General Discussion

Statement of Sen. Paul Simon (D-Illinois):

I am going to vote in the negative on the approval of Mr. Gates for Director of the CIA. I have every reason to believe I would vote for him for almost any other position other than Director of the CIA.

I think there are three positions in the Federal Government--perhaps others could be added--but three at least where it is very key that they have the full confidence of this body and of the American public. One is the Director of the FBI, the second is a drug czar, and the third is the Director of the CIA. In each of these positions the potential for abuse is very, very great, particularly when you operate under the cloak of secrecy.

It is extremely important that whoever heads that operation has the full confidence of this body and of the American public. Judge Sessions, as head of the FBI, has that confidence. I have great respect for him.

The reality is that Mr. Gates is a person of great ability, but there are people who are thoughtful Members of this body, such as Senator Bradley, who have serious concerns whether he is the right person to head the Agency. There has been a lot of talk about the Iran-Contra problems.

Let me mention another area that also concerns me and that is a memorandum of December 14, 1984, from Mr. Gates to Bill Casey, and in that memorandum, first of all, he talks about maintaining the fig leaf of curtailing the arms sale to Salvador, and second, he talks about taking certain actions that are clearly acts of war.

My idea of what the Central Intelligence Agency ought to be doing is that it ought to be gathering intelligence, period, and then, if there are military decisions that should be made, the military should be involved in that.

I happen to have served in the Army in something that few people will even recall existed anymore, I know it has not existed for several years, called the counterintelligence corps. I am very much interested in this whole process of sound intelligence gathering, and that is what the CIA ought to be about. They ought to be gathering intelligence, period. And then, if they want to make recommendations to other agencies to take other kinds of covert or overt action, that should be done.

And I think there are plenty of people who are competent, who are knowledgeable. Let me just mention two, and I have no idea whether they would even consider it. I recognize the Gates nomination probably is going to be approved. But Admiral Crowe or Gen. David Jones, both retired, both former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have great respect in this body. I would without hesitation vote for either as head of the CIA. And I would have full confidence that they have the sense of balance to do the right kind of a job.

I have an uneasy feeling about Mr. Gates, and I do not think we ought to have that uneasy feeling about whoever heads the CIA.

So, Mr. President, my vote will not be for Mr. Gates as head of the CIA. I think we can do better in this country. I think we can find someone who would have the unanimous support of this body.

Source: https://irp.fas.org/congress/1991_cr/s911105-gates3.htm#google_vignette