HARTFORD – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Monday announced his opposition to CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s confirmation as Secretary of State. Murphy released the following statement: 

“I was impressed by Director Pompeo’s recognition of the many failures of Rex Tillerson’s tenure at the State Department. I choose to believe Mr. Pompeo’s promise that he will work hard to restore morale at State and work to supplement, not atrophy, the diplomatic tools at the Secretary of State’s disposal.

“But any successful president must surround himself with advisors offering competing viewpoints and presenting multiple paths to address complex problems. With John Bolton as the National Security Advisor and Director Pompeo as the president’s pick for Secretary of State, I am deeply concerned that the president is intentionally surrounding himself with people who will narrow the foreign policy options available to him, prioritizing military solutions over diplomatic solutions. This weekend’s illegal and counterproductive strikes against the Syrian government underscore the urgent need for a Secretary of State who will stand up for the Constitution and articulate to the president the danger of American military hubris. Mr. Pompeo’s clear history of viewing American global power primarily through a military lens makes him the wrong person for the moment.

“Finally, at a time when America’s leadership in the world is collapsing, I am concerned that Mr. Pompeo’s personal beliefs on a number of issues, from torture to the rights of Muslim and LGBT Americans, place him outside mainstream American values and will compound the already disastrous moral leadership position of this administration around the globe. 

 “I hope my concerns will prove to be unwarranted, but they mean I cannot support Director Pompeo’s nomination. I will vote no.”

Last week, Murphy questioned Pompeo during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing.

###