WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the CIA told senators during his confirmation hearing Wednesday that the nation's premier spy agency must do a better job of staying ahead of global threats posed by Russia, China and other adversaries.
John Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence during Trump's first term, told lawmakers that if confirmed, he would push the agency to do more to harness technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing while also expanding the agency's use of human intelligence collection.
''We're not where we're supposed to be,'' Ratcliffe told the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Ratcliffe said he views China as America's greatest geopolitical rival, with Russia, Iran, North Korea and drug cartels, hacking gangs and terrorist organizations also posing challenges to national security.
Republicans praised Ratcliffe's experience, but Democrats and the lone independent on the panel struck a more skeptical tone, asking Ratcliffe if his loyalty to Trump would conflict with his duties to follow intelligence wherever it leads. Ratcliffe assured the lawmakers that he would put the CIA's mission first.
''Will you or any of your staff impose a political litmus test for CIA employees?'' asked Sen. Angus King, a Maine Independent.
''No,'' Ratcliffe answered.
Ratcliffe told lawmakers that he supports the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a government spying program that allows authorities to collect without warrant the communications of non-Americans located outside the country. If those people are communicating with Americans, those conversations can be swept up, too, a fact that has led to questions about violations of personal rights.
