Durbin Statement On Vote Against CIA Director Nominee Rep. Mike Pompeo
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement:
“Today, I voted against Rep. Pompeo’s confirmation as Director of the CIA. His changing statements on the use of torture leave me no choice. His written answers to the Senate Intelligence Committee, saying that he will consult with CIA experts as to whether the methods in the U.S. Army Field Manual are sufficient, and if they aren’t, work with legal experts and congressional overseers to make changes, are extremely alarming and contradict what he told me personally when we met in my office.
“Federal law now clearly prohibits torture and ‘cruel, inhumane, and degrading’ treatment of detainees, and prohibits interrogation techniques not authorized by the Army Field Manual. We cannot go backwards on this seminal issue of human rights.
“For years, I was highly critical of the CIA’s detention and interrogation program and repeatedly questioned its legality. Over 13 years ago, I authored the first legislation to make clear that the cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment of detainees is illegal under U.S. law in all circumstances. And today, I stood in opposition of Rep. Pompeo’s confirmation to be CIA Director because in order to win the war on terrorism, we must remain true to the principles upon which our country was founded.”