Duckworth Votes Against Confirming John Ratcliffe as CIA Director

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senate confirmed John Ratcliffe by a vote of 74-25 to serve as CIA Director under President Trump:

“When questioned during his last confirmation hearing about his views on torture during the first Trump Administration, John Ratcliffe had weak responses even compared to his fellow nominees—refusing to openly condemn torture as a tactic against captured adversaries. He has failed to prove he’s changed his stance—and for that reason and more, I voted against his nomination today. When you’re stuck bleeding in a helicopter behind enemy lines like I was, you hope and pray that if the enemy finds you first, they treat you humanely. Anyone who can’t categorically condemn torture—which is illegal, immoral and has been proven time and again to be ineffective in extracting accurate intelligence—cannot be trusted to lead the CIA.”

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