Senate Holds New CIA Chief Hearings Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committe in confirmation hearings for the lead job at the CIA. Hayden's tenure at the NSA draws sharp questions. As the agency's director, he helped create and presided over its controversial domestic spying program.

Special Series

Senate Holds New CIA Chief Hearings

Gen. Michael Hayden's tenure as NSA director draws sharp questions.

Subscribe to Politics Newsletter

Senate Confirms Hayden as CIA Director

May 26, 2006 • Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden easily wins approval as the next director of the CIA, replacing former congressman Porter Goss. Friday's vote was 78-15. Hayden overcame questions about a military officer taking over as head of the nation's spy agency.

Senate Confirms Hayden as CIA Director

Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5434001/5434002" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Hayden Defends Domestic Surveillance to Senators

May 19, 2006 • Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden says he consulted both his lawyers and his conscience in approving the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program. Hayden defended the spying during Senate confirmation hearings for his nomination to be the next director of the CIA.

Hayden Defends Domestic Surveillance to Senators

Listen

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5417095/5417096" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Senators Press Hayden on NSA Spying, Iraq

May 18, 2006 • The Senate Intelligence Committee grills Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, the president's nominee to head the Central Intelligence Agency. Much of the questioning centered on Hayden's role in designing two controversial National Security Agency programs, as well as intelligence concerns.

Senators Press Hayden on NSA Spying, Iraq

Listen

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5415819/5415820" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Hayden Tells Senate Panel NSA Monitoring Is Legal

May 18, 2006 • In Senate confirmation hearings, Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden faces tough questions over his role in the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program, which he insists is legal, and his ability to transition to a civilian agency.

Hear NPR's Wrap-Up of the Day

Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5411958/5416646" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Sharp Exchanges: Hayden Hearing Highlights

May 18, 2006 • Gen. Michael Hayden faced tough, bipartisan grilling Thursday from a Senate panel weighing his nomination to head the CIA. Responding to sharp questioning from several senators, Hayden repeatedly defended the legality of two controversial surveillance programs begun at the NSA during his six years at the helm of the top-secret intelligence agency.

Senate Intelligence Chair Readies for Hayden Hearings

May 17, 2006 • President Bush's choice head the CIA, Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, begins his confirmation hearings before the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) and senators from both parties are expected to grill Hayden on issues of privacy and national security, particularly the role of the NSA in collecting the phone records of ordinary Americans.

Senate Intelligence Chair Readies for Hayden Hearings

Listen

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5412153/5412154" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

NSA Questioned on Scope of Domestic Spying

Challenging, Defending the NSA

May 17, 2006 • The NSA's domestic wiretapping program and collection of telephone records have sparked a furious debate over privacy. Read transcripts, documents and statements that highlight elements of the debate.

Reaction to CIA Nomination Crosses Party Lines

May 17, 2006 • Going into confirmation hearings, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle credit Gen. Michael Hayden as a leading figure in the intelligence community. But there are concerns over Hayden's military background and his role in the NSA's domestic spy program.

Warrantless Wiretaps: A Guide to the Debate

Q&A: The NSA's Domestic Eavesdropping Program

May 17, 2006 • Revelations continue about the National Security Agency's domestic eavesdropping program, thanks to congressional pressure, lawsuits and press reports. Here's a look at what we know, and what we don't know, about what the NSA has been up to.

Browse archive or search npr.org