Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, National Security Agency (NSA) Director, and
Glenn Gerstell, NSA General Counsel, presented the Intelligence Under Law Award
to former Congressman Mike J. Rogers (R-MI) and Congressman C. A. Dutch
Ruppersberger (D-MD) in a ceremony today during the NSA’s annual Law Day
luncheon at the NSA headquarters.
The award was presented jointly for their exemplary bipartisan service
to the Nation, and specifically the Intelligence Community, while serving as
chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the House Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence from 2011-2014.
“To mark this special occasion, we’ve chosen to commemorate one key
component of our legal system, that is, Congressional oversight,” said
Gerstell. “Our Agency is subject to rigorous and effective oversight – as it
should be – from multiple entities spread across all three branches of the
federal government. Historically, however, it has been the legislative branch
that has played a uniquely important role in creating and maintaining public
trust in the Intelligence Community.”
Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), Chairman of the U.S.
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, delivered the keynote speech. Burr
challenged NSA lawyers to push for better changes in architecture to support the
ever-changing technologies, and to continue creating effective collaborative
models with academia and industry.
“With technology becoming obsolete in such a short period of time, as
today’s legal professionals, we must work twice as hard for the next generation
in order to make an impact on another person’s life that we may never meet,”
said Burr.
President Eisenhower first established Law Day in 1958 to mark the Nation’s
commitment to the rule of law. Every President since has followed this
tradition, as Law Day serves as a reminder to Americans of the significance of
the rule of law in the foundation of our Country’s democracy and its effect on
liberty, justice, and legal equality.
Since 1989, the NSA Office of General Counsel has celebrated Law Day with an annual ceremony to recognize those who work to ensure that the rule of law is upheld. The event is attended by members of the Intelligence Community, as well as partners in public service and private practice.
Source: NSA
By Loren Blinde
May 28, 2019
