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Floor Speech

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Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, I speak today in support of Mr. Jay Clayton's nomination to be the next Director of National Intelligence.

Earlier this month, Mr. Clayton appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee, where he answered hundreds of written questions for the record and provided detailed testimony on his approach to serving in this new role. As part of these discussions, Mr. Clayton assured the committee that he would assist our efforts to return the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to its original size, scope, and mission.

He also pledged to work with the committee to secure the essential funding the intelligence community needs. Based on the shortcomings that my committee staff identified, I project that any supplemental appropriations bill or reconciliation bill must include around $40 billion for our intelligence Agencies. I look forward to working with Mr. Clayton to meet this vital need.

Given his past professional experience, Mr. Clayton is well qualified to serve as the Director of National Intelligence. As the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Mr. Clayton went after some of the worst of the worst national security threats. He has overseen numerous high-profile cases, including the indictment of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and the prosecution of an Iran-backed terrorist connected to multiple attempted terror attacks in the United States. Time and again, Mr. Clayton has worked hand in glove with our intelligence Agencies and counterterrorism personnel to put these savages behind bars and keep America safe.

Based on Mr. Clayton's testimony and the many conversations I have had with him over the last few months, I can say with confidence that his reputation for leading with integrity precedes him. I am pleased to support his nomination, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of his confirmation.

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