Senate Confirms Medine as Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board Chairman

WASHINGTON— Today, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement after the full Senate confirmed the nomination of David Medine to be Chairman of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. (PCLOB).

“The oversight provided by the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board will be essential in ensuring that the Constitution is adhered to in our counterterrorism efforts. Given his breadth of knowledge about privacy issues and his vast experience in both the public and private sectors, David Medine is well prepared to assume this new role as the Board’s chairman. Mr. Medine’s nomination has been pending since 2011, further highlighting the problems we face in filling vacancies in the federal government. Without confirmed leaders at the helm of our agencies, these organizations cannot effectively complete their work or successfully carry out their missions. I commend my Senate colleagues for approving this overdue nomination. It is vital that Congress and the Administration continue to work toward an expedient timeline for nominations so that the management of our federal government is not compromised by leadership vacancies.”