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Washington, DC - After a strong showing at her confirmation hearing, editorial boards and commentators are calling for bipartisan support and a swift confirmation of Gina Haspel as CIA Director.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE EDITORIAL BOARD: The Case for Gina Haspel as CIA Director

“Haspel gets rave reviews from former national security officials from Democratic and Republican administrations, and is said to be strongly supported by agency employees. That might have given her an easy path to Senate confirmation as the CIA’s first female director … Haspel, who would be the first CIA director in five decades to come into the job after a career in clandestine operations, is also a proven administrator. The Senate should confirm her.”

NEW HAMPSHIRE UNION LEADER EDITORIAL BOARD: Confirm Haspel: The Intelligent Choice for CIA

“Much of Haspel’s 33-year career remains classified, but she has received stellar endorsements from across the intelligence community. She is capable, experienced, and dedicated to keeping America safe. She should not be disqualified for doing her job using rules some senators now find objectionable.”

NEW YORK POST EDITORIAL BOARD: Gina Haspel’s Hypocritical Critics

“A 30-year veteran already serving as acting CIA chief, Haspel would be the first woman to lead the agency and the first director in decades who’s spent her entire career there. She has the enthusiastic support of pretty much anyone who’s ever worked with her … Any Democrats voting against her, especially those who voted to confirm Brennan, ought to give a good explanation why.”

RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH EDITORIAL BOARD: The Key Question about Gina Haspel Already has been Answered

“Everyone who has considered her record agrees that she is supremely qualified to head the Central Intelligence Agency. Over the course of three decades, she has risen through the ranks from station chief to deputy director. Her colleagues sing her praises and even her foes acknowledge her abilities … She is eminently qualified to direct the CIA.”

FORMER DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY ACTING DIRECTOR DAVID R. SHEDD IN USA TODAY: Today’s Talker: Confirm Gina Haspel as CIA Director. Why Oppose Her Nomination?

“Without question, Gina Haspel is unequivocally the right person to lead the CIA at this crucial moment in history. Both her long-term record of distinguished service and her professional and poised testimony before the Senate on Wednesday make that abundantly clear. With 33 years of experience as a CIA operative, including her current service as the deputy director of the agency, Haspel will step into the director role needing no ‘on-the-job training’ to tackle the myriad complex threats facing the United States around the globe. She is known within agency ranks for her integrity, and is widely regarded as a serious leader who is prepared to lead CIA.”

 

HUDSON INSTITUTE SENIOR FELLOW REBECCAH HEINRICHS IN THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER: What More Could We Ask For in a CIA Director than Gina Haspel?

“What more could our country ask for in a director for the Central Intelligence Agency than Gina Haspel? After Haspel’s confirmation hearing performance, that’s the question every senator considering opposing her nomination needs to answer. A quick glance down Haspel’s resume shows she has more than enough experience under her belt … Haspel is a brilliant intelligence professional, an inspiration to all Americans, and deserves an overwhelming bipartisan vote in favor of her confirmation.”

FORMER CIA ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS JACK DEVINE AT NBC NEWS: Gina Haspel Says CIA Won’t Restart Its Torture Program. Congress Should Believe — and Confirm — Her.

“Trump’s pick stands virtually alone as the most qualified professional in the intelligence business. No one in the intelligence community can equal her experience in a combination of policy-level, leadership and field positions … I know first-hand what challenges Haspel will face as director, and there is no doubt in my mind that she is ideally suited to lead the agency.”

FORMER CIA OFFICER BRYAN DEAN WRIGHT AT FOX NEWS: Gina Haspel is a Great Pick for CIA – Why are Democrats Playing Politics with our National Security?

“Haspel is a brilliant intelligence officer with 33 years at the CIA. She has devoted most of her adult life to protecting our nation and won awards for her outstanding performance. Like all of us at the CIA, she’s never carried out her responsibilities as a Democrat or a Republican – but as an American patriot.”

COMMENTATOR CARRIE SHEFFIELD AT CNN: Progressive Outrage About Gina Haspel is Unfair

“Haspel is a public servant who started as a case officer in Africa, held the position of CIA station chief four times during her 33-year intelligence career, helped navigate CIA’s Russia operation, and was a senior-level supervisor in counterterrorism. She would be the first career officer in 52 years to rise through the ranks to the CIA’s helm and be the first woman to fill that role … It would be unfortunate if Haspel’s career and our country’s safety were derailed because of the left’s politicking.”