credibility while negotiating with us at a faster rate than we could build defensive capabilities?
▶ 2:07:13Dir. Ratcliffe: Yes.
▶ 2:07:14Sen. Rounds: Where they -- were they while they were working with us the entire time, they were building additional systems to threaten their neighbors,
▶ 2:07:45Sen. Rounds: Their defensive capabilities were going to be increased making our young men and women at risk at some point in the future where we would have to basically clean the mess up. I think there was an opportunity here and I think the president made the right choice.
▶ 2:08:00Sen. Rounds: When he decided at this time that simply for our advantage and for the young men and women who have to do this that this was a safer time if there ever was such a thing as a safer time and the right time for our nation to respond to this threat. Is that an appropriate way of putting it?
▶ 2:08:19Dir. Ratcliffe: I agree with that.
▶ 2:08:21Sen. Rounds: Thank you. The president made the right choice. It is never a good time for war. But at some point you have to look at what your best possibilities are for protecting those young men and women in harm's way. Let me move on for just a minute. Director ratcliffe, let me ask you this because there has been a discussion and we have ever been able to talk about this in an unclassified setting and I recognize that it is sensitive. 60 seconds.
▶ 2:08:50Sen. Rounds: There has been a report about havana syndrome, individuals within the agency and the state that have actually had significant illnesses, some attributed they believe to outside sources. I don't think we have been able to in an unclassified setting at least acknowledge that we take these issues seriously.
▶ 2:09:13Sen. Rounds: Is there anything you can share in this unclassified setting to ensure the people of the state department and your agency that this is not something which is being ignored?
▶ 2:09:20Dir. Ratcliffe: Thanks for the question. I can. I appreciated the opportunity to address that. Yes, we have to be careful about what we can say. We can go into further detail in the classified session. But this is something that when I became the director, as you are aware, senator, there are disparate opinions across the ic about what the cause of these ahi's may or may not be.
▶ 2:09:52Sen. Rounds: Otherwise known as havana syndrome.
▶ 2:09:54Dir. Ratcliffe: Havana syndrome. And the question of whether or not they could be the result of a directed energy weapon from a foreign adversary. Having understood the role of the dni is to coordinate across the ic when they are different opinions, director gabbard and I had a conversation where she agreed that she would undertake a comprehensive review of that issue across the ic to make sure it is getting the attention it deserves and I know she has undertaken that and cap review
▶ 2:10:28Dir. Ratcliffe: In further detail -- can brief you in further detail in the classified session.
▶ 2:10:31Sen. Rounds: General hartman, your time in service has been very special. Working with you on the cybersecurity subcommittee and the armed services committee, I commend you for everything you have done. You are truly a hero. You have served your country very well. Thank you for your service. Thank you Mr. chairman.
▶ 2:10:52Chair Cotton: Senator kelly.
▶ 2:10:56Rep. Kelly: Thank you Mr. chairman and thank you for being here today to all of our witnesses. For more than a decade the united states has tried to make a pivot to asia in its national defense strategy in order to confront the significant threats from china. For years the administration both parties have identified china as a top threat to our country and worked to build relationships across asia and deter chinese aggression.
▶ 2:11:28Rep. Kelly: At the same time we have bolstered our european allies and asked them to contribute more to the defense to deter russia. Director gabbard and director radcliffe, would you agree that china and russia are our primary geopolitical rivals? Director gabbard?
▶ 2:11:45Dir. Gabbard: Yes, they are our primary strategic rivals.
▶ 2:11:50Sen. Kelly: Thank you. Director ratcliffe?
▶ 2:11:53Dir. Ratcliffe: I would agree with that although I do not think they are equal.
▶ 2:11:57Sen. Kelly: That brings us to the war with iran. This has created one of the largest ever supply shocks to the global oil supply which has sent gas prices skyrocketing for americans. But not everybody is losing. Director gabbard and director ratcliffe, is it accurate that russia has gained billions of dollars in additional oil revenue due to price spikes as a result of the war and lucinda sanctions? -- loosened sanctions?
▶ 2:12:30Sen. Kelly: Director gabbard?
▶ 2:12:31Dir. Gabbard: That is what has been reported. I defer to the secretary of treasury and energy for details.
▶ 2:12:37Sen. Kelly: Director ratcliffe.
▶ 2:12:40Dir. Ratcliffe: I am not an economist. I am not going to try to do those calculations but as I talked about earlier, sometimes there are decisions made that will benefit adversaries at the same time policymakers --
▶ 2:12:52Sen. Kelly: We would all agree that sanctions were loosened and that means more money into the coffers of vladimir putin. Would you agree that if he has more funding he is likely to put that toward the war effort against ukraine, director gabbard?
▶ 2:13:12Dir. Gabbard: I would defer to an actual intelligence assessment on what they would believe his intentions are.
▶ 2:13:19Sen. Kelly: Director ratcliffe?
▶ 2:13:21Dir. Ratcliffe: I would not speculate on that.
▶ 2:13:27Sen. Kelly: Is it accurate that china is continuing to receive preferential oil flows from iran as iran allows its own tankers to transit the strait of hormuz? Director gabbard? I will go back the two of you. -- I will go back and forth between the two of you.
▶ 2:13:48Dir. Gabbard: There has been some report with china and other countries of them being able to move their tankers through the strait of hormuz but it is unclear the volume or the measure of that.
▶ 2:13:58Sen. Kelly: That sounds accurate, thank you. I will move on. Director gabbard who tweeted yesterday that president trump concluded that there was an imminent threat and made an incision to attack iran after carefully revealing all of the information beforehand. I think the country deserves to know what the information was. I will ask a series of questions. I just want a yes or no. We don't need any explanation.
▶ 2:14:25Sen. Kelly: Just yes or no starting with were you asked, I am not asking if you briefed us. Were you asked to brief on whether iran would close the strait of hormuz.
▶ 2:14:38Dir. Gabbard: I am not going to comment on what the president did or did not ask me on any topic.
▶ 2:14:44Sen. Kelly: I am not asking if you briefed it. I am asking if there was a request by the white house.
▶ 2:14:50Dir. Gabbard: I understand.
▶ 2:14:51Sen. Kelly: Director ratcliffe, were you asked to brief on whether iran would close the strait of hormuz?
▶ 2:14:58Dir. Ratcliffe: The briefings to the president typically do not come from the request of the white house. Typically when we get intelligence that we want the president to be aware of, the intelligence community brings that to the president.
▶ 2:15:10Sen. Kelly: Did you produce the analysis for the strait of hormuz?
▶ 2:15:17Dir. Ratcliffe: There has been and continues to be analysis with respect to that.
▶ 2:15:18Sen. Kelly: Were you asked to brief on how our adversaries and allies would respond to the war in iran? I imagine I will get the same answer. So, just a point now, it is challenging. Forget about what was actually in the brief.
▶ 2:15:38Sen. Kelly: We are having a hard time finding out not only if you briefed the president on something but even if the white house asked if they could be briefed on something, where analysis was produced. I just want to point out -- can I comment --
▶ 2:15:59Dir. Ratcliffe: Can I comment on that? I go back to the point. It is the same approach we took. You have praised the intelligence and military communities in operation midnight hammer and operation absolute resolve. It is the same approach and the same professionals in terms of how they approached this particular --
▶ 2:16:18Sen. Kelly: We are trying to figure out if the president knew what the downside was of the strait of hormuz being closed. I am having a hard time finding out whether the white house asked or whether there was a breeze, whether the president knew. Did he know this was going to happen or did he just disregard it? I just want to point out something that was released about six days ago. This is a fundraising email from the president, the president of the united states.
▶ 2:16:48Sen. Kelly: In this email there are multiple links to donate money. It says as a national security briefing member, you will receive my private national security briefings. Director gabbard or director ratcliffe, should the public be able to supporters of the president should be able to pay and receive his private national security briefings?
▶ 2:17:18Sen. Kelly: I assume these are briefings director ratcliffe that you provide to the president that will now be provided to somebody who makes a --
▶ 2:17:26Sen. Kelly: I don't know what that document is but regardless of what it says, it did not happen.
▶ 2:17:31Sen. Kelly: This is new.
▶ 2:17:33Dir. Ratcliffe: What I'm telling you is the hatch act would prevent me from engaging in that. I am not aware that anything like that happened.
▶ 2:17:42Sen. Kelly: This says unfiltered updates. Director gabbard, do you have any comment on whether unfiltered updates of private national security briefings should be made to individuals who donate to the president?
▶ 2:17:56Dir. Gabbard: I am not familiar with that document.
▶ 2:17:59Sen. Kelly: It has been made very public six days ago. We will get you a copy because I agree with you, director ratcliffe, that the hatch act should prohibit this type of conduct. Thank you.
▶ 2:18:14Chair Cotton: Senator lankford joins us from what I gather is a very exciting confirmation hearing for senator mullin.
▶ 2:18:22Sen. Lankford: It is, actually. Thank you for the time you give to the country and the sacrifice that you made. Please pass on our gradual -- gratitude to them because they are working very hard. I want to talk about something that is closer to home.
▶ 2:18:39Sen. Lankford: A lot of oklahomans that I talked to and folks even outside of the state when they think about threats, as strange as this may sound to those of us who deal with missiles and ballistics, they think about the threat to their families and to their income and to who they are and a lot of it is international scammers that are now reaching into the united states to be able to gather data or to be able to steal money from them.
▶ 2:19:10Sen. Lankford: I know the worldwide threatsfbid I know the worldwide threatsfbit I know the worldwide threatsfbi4 I know the worldwide threatsfbis almost $17 billion that was assumed lost. Some estimates as high as $50 billion. Ai continues to accelerate the capabilities on it. Openai noted that they are putting online ads and saying if you have been scammed, here's a way to recover your money.
▶ 2:19:41Sen. Lankford: That is actually a scam. It is taking them to a fake fbi page where they could say if you have been scammed, this is how the fbi will come help you. That page is fake and they will steal the information. This is accelerating at a pace that is pretty dramatic. I know there is multiple entities on it.
▶ 2:20:08Sen. Lankford: A lot of americans are very concerned about the threats to their families. They have their parents that are more formal -- more vulnerable at this time. How do we take some of this on to be able to attack people? With any other high-priority operation talking about scamming and scam centers, you have to get online with your covert employees and platforms.
▶ 2:20:40Sen. Lankford: What we have done strategically is move people out of washington, D.C. to places like oklahoma. Every state across the country has received this because of that. What we has created is the internet crime, I know you are familiar with that in reference. What we are doing on the homeland is going to the online platforms and shutting down those networks and shutting down the capability of ai. We are getting overseas.
▶ 2:21:12Sen. Lankford: The scam center compounds largely located in cambodia. Making sure those compounds, they are literal compounds being built. That are fleecing americans and senior citizens all the way from southeast asia because they are backed by the ccp to build those compounds because they know it will hurt everyday americans.
▶ 2:21:43Sen. Lankford: We have eliminated numerous compounds is the big picture, the big part of the lift overseas. What we will do is go into those countries and shutdown every single scam center compound. >> which is very helpful and every american is thinking about this and talking about it. The counter narcotics work has been phenomenal in the past year and a half.
▶ 2:22:13Sen. Lankford: The amount of methamphetamine and fentanyl have -- that had been seized has been dramatic. That has a real effect to what is becoming a families in my state. What I'm interested in is how are you partnering with local law enforcement to accelerate this process, what does that look like for the fbi? >> they can't be complete without state and local law enforcement. We are on the specific counter narcotics mission.
▶ 2:22:43Sen. Lankford: We have stood up for interagency partners in tucson, arizona specifically on the counter narcotics mission so that we could utilize the interagency capabilities. That is why we seized enough to kill -- here's a statistic everybody should be proud of. Opioid overdose deaths dropped 20 points across the country.
▶ 2:23:13Sen. Lankford: In oklahoma specifically, we seized enough kilograms to include 232% increase in the state of oklahoma alone. Enough fentanyl to kill 500 thousand oklahomans. We can't do that unless we had great police partnerships, a priority of mine. We have embedded police officers to make sure we have that connectivity and the task force officers on pipeline.
▶ 2:23:44Sen. Lankford: We need them. >> it highlights the muslim brotherhood. They call that some of the financial material support on this. That may be surprising to some folks here. That is not surprising to folks across the middle east and the threat that the muslim brotherhood continues to pose.
▶ 2:24:12Sen. Lankford: How is the muslim brotherhood financing itself and its acts of terrorism. Is there something that we need to do here to be able to make sure they are protecting americans in the threat? >> we do that just as we do other proxies.
▶ 2:24:54Sen. Lankford: I said in the classified portion I would get into the cia's success with regard to groups like the muslim brotherhood. A classified setting where I could share with you the impact that we are having.
▶ 2:25:12Sen. Lankford: Across the board with regard to terrorist groups and our counterterrorism activities, I cannot publicly characterize it as saying we have accomplished more in the last year than in the four years of the prior administration combined. Hopefully he gives you some measure of comfort about how we are approaching things. I will look forward to getting into detail.
▶ 2:25:44Sen. Reed: Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you. The washington ports -- post reported earlier this week the U.S. intelligence estimates say iran's regime likely will remain in place now. A powerful islamic core security force exuding greater control. Do you stand by that report?
▶ 2:26:11Sen. Reed: >> I don't stand by any leaked so-called intelligence to the media. I do stand by the intelligence community's assessment that was included in the annual threat assessment that speaks directly to this issue that as of this moment the regime maintains power within iran even though they are vastly degraded on almost every front.
▶ 2:26:38Sen. Reed: Do you think the killing of the ayatollah and other family members contributed to the picking of a hard-line successor? >> the intelligence community's assessment has pointed to a number of different scenarios that went into play with the selection of the successor.
▶ 2:27:10Sen. Reed: The details of that we could discuss in a closed hearing with regard to the intelligence reporting.
▶ 2:27:17Sen. Reed: Is the regime in iran now trying to promote the deceased ayatollah as a martyr who should be followed? Does that help them consolidate support? >> the iranians are certainly using that as a call to action.
▶ 2:27:43Sen. Reed: The effects of that from an intelligent standpoint remain to be seen. There is a tradition -- Sen.
▶ 2:27:53Reed: There is a tradition to honor the martyr, the grandson of mohammed, is that correct? We might have played into their cultural biases. General adams, what addition would need to be present to make the regime collapse or necessitate this and can it be done?
▶ 2:28:20Reed: >> senator, we have put together a number of scenarios coordinated across the forecast. There are four specific goals we have been told to track and analyze with regards to the U.S. effort. They have been articulated earlier in the hearings.
▶ 2:28:49Reed: With regards to the collapse of the regime specifically, what would precipitate that, I would prefer to talk about that in the classified hearing.
▶ 2:29:04Sen. Reed: I understand, it's a basic question, will air power alone be able to destroy this regime given the culture, politics, temperament of these people? The iraq-iran war lasted eight years. One million casualties. Do you think air power alone will do it?
▶ 2:29:30Sen. Reed: >> senator, the capabilities that our joint force brings to bear could accomplish many missions. Forecast exactly what can and cannot accomplish this goal. I prefer not to guess.
▶ 2:29:59Sen. Reed: I will recognize your professional position. Leaders said they were not sharing intelligence. We could take them at their word. Do you take president putin at his word? >> I will go ahead and answer. No. I don't take vladimir at his word.
▶ 2:30:29Sen. Reed: Are they providing weapons to the iranians? >> what we could go into is the iranians are attesting intelligence systems from russia, china, other adversaries of the united states. Whether or not those countries are is something they could talk about in the classified portion.
▶ 2:31:02Sen. Reed: You made an assessment. >> I'm happy to discuss that with you in the classified portion.
▶ 2:31:17Sen. Reed: One of the aspects of this is the collateral effects, particularly in russia and ukraine. Talking about russia possibly providing intelligence or inflicting casualties on our forces. Russia lifting sanctions on the ability to sell oil. The $20 billion surge their potential revenues.
▶ 2:31:46Sen. Reed: Ukraine on the other hand was facing a disrupted supply chain of missiles and other equipment because they are being devoted to this operation. Could you give me your impression of the effect of the battle on russia and ukraine?
▶ 2:32:10Sen. Reed: >> from our collections, the effect of epic fury on the russian-ukrainian battle has been indirect, not direct.
▶ 2:32:30Sen. Reed: We do track very carefully what benefits or as you alluded to the collateral effects of what we are doing and how it impacts, there is a lot of the russians and the chinese observations of what we are doing. Figuring out what they could learn from that. That is a collateral effect with the joint force displays on the battlefield.
▶ 2:33:04Sen. Reed: I think we could talk in a little more detail about what those effects are. >> thank you all for being here. I want to call everyone's attention to this fundraising email signed by the president that senator kelly mentioned earlier.
▶ 2:33:35Sen. Reed: In which the president of the united states invites his campaign donors to claim your spot, join now to receive private national security briefings.
▶ 2:33:52Sen. Reed: Featuring a photo of the president a dignified transfer ceremony with a flag draped coffin the american people need to know that the president of the united states is fundraising for his political campaign and his pack using images of american service members killed in action and it is a disgrace.
▶ 2:34:22Sen. Reed: Director gabbard, I would like to re-ground this in your core responsibilities. Under the law you are responsible for providing national intelligence to the president, correct? >> yes. >> into the departments and agencies? >> yes. >> and to the joint chiefs and military commanders. And to the senate and house and relevant committees.
▶ 2:34:50Sen. Reed: The law states the national intelligence you provide to congress should be timely, objective, independent of political considerations. You are here fulfilling a statutory response and your testimony represents the icu's assessment of threats.
▶ 2:35:07Sen. Reed: That opening statement in advance of this hearing stated that as a result of last summer's airstrikes, iran's nuclear enrichment program was obliterated, was that correct? Is that in fact the union -- assessment of the intelligence community? >> yes. >> it is that in iran's nuclear enrichment program was obliterated by last summer's airstrikes.
▶ 2:35:34Sen. Reed: You submitted that there has been no effort since then to try to rebuild the enrichment capability, correct? >> that's right. >> the white house stated on march 1 of this year that this war was launched and was a military campaign to eliminate the imminent nuclear threat posed by the iranian regime. That is a statement from the white house. The imminent nuclear threat posed by the iranian regime.
▶ 2:36:06Sen. Reed: Was it the assessment of the intelligence community that there was an imminent nuclear threat? >> they assessed iran maintained the intention to rebuild and continue to grow the nuclear enrichment. >> was of the assessment that there was an imminent nuclear threat posed by the iranian regime? >> the only person who could determine what is and is not an imminent threat is the president.
▶ 2:36:34Sen. Reed: >> this is the worldwide threats hearing where you present to congress national intelligence, timely objective and independent of political considerations. You stated today the intelligence community's assessment that iran's nuclear enrichment program was obliterated. There had been no effort since then to try to build the enrichment capability.
▶ 2:36:57Sen. Reed: Was it the intelligence community's assessment that nevertheless despite this obliteration that there was an imminent nuclear threat posed by the iranian regime? >> it is not the responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat. >> it is precisely your responsibility to determine what constitutes a threat to the united states.
▶ 2:37:24Sen. Reed: This is the worldwide threat hearing where as you noted in your opening testimony you represent the ic assessment of threats. You are here to represent the ic assessment of threats. That is a quote from your own opening statement.
▶ 2:37:44Sen. Reed: My question is as you are here to present the ic assessment of threats, was at the assessment of the intelligence community that as the white house claimed on march 1 there was an imminent nuclear threat posed by the iranian regime? >> once again, the intelligence community has provided the inputs that make up this annual threat assessment.
▶ 2:38:10Sen. Reed: The nature of the imminent threat that the president has to make that determination based on a collection of volume. >> you are here to be timely, objective, independent of considerations. >> that's what I'm doing. >> you are evading a question. It would contradict a statement from the white house. Let me ask you about your presence in fulton county on january 28 of this year.
▶ 2:38:42Sen. Reed: You were present at the fbi's raid on the fulton county elections office, correct? >> I was present for part of the fbi exercising a warrant approved by a municipal judge. >> the fbi was there executing that warrant to seize ballots and materials associated with the 2020 election, correct? >> yes. >> members of this committee have already opened inquiries into your election related activities?
▶ 2:39:13Sen. Reed: >> yes. >> heck they have provided testimony to this committee regarding those activities? >> yes. >> on february 7 -- february 2 he sent a letter, was that accurate? >> I don't recall the exact date but if I sent a letter that had my signature it was accurate. You stated that your presence was requested by the president, why did the president request your presence?
▶ 2:39:40Sen. Reed: >> the day of the raid, the warrant execution commencing. >> the day of the raid, he called you on the phone? >> I will not disclose how the message was delivered. It was a request to help oversee this warrant being executed along with the deputy director. >> is it rolled -- your role to oversee the execution of criminal warrants?
▶ 2:40:05Sen. Reed: >> it is my role based on statute congress has passed to have oversight over election security to include counterintelligence. >> you oversaw the raid. Correct? >> portions of it. Did you handle any balance or election related materials? >> no. >> you were photographed inside a truck. >> it was an empty truck, yes.
▶ 2:40:34Sen. Reed: >> the senator's time has expired. Senator ossoff, your time has expired. She cannot respond. >> will the director please respond for the record to that question. >> I'm happy to respond to questions for the record.
▶ 2:40:54Sen. Reed: >> I just want to come back to this issue, I am very disappointed, this is the one time a year the public gets to hear from you guys in this setting.
▶ 2:41:11Sen. Reed: The fact that we have repeated public reporting including a major story today about china and russia assisting iran which seems obvious and evident and none of you would confirm that publicly I think doesn't give the american people the full challenges of this war.
▶ 2:41:37Sen. Reed: >> I would add the media is not a classification authority. Certainly sounds like something they would do and have been for decades. To wrap up a little business here before we adjourn the open session, we will reconvene in 30 minutes in our usual location for the closed session at 12:56, promptly.
▶ 2:42:04Sen. Reed: I want to note for the record that senator young cannot join us. He is at dover air force base for the transfer of remains for one of our fallen heroes. I would invite everyone to join senator young in praying for the family for that soldier and all the soldier who have given their lives. General hartman, I want to applaud you. This is your last appearance before the committee. I'm sure, you hope.
▶ 2:42:35Sen. Reed: I'm sure the thing you will miss most about your long career in uniform is testifying before congress. Questions for the record will be due by the close of business on friday, march 20. The audience will remain seated for a moment so our witnesses and members may exit and proceed promptly to the closed session. This open session is adjourned.